COVINGTON, Ga. — The Eastside Lady Eagles experienced triumph and defeat last week in their two matches. First, they defeated Region 8-AAAAA opponent Clarke Central 2-1 last Tuesday followed by a 4-1 defeat at Jefferson on Friday — a loss that ended the Lady Eagles’ two-game winning streak. 

In Friday’s result, Joanna Funes scored the Lady Eagles’ lone goal on a header off a Sophia Leal corner kick.

Head coach Joel Singleton shared his thoughts after the match. 

“Jefferson was the most complete team we have seen this season,” Singleton said. “Solid all across their lineup. Their goalkeeper was the best we have seen. She is tall and stopped everything that was close."

Nevertheless, Singleton expressed admiration for his team’s outing. 

"Alexa Corley was big for us in goal. She had 16 saves,” Singleton said. “Kat Wilbur, Charlotte Abernathy, Payton Dozier and Liz Kelly worked hard all game on defense. Jefferson played around Sophia Leal most of the game and did their best to make sure she never touched the ball. That was a challenge for us. We couldn't put together any consistent offense all game. But after being down 3-0 at half, I loved the team's effort in the second half to make it 1-1 in the last 40 minutes."

Meanwhile, a few days earlier, Eastside brought home its first ever win at the “New Eastside” field against the Lady Gladiators. 

Eastside scored early when Nelia Dailey took a pass from Joanna Funes and used her speed before firing a shot into the Clarke Central goal to put the Lady Eagles up 1-0 with 34:26 left in the first half. 

Clarke Central turned its offense on with about 22 minutes to play forcing several saves by Corley. Corley made a double touch save with 20:10 left in the 1st half when she batted a Lady Gladiator shot up to the crossbar and then swatted the ball away from the goal with one hand. 

Liz Kelly cleared the ball to keep the Lady Gladiators scoreless. With 17:41 left on the clock, Clarke Central’s barrage of attacks paid off when they scored on a cross from the far left to an undefended player in front of the Eastside goal who tapped it in to equalize the match. 

The first half ended 1-1.

Eastside started the second half of play much like the first by scoring a goal with 32:36 on the clock.

Sophia Leal sent a corner kick that Kat Wilbur headed towards the Lady Gladiators goal. A Clarke defender blocked the shot near the goal but Eastside's Abigail Morgan controlled the rebound and fired the ball into the Clarke Central net to put the Lady Eagles up 2-1. The goal would be the eventual game-winner. 

The match was a nail-biter until the end with both teams threatening but neither

being able to score again. 

Singleton said he was "thrilled with the win.”