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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

The West Forsyth girls soccer team has been dominant as of late and that continued this past week with two shutout wins in the Central Piedmont 4-A. 

This past Tuesday, West Forsyth (7-3-1, 5-0) defeated Davie County 4-0 in Clemmons with four different goal scorers.

“I thought, obviously there’s room for improvement anywhere. But I thought we played well,” West Forsyth Coach Jeffrey Williams said. “And Davie, we knew is even much improved since last year. And last year we obviously played them three times, and each time we played them the games got closer and closer. So, we knew that Davie was going to be up for the game. And I think we were up for the challenge.”

Leigha Curry, Ella Fergus, Reese Williams and Aislynn Maguire each scored for the Titans.  

“Most of the teams key on Aislynn,” Williams said. “And so, that opens opportunities for all other people.”

Davie County fell to 8-2-1 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

One night later, West Forsyth played host to Reynolds (5-3-2, 2-1-1) and won 3-0 with three different scorers — Curry, Maggie Carroll, and Hannah Hanes. 

The Titans have not allowed a goal in five conference games and have outscored their opponents 30-0 in those games.

“Reynolds came out tough,” Williams said. “They did a couple of different things in the game to make it harder on us to attack, and we had to make some adjustments because of that. But I think during both games we wanted to take the attack to the other team. And I felt like a lot of the time we did that, and we gave both Reynolds and Davie few opportunities to attack us.”

In the Reynolds game, Curry scored first to give West Forsyth a 1-0 lead at halftime.

“In both the Davie and the Reynolds game Leigha Curry subbed on and within — one was within probably 10 seconds and the other was probably within a minute or two, she scored as soon as she came on,” Williams said. “We’ll call her a super-sub.” 

This week is no easier for West Forsyth. They are scheduled to play Mount Tabor (8-2-1, 2-2-1) on Wednesday and at East Forsyth (6-3-1, 3-1) on Thursday. The East Forsyth game was rescheduled due to rain on Monday.

“(East) is solid. They’re well-coached,” Williams said. “They’re trained in what they do. They can adapt pretty good. So, yeah, it’s a big game. Them and Tabor are super big games. This is why we play. Hopefully we’re geared up for it.” 

Softball

Not to be outdone, the West Forsyth softball team remained undefeated with two conference wins against East Forsyth and Mount Tabor, plus a nonconference win against Randleman. 

This past Tuesday, West Forsyth scored 10 runs in the top of the fourth inning to help it defeat East Forsyth 15-5 in Kernersville.  

Sydney Horton led the Titans (17-0, 10-0) going 4 for 5, including a home run, with three runs and four RBIs. 

In addition, Madisen Barringer was 3 for 4 with an RBI. 

“It was tough,” West Forsyth Coach Kevin Baity said. “We came out, they scored one in the bottom of the first. We answered with three in the top of the second, but then they answered with three in the bottom of the second.”

This past Thursday night, West Forsyth traveled to Randleman in a nonconference game and won 6-0.  

“They were 11-3 before we played them,” Baity said. “They’ve got a good pitcher, a left-handed pitcher. But again, we scored two in the first, and they had a walk and an error. So, we led them 2-0 going into the fifth, and that was when Sydney hit a bomb.” 

Horton finished the Randleman game going 3 for 3 with three RBIs. Freshman Jeyleen Vazquez added two hits and an RBI. 

Meredith Casey pitched the first five innings for West Forsyth. Casey gave up one hit, with one walk and two strikeouts. Morgan Maxwell pitched the final inning.  

“The thing about Meredith is she’s not going to have a lot of strikeouts,” Baity said. “She’s not overpowering, but she makes them hit a lot of balls off the end of the bat, lot of popups, lot of weak ground balls.” 

Friday night in a home conference game against Mount Tabor, West Forsyth scored four runs in the sixth inning to win 10-0 in six innings. 

Casey pitched a complete game against Mount Tabor (3-6, 2-6), and Timea Sales led the team with two hits.

This week, West Forsyth was scheduled to have played at home Monday night in a nonconference game against Rockingham County (13-1). West Forsyth is also scheduled to travel to East Bend Wednesday night to play Forbush (11-4) in a nonconference game, and West Forsyth is scheduled to play Glenn (9-7, 4-4) Friday night in Clemmons in the second meeting between the two teams this season.

The Titans defeated the Bobcats 8-1 in the first meeting on March 18 in Kernersville.

“Every game should get us more and more prepared for the state playoffs,” Baity said.

Girls lacrosse

The West Forsyth girls lacrosse team won three games last week, including two conference games against Davie County and Reynolds. In addition, they defeated Greensboro’s Page in a nonconference game.

This past Tuesday in Clemmons, Brighde Mullen and Gabby Vestal scored four goals apiece and Kayleigh Mutkus added three goals to help West Forsyth roll past Davie County 19-8. 

“We played well,” Titans Coach Doug Brawley said. “But we had a pretty good opportunity to get all of our players in and get some experience for the newer and returning players.”

Kayden Richardson led the War Eagles (5-5, 2-3) with five goals and Lyndsay Davis added three goals.

Last Wednesday, Mutkus scored six goals and Tatum Snow added five to help visiting West Forsyth cruise past Page 17-5.

“We didn’t know anything about Page other than looking at their record,” Brawley said. “They hadn’t played a lot of games this year. We were expecting a good match. Our girls came out firing on all cylinders and from the very beginning ran away with that game.”

The Pirates are 2-4. 

This past Friday night in Clemmons, West Forsyth (9-4, 5-0) faced rival Reynolds, and Tatum Snow scored six goals and Gabby Vestal added five to win 14-13. 

The Titans led 9-7 at halftime.

“It’s the Winston-Salem/Clemmons version of Duke and Carolina, at least when it comes to girls lacrosse,” Brawley said. “Every year that we’ve had lacrosse in Forsyth County, in girls lacrosse specifically, the conference champion has been R.J. Reynolds or West Forsyth.

“And so, these games, these girls get up to it. But they see each other at school, they see each other throughout the summer. And it’s all about bragging rights.”

The Demons fell to 6-6 overall and 2-1 in the conference. 

“For the girls, it was obviously excitement and joy and enthusiasm,” Brawley said. “They were young and screaming and excited, and truly the old thrill of victory for them. For me, it’s just a relief knowing that they get to experience that win.” 

West Forsyth was scheduled to have played at home Monday night in a nonconference game against Atkins (6-5).

Tuesday night, West Forsyth was scheduled to have played at East Forsyth (2-6, 2-3) in a conference game. And this Friday, West Forsyth is scheduled to play host to Mount Tabor (0-5, 0-5) in a conference game. 

“That’s when we’ll start playing the conference for the second time,” Brawley said. “We have not played East Forsyth yet.” 

Baseball

The West Forsyth baseball team had a seesaw week this past week, sweeping Glenn in two conference games but falling at home against Greensboro Grimsley last Wednesday in a nonconference game.

Last Tuesday, West Forsyth (12-3, 8-0) scored seven runs in the sixth inning en route to a six-inning shutout of Glenn 15-0 in Kernersville.

“It was definitely a good week for the Titans,” West Forsyth Coach Kevin McIntosh said. “We weren’t really sure what to expect and we go there on Tuesday night, and we beat them 15-0 in six innings. We had seven runs in the sixth inning there.  

“Grayson Jones had another elite performance that night.” 

McIntosh said it was Jones’ third-straight shutout after giving up just one hit, nine strikeouts and no walks.

“The year (Jones) had last year was great, you know, all-conference, all-state as a sophomore. And anytime you make the jump to the No. 1 role there’s question marks. But he has checked every box and filled in the No. 1 role as expected this year for us.”

Against Grimsley, it led 4-1 after three innings. West Forsyth tacked on two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-3, but Grimsley scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh to win 5-3.

“It was not a good game overall,” McIntosh said. “We didn’t do some things that we typically would do. We didn’t run the bases well. We didn’t execute on some things. Pitching-wise, we only gave up six hits, but three of them left the yard.”

And this past Friday, West Forsyth played Glenn in Clemmons and scored four runs in the fifth inning to defeat Glenn 10-0 in five innings. 

“That was a big game for us I think to bounce back after the Grimsley loss,” McIntosh said. “You never know how things are going to go. And we came out and scored three in the first inning. Anytime you can get runs in the first inning it kind of makes things go well for us.” 

The Bobcats are 7-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference.

This week, West Forsyth was scheduled to have played Parkland (1-15, 0-8) Tuesday night in Clemmons in a conference game and at Parkland Friday night. 

In addition, West Forsyth was scheduled to have played Wednesday night at Northern Guilford (11-4) in a nonconference game.

“Going into this week we’ve just got to continue doing what we’re doing and what we’re capable of doing,” McIntosh said. “We can’t worry about who you’re playing. We’ve got another big middle of the week, nonconference game. Northern Guilford, who I think is 11-4. That prepares us for the (conference) playoffs.” 

Boys lacrosse

After picking up their first loss of the season on March 28 against Reagan, the West Forsyth boys lacrosse team lost two out of three games this past week.

Ty Carter scored nine goals for Davie County (10-1, 4-1) last Tuesday to help it defeat West Forsyth 20-3 in a Central Piedmont 4-A game in Clemmons.

“It’s not our best game,” West Forsyth Coach Jacob Able said. “Davie is a really good team. They’ve got a bunch of really good young players. And we also did not play as well as we can.” 

However, West Forsyth rebounded this past Thursday night after it pummeled Morganton’s Patton 24-2 in a nonconference game.

“That was a great break from the losing streak there,” Able said. “They don’t have the strongest squad, a lot of beginning players. They’re trying to build a program up over there.” 

And this past Friday, Reynolds beat West Forsyth 16-7 in a conference game in Clemmons.

The Titans fell to 8-3 overall and 2-3 in the conference, and the Demons improved to 10-2 overall and 5-0 in the conference.

“I think they have a really good team,” Able said. “They’ve got a lot of really good players. They’ve got a lot of really good coaches. And I think all things considered, being with the score what it was, I think that our guys had a lot of moments where they were playing really well against a really good team.”

This week, West Forsyth was scheduled to have played a home nonconference game Monday night against Watauga (3-9). 

Following the Watauga game, West Forsyth was scheduled to play Tuesday night at East Forsyth (3-6, 1-4) and at home Friday night against Mount Tabor (1-7, 1-5).

“I teach at Kernersville Middle School. I know a lot of their guys, either teaching them or coaching them, and summer lacrosse,” Able said of East Forsyth. “So, definitely excited for it. I think it’ll be a really good game.”