Gray Collegiate soccer learns valuable lessons in matchup with powerhouse Wando

The desired result was not achieved, but Gray Collegiate boys soccer coach Kevin Heise felt his War Eagles squad improved in facing a Class 5A power in Wando.

The Warriors claimed the championship of the Palmetto Division of the Nike Palmetto Cup on Tuesday with a 4-2 victory over the War Eagles at a hot and humid Saluda Shoals Complex.

It was tied at 1 after the first 40 minutes of play, but the Warriors scored three goals in about a 10-minute flurry of the second half to move ahead by three goals.

“We knew they would come out strong in the second half. That is very typical of Wando. I was very proud of our effort. We had to play a lot of bodies, which just builds depth down the road for us,” Heise said.

Wando (14-2) got on the board first when Stokes McConnell scored about 17 minutes in. It stayed that way until the waning minutes of the first half when JT Gardner converted a free kick.

“I thought we had a little bit of a lift right there the last 10 minutes of the first half,” Heise said. “We were hoping to capitalize on a little momentum coming out of the break. We started the second half with three freshmen on the back line. It’s tough to beat seniors at Wando with that.”

The Warriors after the break showed why they’re the third ranked team in Class 5A. Senior William Ledbetter scored twice, and junior Leyton O’Keefe added another goal to put Wando ahead 4-1.

But Gray Collegiate, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 2A, never backed down. They ended up playing three players in goal, Joey Sullivan, Rivers Teeter and Blake Croft and rotated guys into positions they don’t normally play.

The War Eagles had one goal wiped away for being offside but later added a header by sophomore Ben Richards off an assist from Gardner.

“We dressed 26 and we played 26,” Heise said. “For a 2A school to do that against a perennial 5A national power, I’m pleased with the effort overall. We definitely learned today. It’s for us to see what we are. it’s a barometer game for us.”

Gardner, a senior and four-year player for Gray Collegiate, said this was a learning experience.

“We can take away the hard work,” he said. “Scratching two against Wando is a big deal. T.L Hanna didn’t do that; a lot of teams aren’t going to be able to do that against that caliber team. It was 4-1 and it could have gone to 10-1 but we kept battling back.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 8:50 PM.