blank'/> Broughton Sports Update: October 2016

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Volleyball Battles Past Gibbons


Broughton's team celebrates after scoring the final point during Broughton's volleyball game at Cardinal Gibbons on Saturday, October 29, 2016. Broughton won the game 3-2.
(Ray Black III/newsobserver.com)

Broughton (21-1) defeated host Cardinal Gibbons (21-8) 11-25, 25-23, 25-20, 19-25, 15-10 on Saturday night to move into the NCHSAA 4A quarterfinals. The Caps will travel to D.H. Conley (24-0) on Tuesday (6pm).  Cardinal Gibbons has made 18 consecutive state finals appearances (1998-2015), winning 16 of them.

Gibbons jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the the opening frame but a block by Kalee Vanderhorst allowed the Caps to pull within 8-6.  However, the Crusaders closed the game on a 17-5 outburst to claim the first set. Broughton's setter Claire Sawyer rolled her ankle in the first game so defensive specialist Holli Smith handled the setting duties the last four sets.  The second stanza was tightly contested from the outset before the Crusaders pushed ahead 17-13. A Vanderhorst kill sparked a 7-2 run to help Broughton forge ahead 20-19.  Amber Russell's ace gave the Capitals set point at 24-22.  Erin Westburg's kill made it 24-23 but a Gibbons serving miscue ended the set. The Capitals took an early 3-1 lead in the third frame behind a Jade Demps block but Cardinal Gibbons went on an 8-2 stretch before a kill from Vanderhorst pulled the Caps within 9-6.  A kill from Jasmin Bradshaw handed the lead back to Broughton at 11-10. Another Demps block propelled the visitors to a 14-11 advantage but Gibbons clawed back to 17-16.  A combo block by Demps and Grace Youngblood pushed the Caps ahead 23-20 and consecutive double blocks by Demps and Vanderhorst closed the game. The fourth frame was another back and forth affair before the Crusaders knotted the match at two sets apiece by outscoring the Caps 5-1 at the end.  A Vanderhorst kill gave Broughton a 7-6 lead in the deciding fifth frame but Gibbons surged ahead 10-8 before a Demps kill ignited a 7-0 run punctuated by an ace from Holli Smith on match point.

Kalee Vanderhorst tallied 16 kills, 4 blocks and 19 digs and Jade Demps posted 8 kills and 10 blocks.  Nan Parrish had 9 kills and 2 blocks and Grace Youngblood added 8 kills and 7 blocks.  Holli Smith recorded 30 assists, 4 aces and 6 digs and Claire Sawyer handed out 7 assists.  Amber Russell picked up 14 digs and Alden Willis chipped in 9 digs.


Broughton volleyball ends Cardinal Gibbons’ title streak in the third round-

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/high-school/article111432947.html

Broughton knocks off Cardinal Gibbons in 3rd round of playoffs-




Click on the link below to access Broughton's MaxPreps page:

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm



Friday, October 28, 2016

Volleyball Advances to 3rd Round of State Playoffs





Kalee Vanderhorst recorded her 1500th career kill in last night's 3-1 win over Panther Creek in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A state tournament. (Beth Jewell/HighSchoolOT.com)

Broughton (20-1) defeated Panther Creek (21-3) 25-22, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20 on Thursday to advance to Saturday's 3rd round state tournament match at Cardinal Gibbons (7pm). Gibbons (21-7) downed J.H. Rose (17-5) 25-18, 25-20, 25-23 in their second round tilt.

The first set of the evening was tightly contested but a Kalee Vanderhorst kill pushed the Caps ahead for good at 16-15. A kill by Vanderhorst pushed Panther Creek to the brink at 24-22 and an ace by Jade Demps closed the set.  Game two began as another back and forth affair but a Vanderhorst kill at 8-5 sparked a 10-3 run by Broughton to give them a 17-8 lead. A double block by Demps and Nan Parrish ended the second frame.  Panther Creek took advantage of six missed serves by the Capitals to claim the third stanza and force a fourth set. Claire Sawyer hammered out consecutive aces to hand the Caps a 4-0 lead to begin the fourth frame but the Catamounts clawed back to eventually take a 16-15 lead. A kill by Grace Youngblood knotted the score and an ace by Demps gave the lead back to the Caps at 17-16. Panther Creek tied the score again at 19-19 but two more kills by Demps helped Broughton to a 21-19 advantage.  Another Vanderhorst kill gave Broughton match point at 24-20 and a Panther Creek hitting error ended the game.

Kalee Vanderhorst had 20 kills and 12 digs and Jade Demps filled up the stat sheet with 13 kills, 6 blocks, 4 aces and 8 digs.  Grace Youngblood tallied 11 kills and Nan Parrish collected 9 kills and 4 blocks.  Claire Sawyer posted 45 assists, 4 aces, 2 blocks and 7 digs.  Holli Smith picked up 8 digs, Amber Russell added 7 digs and Alden Willis had 5 digs.

Broughton bests Panther Creek volleyball in tough second-round match-

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/high-school/article110982402.html


Broughton outlasts Panther Creek in 2nd round-


http://www.highschoolot.com/broughton-outlasts-panther-creek-in-2nd-round/16169572/


The Capitals downed Hoke County 25-11, 25-5, 25-8 in Wednesday's first round contest. Kalee Vanderhorst piled up 12 kills, 11 digs and 6 aces, Grace Youngblood chipped in 7 kills and 2 blocks and Nan Parrish added 6 kills.  Jade Demps posted 4 kills, 3 blocks and 2 aces and Claire Sawyer collected 26 assists and 4 aces.  Holli Smith had 4 aces and 5 digs, Amber Russell scooped up 8 digs and Alden Willis recorded 6 digs.

Click on the link below to follow the Caps on their MaxPreps page and to access the tournament bracket:

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm

Thursday, October 27, 2016

JV Soccer Looses to Enloe But Finish Strong with Win in Final Game Over Heritage

The JV Caps entered their final week of the season ready to finish strong.  However, that did not initially look at all likely after another dreary game on Monday. In their final home game of the season, they lost 1-0 to Enloe.

Throughout this game, the Caps generally played superb defense and really seemed to finally be clicking. The only problem, though, was that the offense was almost nonexistent at multiple times during the game. The back line was then forced to work constantly with many clearances varying in effectiveness. A few chances came off some of these clearances, but not anything significant. However, Enloe got their goal off of a counter-attack from a loss of possession in the midfield by the Caps. While it was defended well, the Enloe player used his pace to maneuver around the exhausted back line  of the Caps and tucked the ball in the right bottom corner. Unfortunately for the Caps, the halftime whistle blew not long after this, and they entered the break with some built up negativity.

While this negative mindset didn't really show in the second half of play, the play didn't pick up much. The defense did solidify more, giving the offense more opportunity which they turned into the occasional shot on goal. None of these chances really produced anything and the Caps again ended their final home game with a 1-0 loss.

In their next game, they took it on the road looking for some revenge against Heritage to finish their season strong.

And they did just that in a dominant game against the Huskies. The first 10 minutes were debatable some of the best they played all season. They had moved around the ball well before in previous games, but this was different. They were switching without effort, creating chance after chance and not being challenged on the defensive end. This resulted in a quick 2 goals from freshmen defender Ben Watson in the bottom corner off a corner and a great top right corner score from sophomore captain Laurtis Peterson. These 2 fast goals provided as a cushion to finally let the Caps enjoy the game and have fun moving it around. This lucidity resulted in yet another goal in the first half from freshmen striker Than Oo, who smashed it in the bottom left hand corner. This was an absolute contrast to last time, and the boys were playing with confidence going into halftime.

The second half started in much of the same manner, but this time after about 10 minutes or so it was clear the Heritage was going for more than just goals. They came out more physical and more frustrated. This started to work as they were applying more pressure and not allowing as much space. Even with this added pressure the Caps still created many combinations and opportunities. And while there were a few opportunities for the huskies the Caps looked as though they would keep the clean sheet throughout the game. And it turns out they did, winning 3-0 in a convincing fashion. It was a suitable win for an up-and-down season that didn't end up being as successful as the previous. But, it sure could be as entertaining.

Caps Take 4th Spot from Heritage in Final Game of Regular Season

The battle for 4th place went the way of the Caps as they shook off a 2-1 halftime deficit to ruin Senior Night for the Huskies (sorry, not sorry) and finish the regular season 14-6-2, 8-5-2.

Broughton got injury news before the game as Sophomore Lucas Beeson's ankle flared up in warmups and he had to sit out the match. He was joined by Senior Graham Gunter, who sustained a head injury early in the game and had to miss the remainder. Senior Joe Ruslander was already out with an injury suffered against Enloe.

However, Broughton showed their depth throughout the night and all 25 healthy players played in the game.

Back to the first half, Heritage took a 1-0 lead off a goal by Cap-8's leading scorer (Berk). That lead was short lived as Player of the Game Cesar Gonzalez played a free kick into the box to which Jacob Hill headed home to tie the game up.  Heritage then scored again to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.



The Caps then came out after halftime and proceeded to dominate the final 40 minutes. Freshman Edson Candela-Perez scored five minutes into the second half to tie the game up for Broughton and not two minutes later - Cesar played a beautiful ball to Andrew Rossetti who coolly slotted home a left footed shot to give the Caps the lead for good 3-2.





The defense and midfield controlled the remainder of the game as Seniors Gray Gwaltney, Jacob Hill, Esteban Salinas-Noyola, Caleb Adams and Juniors Ewan Reynolds, Lex Varani and Sophomores Duncan Coffey and Ivey O'Brien kept Heritage from even getting a good shot in the second half.



And stated above, ALL 25 PLAYERS played and contributed to the all important victory.



The Caps now have a week and a half of rest and practice before the first round of playoffs - which start on Saturday, November 5th. 

Caps Defeat Enloe in OT on Senior Night

In storybook fashion, Senior Abdulle Ibrahim celebrated his last home game with a goal in the 2nd OT to help the Caps (13-6-2, 7-5-1) defeat Enloe 3-2.

Broughton started their senior squad on Monday and the boys went out and gave Enloe fits for the first 20 minutes of the half. Several chances from Sam Stein and Abdulle Ibrahim were saved and the defense - led by Seniors Jacob Hill, Esteban Salinas-Noyola, Caleb Adams and Joe Ruslander kept Enloe off the board.

The deadlock was finally broken by Sophomore Andrew Rossetti who scored his 10th goal of the season by powering home a pass from Sam Stein and the Caps were up 1-0 at halftime.

Enloe started strong in the second half and took a 2-1 advantage into the last 20 minutes before Junior Donovan Nicholson rifled home a shot (off an Abdulle pass) to tie the match up 2-2. The Caps and Eagles battled bravely, but couldn't break the tie and we went to overtime.

There were several good chances in the 1st OT, but it wasn't until the 2nd OT that Player of the Game - Abdulle Ibrahim took a ball from Graham Gunter and scored on an unbelievable volley from 20 yards out to give the Caps their final lead of the game and Ryan Meredith made sure that lead stood up and the Caps won 3-2.

Broughton will play its final regular season game before the playoffs on Wednesday versus Heritage at Heritage. 

Thursday, October 20, 2016

JV Soccer Records Another Home Tie 0-0 Against Wakefield

The Caps looked completely different this game compared to their Monday match-up. Their passing was stagnant at times, they had trouble switching the ball and really couldn't seem to find a rhythm.

They started the game without much excitement or any chances for either team. The Caps struggled to get any type of offense accomplished for most of the first half due to their tendency to keep the ball on the same side of the field. Thankfully, though, Wakefield didn't have much success in this compartment either leading to a relatively uneventful half aside from the couple of chances each team had. With the only positive being the clean sheet the Caps kept walking into halftime they stayed optimistic even through the dubious play and the hot weather.

After a greatly needed halftime break the Caps reemerged onto the field to start the second half surprisingly with little improvement on the offensive side of the ball. They did improve their passing and eventually provided some much needed pressure on Wakefield. For a scoreless game it started to become less of a mistake riddled game into a back-and-forth possession game filled with missed opportunities. Late in the second half the Caps looked like they were making a run for the game winning goal with multiple runs from sophomore Htoo Win up the left sideline. Unfortunately, no one could get a good connection with the ball and Wakefield countered. Thankfully Wakefield didn't put any in the back of the net but a few set pieces and questionable clearances made it a little nerve racking.

At the end of the day the game ended 0-0 in a somewhat disappointing match. The Caps hope to end their season with a home game against Enloe on Monday and their final game against Heritage on the road on Wednesday.


Caps Shows Resiliency in a 2-1 Victory Against Wakefield

Losing by a goal with 13 minutes left in the match, the Caps (12-6-2, 6-5-1) showed their toughness and scored two goals to win 2-1 versus Wakefield.

The first half did not start as well as the Caps would have hoped and Wakefield had several early chances just miss the net. Broughton got back in the game with some chances from Andrew Rossetti, Donovan Nicholson and Harrison Lee, but could not capitalize and the score was 0-0 at halftime.

The second half started much as the first as the Caps couldn't find their footing and the game was tied 0-0 until Wakefield was awarded a sketchy PK which was converted to make it 0-1.

Senior Graham Gunter, MaxPreps POG, then scored two goals in five minutes: the first a flick off a free kick from Cesar Gonzalez and the second on a PK that was drawn by Edson Candela-Perez.  Broughton then held off the final few rallies from the Wolverines to win 2-1.

This was an important victory for Broughton as they have a chance to catch Heritage and possible Sanderson next week with two victories.  The first is Monday on versus Enloe at home.  It is Senior Night for the Caps - so please come out and support the team.


Tuesday, October 18, 2016

JV Boys Soccer Finally Produces in 3-0 Win Over Sanderson

In a game that came as a breath of fresh air, the Caps finally played their game and dominated Sanderson on the road 3-0.

The Caps started the game with a lucidity in the passing game that hadn't appeared in weeks. They moved the ball with ease creating combinations that seemed to last minutes. With the mistakes limited to only  few slightly erroneous passes the Caps quickly formed two 1-on-1 chances with the keeper that freshmen Joan Carlo Ramirez Orozco put away to make the game 2-0 midway through the first half. Even though later in the half there were some missed chances the Caps still came into half time confident and positive for the next 35 minutes.

They came out of the half in a similar fashion though their possession did result in less chances they still seemed to have domination over the Spartans. Sanderson did try to play more balls through and over the top and while it did provide a better means for attacking the Caps nothing came of it. The Caps scored another goal not long after a few strings of passing combinations that led to a shot that was muffed by the keeper and put away by sophomore captain Scott Rostick making the score 3-0. After this the Caps played more defensively, just keeping possession with only a few more chances for a goal. In the end though the final score was 3-0 and the Caps left Sanderson with a sigh of relief hoping their extended rough patch was over.

The Caps play next at home against Wakefield hoping to continue their much improved play.

Caps Battle to 1-1 Tie Against Sanderson

The Broughton Capitals (11-6-2, 5-5-1) battled to a 1-1 tie on Monday night to extract a small amount of revenge against Sanderson: the team that handed them their worst defeat of the season back in September.

Broughton was on the front foot early on and had several excellent chances from Donovan Nicholson, Bryce Meredith and Abdulle Ibrahim stopped from the Sanderson GK.  Then, and against the run of play, Sanderson beat our defenders and slotted it past Clay to make it 0-1.  Not soon after, Clay injured his ankle and Sophomore Ryan Meredith came in to finish the half at an 0-1 deficit.

Just four minutes into the second half, the Caps tied the game up as Sophomore Andrew Rossetti's long throw in was met inside the box by Sophomore Lucas Beeson's header and it was 1-1. Sanderson quickly responded with 15 minutes of intense pressure - for which Ryan Meredith made save after save to keep the score deadlocked and defenders Jacob Hill, Graham Gunter, Joe Ruslander and Esteban Salinas-Noyola fought to keep the rebounds from going back in.

The last 10 minutes was some of the best soccer of the season and shots from Donovan, Cesar Gonzalez and Edson Candela-Perez just missed.  With 10 seconds left in the match, Andrew Rossetti had a great shot from 18 yards in which the Sanderson GK made an amazing save and we were off to overtime.

The two overtime periods lacked the passion of regulation time and the score finished 1-1.

The man of the match was Ryan Meredith - no questions or arguments. 

The tie gives the Caps a great chance to have a winning record in the conference with the next home match on Wednesday v Wakefield.



Volleyball: Senior Night Success

Broughton (18-1, 13-1) capped off their regular season with a 25-17, 25-12, 25-19 win over Sanderson (14-9, 9-5) on Monday night.  The Spartans had won seven straight matches entering last evening's contest. Prior to the match the Caps honored their four seniors: Jasmin Bradshaw, Jenny McDonnell, Amber Russell and Kalee Vanderhorst.

A kill from Jade Demps gave Broughton a 7-3 edge to begin the first set but Sanderson quickly evened the score at 7-7 before kills from Kalee Vanderhorst and Claire Sawyer pushed the Caps ahead for good at 9-7.  The Capitals used a 6-0 spurt to claim a 15-8 advantage but the Spartans responded with a 6-0 run of their own to close within 17-14.  Broughton produced another 6-0 outburst that featured three kills from Grace Youngblood and consecutive aces by Amber Russell to forge ahead 23-14. A Vanderhorst kill ended the set.  Broughton jumped out to a 7-0 lead to open the second stanza behind Claire Sawyer's six straight service points.  Consecutive aces by Sydnie Mabry capped a 6-0 run to give the Caps a commanding 14-3 advantage and Broughton cruised the rest of the way.  Sanderson grabbed a 7-3 lead to begin the third frame but a Vanderhorst kill pulled the Caps even at 14-14. A kill from Jasmin Bradshaw at 17-17 sparked a 9-2 run as Broughton closed out the match.

Kalee Vanderhorst piled up a match-high 18 kills (.395) and 18 digs and Claire Sawyer tallied 41 assists and 6 digs.  Grace Youngblood had 9 kills (.381), Nan Parrish added 7 kills (.250) and Jade Demps collected 6 kills (.273) and 3 blocks.  Amber Russell posted 3 aces and 15 digs, Alden Willis chipped in 9 digs and Holli Smith scooped up 6 digs.  Sydnie Mabry recorded two aces and 3 digs and Jasmin Bradshaw had 2 kills (.500) and a block.

CORRECTION: Broughton has won four consecutive Cap-8 regular season titles. The last update mistakenly stated that the Caps had shared the 2013 crown with Wakefield. Wakefield won the Cap-8 tournament that year.

Click on the link below to follow the Caps on their MaxPreps page:

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm

News & Observer Soccer/Volleyball Top 25 Rankings (10/16/16):

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/high-school/article108592722.html

NOTE: The NCHSAA has pushed back the start of the Volleyball state tournament due to the effects of Hurricane Matthew. The new dates are as follows:

Seeding Announced: October 25
First Round: October 26
Second Round: October 27
Third Round: October 29
Fourth Round: November 1
Semifinals: November 3
Finals: November 5 (at NCSU's Reynolds Coliseum)

Monday, October 17, 2016

Caps Soccer Loses a Tough One to Leesville Road

Broughton (11-6-1, 5-5) fought valiantly all night but lost a tough game to Leesville Road 4-2.

The first half was a back and forth affair with the Caps starting strong and Leesville Road fighting back. Some excellent saves by Sophomore Ryan Meredith kept the score 0-0.

The second half was the Lucas Beeson show from an offensive side as Leesville struck first and then Lucas finished a PK to make it 1-1. Leesville then scored again to make it 2-1 and Lucas took a long throw-in from Andrew Rossetti and beat the GK to make it 2-2. However, the Pride showed why they are defending champs and scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to win 4-2.

Our last four (4) games are going to be critical to not just playoff seeding, but whether we make the playoffs at all.  It starts with a chance for the Caps to get revenge against Sanderson at Sanderson.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Volleyball Clinches Cap-8 Crown

Broughton (17-1, 12-1) defeated Millbrook (8-9, 7-6) 25-21, 25-23, 25-20 on Thursday night to wrap up the Cap-8 title for the fourth year in a row. Broughton jumped out to an 11-5 advantage to start the opening set behind five kills and two aces from Kalee Vanderhorst.  A block from Jade Demps and Nan Parrish pushed the lead to 16-8 but Millbrook sliced the deficit to 17-14. Six more kills from Vanderhorst down the stretch enabled the Capitals to hold off the Wildcats.  The second stanza was a tightly contested affair from the outset.  A kill from Demps handed the Caps a 13-10 lead before Millbrook responded with a 6-3 run to tie things up at 17-17. Consecutive kills by Vanderhorst and a kill from Parrish pushed Broughton ahead 21-17. The Wildcats closed to 24-22 before a block from Demps and Parrish secured the set.  Broughton grabbed a 7-1 advantage to begin the third frame behind two kills each from Grace Youngblood and Vanderhorst. Millbrook reeled off six straight points after calling a time-out before a kill by Vanderhorst and two aces from Demps gave the Capitals a 10-6 lead.  An ace by Amber Russell stretched the margin to 18-12 and another Vanderhorst kill ended the match.

Kalee Vanderhorst piled up a match-high 22 kills (.319), 2 aces and 12 digs and Jade Demps posted 10 kills (.562), 4 aces, 3 blocks and 5 digs.  Grace Youngblood had 5 kills (.250) and 2 blocks and Nan Parrish accounted for 3 kills and 2 blocks.  Claire Sawyer tallied 38 assists and 4 digs and Amber Russell added 5 digs and 2 aces. Holli Smith picked up 4 digs and Alden Wiliis chipped in 3 digs.

Tayler Rebne and Skyler Rogerson paced the Millbrook offense with 9 kills each and Ari Rosario collected a match-high 7 blocks.  Patty Delmedico dished out 20 assists and Morgan Fiorini scooped up a match-high 14 digs.  Rebne recorded 11 digs and Delmedico added 7 digs.

Millbrook travels to Wakefield (14-5, 10-3) on Monday while Broughton hosts Sanderson (14-8, 9-4) on the same day (4:30/5:30) in the final regular season contest of the year.  The Capitals will honor their four seniors (Jasmin Bradshaw, Jenny McDonnell, Amber Russell and Kalee Vanderhorst) prior to the match.

Click on the link below to follow the Capitals on their MaxPreps page.

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Caps Comes Away With 1 Win Out of 3 Games Against Wake Forrest, Millbrook, and Leeseville

In a string of three games that spanned over a week, the Caps didn't fail to produce entertaining games. But, they still couldn't come away with the intended results. They ended up with a 1-0 thriller win over Wake Forest, a 2-0 loss against Millbrook, and a close 1-0 loss to Leeseville High.

In their first game, the Caps started with their almost usual practice of good possession without finishing. It was an uneventful game with a few chances for either team but leading up to the first half it was clear the Caps were dominating. The second half turned out to be a different story. Wake Forest improved their play, and the Caps couldn't string as many passes together as they had in the previous half. As the final 10 minutes approached however, the JV boys turned their attack back on. They were constantly pressuring the goals with runs up the flank from freshmen Alex Dunne and sophomore captain Laurits Peterson. Then, finally, after a run up the left side, the Caps crossed it across the box and found Max who headed it perfectly over the keeper with a mere 20 seconds left. It was mayhem. JV and Varsity onlookers alike piled onto Max and everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. The atmosphere was electric. The Caps held Wake Forest off for the last 20 seconds and came away with a long awaited win.

Their next game against Millbrook wasn't as positive. They played a similar at the start, just as they had in the first half of the previous game. There was a few times when they were one pass away from the easy goal. The defense was playing solid again, and it continued that way until the breakdown. Even though this lapse in defensive strategy lasted only about a minute, it cost the Caps 2 goals. The first was a little hard to put the blame all on the defense due to the brilliance of the attack. It came off a cross that seemed to be for no one until the last second where a Millbrook player came from nowhere as if he'd been shot out of a rocket and headed the ball top right corner. As if this wasn't bad enough, a miscommunication lead to the Caps going down 2, when a kickoff went astray and ended up as a chip over freshmen keeper Sam Vlaphalos into the back of the net. Even after a strong halftime speech by Coach Parker, JV still couldn't get anything going in a relatively uneventful second half. There were few chances, and the only bright spot was the reemergence of the Caps defense keeping out anymore goals. Even though 2-0 wasn't anywhere close to the result we wanted or expected after the previous game it really was only down to a minute worth of mistakes. As such, the Caps looked optimistically to the next game against Leeseville.

This optimism seemed warranted as the Caps started off with 3 open goal chances in the first 5 minutes. This optimism slowly turned into regret as Leeseville started getting back in the game. After about 25 minutes, Leeseville scored a sloppy tap-in goal off a cross. Before and after the goal, though, the Caps continued to attack but couldn't get the same opportunities to shoot as they had in the very beginning of the game. After halftime, it was more back and forth with many close chances for the Caps and the rare opportunity for Leeseville. Again, once the last 10 minutes set in the Caps turned on the attack. They switched to a formation with 3 men on defense and took to the offensive. It started to look like a last second goal was in the cards again with freshmen Than Oo coming close on a few tries. Unfortunately, however, Leeseville dropped their players back on defense once they saw the Caps were pushing to score and snuffed out most of the developing chances. Another close game ending in a loss has caused a resurgence in some frustrations, but the team hopes to seek some vengeance on their rivals Sanderson on the road next Monday.

Broughton Soccer Loses a Tough One to Millbrook

In a game where the Caps were on the back foot most of the match, Broughton fought like champions but lost a tough one to first place Millbrook 2-1.

The Wildcats were definitely fired up after losing their first match up with the Caps and controlled the first 20-25 minutes of the first half.  And if it wasn't for some great saves from Junior Clay Oxford, the Caps would have been down early.  Broughton then got back in the game and had what looked like a PK as Sophomore Andrew Rossetti got mauled in the box - but - in what was a theme for the game - got no call from the Ref.

The second half started much like the first and Millbrook scored two goals in a short period of time to go up 2-0 with 20 minutes left in the name.  The Caps then showed their mettle and dominated the last period. First, Broughton looked to have scored off a shot from Andrew Rossetti, which appeared to inch over the line before the diving save by the Millbrook GK, but again - no call.  Junior Erik Johnsen entered the game and provided an immediate impact by finishing a long free kick from Senior Jacob Hill to make it 2-1. Senior Sam Stein provided the last chance as he made a great run into the box and appeared to be fouled - but - it wasn't called.

The blog would be remiss to not point out the contribution of Cesar Gonzalez and Lucas Beeson in the midfield who continually made run after run through to try to provide scoring chances and Graham Gunter, Lex Varani, Esteban Salinas-Noyola, Jacob Hill and Duncan Coffey for their work against the Millbrook offense.

Broughton finds itself in a must-win game tonight against 2nd place Leesville Road.  Please go out there and support the Caps if you can.

Volleyball Wins 7th Straight

Broughton (16-1, 11-1) defeated Wake Forest (5-15, 3-9) 25-9, 25-9, 25-18 on Wednesday night to inch closer to clinching their 4th consecutive Cap-8 title.  Wakefield is in second place with a 9-3 mark and Leesville Road and Sanderson are tied for third place (9-4) after Sanderson's 3-2 win over the Pride last night.

Kalee Vanderhorst paced the Caps' effort at Wake Forest with 14 kills (.684) and 14 digs and Jade Demps recorded 7 kills (.357) and 2 aces.  Grace Youngblood tallied 6 kills and 2 blocks, Jasmin Bradshaw added 5 kills (.714) and Peyton Kendall chipped in 3 kills (.273).  Holli Smith handed out 18 assists, Claire Sawyer posted 14 assists and 3 aces and Sarah Brooks had 3 assists.  Amber Russell picked up 8 digs and Alden Willis had 4 digs.

The Capitals travel to Millbrook (8-8, 7-5) today (4:30/5:30) before returning home on Monday to host Sanderson on Senior Night (4:30/5:30).

Click on the link below to access Broughton's MaxPreps page.

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Volleyball Downs Pride

Broughton (15-1, 10-1) defeated Leesville Road (14-4, 9-3) 25-20, 23-25, 27-25, 25-22 on Tuesday night in Holliday Gymnasium.  The win gave the Caps a two-game lead over Leesville Road and Wakefield in the Cap-8 with three games to go.

A kill from Jade Demps gave the Capitals a 12-10 lead in the opening set and sparked a 6-2 run. A block by Kalee Vanderhorst and Jasmin Bradshaw pushed Broughton ahead 23-19 and a Vanderhorst ace ended the set.  Leesville Road jumped to 4-0 lead in the second frame before a kill from Nan Parrish stopped the bleeding.  A Vanderhorst kill put the Capitals ahead 10-8 and spurred an 8-4 streak capped by an ace from Amber Russell as Broughton grabbed a 17-12 edge.  However, the Pride claimed the second game by closing it out with a 13-6 outburst to even the match.  A kill from Leesville Road's Daniela McDonald gave the Pride a 6-2 lead to open the third stanza.  The Pride saw their advantage swell to 11-4 and a kill by Vanderhorst only slowed Leesville slightly as they took a 17-9 lead before two more kills from Vanderhorst pulled the Capitals within 17-12. A kill by Sarah Gasper pushed the Pride in front 22-18.  A block by Demps and Grace Youngblood drew the Caps within two at 22-20 and a kill from Vanderhorst staved off set point and pulled them within 24-23. An ace from Demps knotted the score at 24-24 and two more kills from Vanderhorst gave Broughton a 26-25 edge. A block by Jasmin Bradshaw and Vanderhorst closed the set.  A block from Bradshaw and Youngblood handed the Capitals a 4-3 lead to begin the fourth frame.  A kill by Claire Sawyer at 9-7 ignited an 8-1 run but Leesville Road went on a 5-0 streak of their own to draw within 16-13. A Demps kill sparked a 3-0 burst but the Pride roared back to close within 20-17.  Another Sawyer kill handed the Caps a 23-18 advantage but Leesville Road scored four straight before kills from Demps and Youngblood ended the match.

Kalee Vanderhorst had match-highs in kills (20, .486) and digs (18) to go along with 4 blocks and 2 aces. Jade Demps tallied 11 kills (.292), 3 aces and 3 blocks and Claire Sawyer collected a match-high 43 assists and 7 digs.  Nan Parrish posted 8 kills (.368) and 2 blocks, Grace Youngblood added 7 kills (.333), 5 digs and 4 blocks and Jasmin Bradshaw had 2 kills and 6 blocks. Alden Willis scooped up 9 digs and Amber Russell and Holli Smith each picked up 7 digs.

Daniela McDonald paced the Pride with 18 kills (.429) and 4 blocks and Sarah Gasper recorded 10 kills and 4 digs.  Timara Chapman had 6 kills and 3 blocks and Brittany Staves and Colby Hopper each added 4 blocks.  Sydney Wilson had a match-high 3 aces and 6 digs, Jordan Gower tallied 12 digs and Madison Phinney chipped in 10 digs.  Alyssa Pieh and Megan Farrell each handed out 21 assists.

Broughton travels to Wake Forest (5-14, 3-8) on Wednesday and Millbrook (8-8, 7-5) on Thursday.  Game times are 4:30 and 5:30. The Capitals will host Sanderson on Monday in the final regular season game of the year (4:30/5:30).  Broughton's four seniors: Jasmin Bradshaw, Jenny McDonnell, Amber Russell and Kalee Vanderhorst will be honored before the match.

Leesville Road plays at Sanderson (13-8, 8-4) on Thursday before hosting Enloe on Monday.

Click on the link below to follow the Caps on their MaxPreps page:

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Soccer v Leesville Road moved to Thursday (October 13)


The rains of this past weekend have postponed the Broughton (11-4-1, 5-3) v Leesville Road (10-6-1, 6-2) game that was originally scheduled for Monday, October 10th to Thursday, October 13th. The game is at Leesville Road.

Next match is against the current Cap-8 leaders: Millbrook (13-2-1, 6-1-1).  Game is at home at 6:30p (JV at 4:30p).


Thursday, October 6, 2016

Caps Soccer Blanks Wake Forest 1-0

On Alumni Night, the Broughton Capitals (11-4-1, 5-3) used a second half goal from Sophomore Andrew Rossetti along with some amazing saves from Junior Clay Oxford to defeat Wake Forest 1-0.

Wake Forest was definitely ready for the Caps the second time around and proved to be a much tougher opponent than our first game. The Caps dominated possession in the first half, but couldn't create the quality needed to finish in the final third. Edson, Donovan and Lucas had our best chances in the first half.




Coach Brannan's halftime talk must have sparked the boys as Broughton scored less than two minutes into the second half as Sophomore Ivey O'Brien sent a long ball to the head of Edson Candela-Perez - who headed off the post and the rebound was headed home by Andrew Rossetti on the back post.

Throughout the game, Broughton suffered injuries and the depth of the squad showed through as Coach was able to play almost the entire squad with no loss to intensity and quality. That said, the last 10 minutes were a nail-biter as Wake Forest had several chances to score and Clay stopped all of them to give the Caps the W.

It gets no easier for the Caps as we prepare for the top two teams in the Cap-8 next week with a game at Leesville Road on Monday and then at home - against league leaders Millbrook who will be looking for revenge against us on Wednesday.

A final, and special thanks to all the former Caps who came to Alumni night last night.




Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Women's Tennis Finishes Strong Against Wake Forest

The 2016 Broughton Women's Tennis Team
Front Row: (L to R) Eliza Marlowe, Addie Camak, Becca Pharr; Second Row: Katie Burroughs, Janie Grace Gilbert Hunter Cox; Third Row: Shields Bennett, Emma Grace Alphin, Becket Waters, Meg Hardesty, Lily Roth, Elizabeth Bell


The Broughton Women's Tennis team finished their regular season at home by defeating Wake Forest 8-1. The Lady Caps played great games winning all of the singles courts. The Caps finish the regular season 10-5 overall and 10-4 in the Cap 8 conference. The conference tournament begins next Tuesday at Millbrook Exchange Park. Come cheer on the Lady Caps as they try to extend their season at the conference tournament.

SINGLES:

M. Hardesty (BRO) def. S. Wrenn (WF) 6-0, 6-0; K. Burroughs (BRO) def. S. Padalecki (WF) 6-1, 6-0; S. Bennett (BRO) def. E. Abarca (WF) 6-0, 6-0; E. Bell (BRO) def. K. Davis (WF) 6-3, 6-0;  B. Pharr (BRO) def. M. Harrell (WF) 6-0, 6-0; A. Camak (BRO) def. K. Arigbe (WF) 6-0, 6-1

DOUBLES:

Cox/Gilbert (BRO) def. Le/Daniel (WF) 8-5; Burks/Davis (WF) def. Marlowe/DeVivo (BRO) 8-4; Roth/Alphin (BRO) def. Stewart/Pearce (WF) 8-0


"CAAAAAAPS!"



The MaxPreps page for women's tennis is here:
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/girls-tennis/home.htm

Volleyball Alone at Top of Cap-8

Broughton's 25-13, 25-14, 25-14 win at Heritage (4-14, 1-9) coupled with Wakefield's 3-2 win over Leesville Road last night moved the Caps (14-1, 9-1) into sole possession of first place in the Cap-8.  Kalee Vanderhorst scored four straight points (2 aces and 2 kills) to give the Capitals a 10-5 lead to begin the first set.  An ace from Alden Willis saw Broughton claim a 13-7 edge and sparked an 11-2 outburst. Another Vanderhorst kill ended the game. A kill by Jade Demps pushed the Caps to a 6-4 advantage early in the second stanza and ignited an 8-3 run to make it 13-7.  After the Huskies closed to 16-13 Demps had consecutive kills to kick start a 10-1 streak to close out the set.  Demps collected 4 aces and a kill to account for five straight points in pushing Broughton to a 9-3 lead to begin the third frame.  Heritage pulled to within 14-11 before another kill from Demps fired an 11-4 stretch to end the match. A kill from Nan Parrish accounted for the final point of the evening.

Kalee Vanderhorst led the way with 14 kills (.348), 3 aces and 4 digs and Jade Demps tallied 9 kills (.400), 4 aces and 4 digs. Grace Youngblood (.400) and Nan Parrish (.231) each had 5 kills and Claire Sawyer posted 28 assists and 5 digs.  Amber Russell collected 3 aces and 4 digs and Holli Smith and Alden Willis each picked up 4 digs.

Broughton's match at Wake Forest scheduled for this Thursday has been moved to next Wednesday.  The Capitals will host Leesville Road next Tuesday (4:30/5:30).

Click on the link below to access Broughton's MaxPreps page:

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/volleyball/home.htm

News & Observer Top 25 Poll (10/2/16)-

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/high-school/article105545241.html

Caps Soccer Loses a Tough One to Heritage

In a game that Broughton controlled most of the play and the shots on goal, the Caps allowed two quick goals and found themselves on the wrong side of a 2-1 score Monday night.  That loss concludes the first pass through the Cap-8 and leaves us 10-4-1 overall but only 4-3 in conference.

Broughton started off very strongly and Edson Candela-Perez, Cesar Gonzalez, Andrew Rossetti and Abdulle Ibrahim had several early chances with Abdulle hitting the post. The defense, led by Lex Varani, Edson Salinas-Noyola, Jacob Hill, Graham Gunter and Duncan Coffey did a great job of not allowing many shots - and the ones that went through were stopped by Clay Oxford.



After halftime, the Caps broke through first as Sophomore Andrew Rossetti opened his body up and put a nice shot past the Heritage GK.  Assist to Cesar Gonzalez for playing the ball through to the left side.





Unfortunately for the Caps, Heritage scored two goals within seven minutes and took the lead 2-1.  Broughton controlled the last 15 minutes of play but continued efforts from Edson, Enrico Lalonga and Cesar Gonzalez were saved and Andrew Rossetti missed his chance for a brace as his volley with five minutes left went just over the bar and that was the game.

The Caps have tough work ahead of them as they start the second turn in the Cap-8 with a home game against Wake Forest tonight.  It is Alumni Night - so please come out and support the Caps.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Caps Suffer Tough Loss to Spartans

The Broughton Lady Caps fought hard in a rival match up but fell 4-5 to the Sanderson Lady Spartans. Four of the six singles courts went into third set tiebreakers making the match all tied at 3-3 after the singles were complete. Unfortunately the Spartans took the #1 and #3 doubles courts to secure the win. The Caps are now 9-5 overall and 9-4 in the Cap 8 conference. Tomorrow is the final match of the regular season against Wake Forest at home. Come out and support the Lady Caps in their final regular season match!

SINGLES:

S. Tanik (SHS) def. H. Cox (BHS) 6-2, 6-0; B. Waters (BHS) def. A. Holshauser (SHS) 5-7, 7-6, 1-0 {10-2}; S. Anthony (SHS) def. M. Hardesty (BHS) 6-0, 4-6, 1-0 {11-9}; K. Burroughs (BHS) def. B. Bollinger (SHS) 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 {10-3}; E. Bell (BHS) def. M. Warren (SHS) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 {10-4}; M. Spickard (SHS) def. B. Pharr (BHS) 6-3, 6-2

DOUBLES:

Tanik/Anthony (SHS) def. Cox/Burroughs (BHS) 8-1; Waters/Hardesty (BHS) def. Holshauser/Bollinger (SHS) 8-1; Warren/Spickard (SHS) def. Pharr/Bennett (BHS) 8-3

The link to the MaxPreps page is here:
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/girls-tennis/home.htm

JV Soccer Continue Rough Patch With 5-2 Home Loss Against Heritage

In a game where the Caps had a rough first half leading to a deceiving scoreline  the JV boys lost 5-2 at home on Monday.

The Caps started out the game in a fashion that has become somewhat a trend for them lately;  getting scored on in the opening minutes. It was on a counter-attack led by Heritage's #9, who proved to be a key player for the Huskies, dribbling the ball down the left sideline. He made it to the left edge of the box and crossed it to the back-post where it was deflected by a Broughton player right into the waiting feet of a Heritage player who scored a tap in. This left a bad taste in the Caps' mouths, which they displayed with disorganization, inability to possess and make any chances. This led to the inevitable: more goals. The next goal was a great piece of ball work from an opposing player at the top of the box, which opened up shooting room. He used that room to finish a short shot in the bottom right corner. The Huskies scored another goal not much later, leaving the Caps frustrated and distraught walking off the field at halftime with the score 3-0.

When they stepped onto the field for the second half, though, it was like night and day. They were connecting passes and playing defense much better due to the midfield and forwards keeping possession. Because of this, ten minutes into the second period of play freshmen Jack Eubank scored a curling free-kick top left corner from almost 30 yards out to make the score 3-1. This instantly revitalized the team even more and led to another goal tucked in the corner by sophomore Carter Gasia to make the score 3-2. The Caps felt like they had a chance and continued to play well. But, despite many close chances, they couldn't find the back of the net again. This stall in their offense led to more and more opportunities for the Huskies. And despite multiple good saves from sophomore keeper Hector Martinez, the Huskies ended up scoring 2 quick counter attack goals off of balls across the box. These swift back to back goals were a surprise and ended the momentum almost entirely to make the final score 5-2.

After another tough result, the Caps look poised to turn it around against Wake Forest at home on Wednesday.    

Monday, October 3, 2016

Women's Tennis Hurts Heritage


Senior Co-Captain Shields Bennett, Women's Tennis Head Coach Laura Davidson and Senior Co-Captain Hunter Cox

The Broughton Lady Capitals Women's tennis team defeated the Heritage Huskies 9-0. The day was also Senior Day to honor the two senior co-captains of the Lady Caps, Hunter Cox and Shields Bennett. Coaches Davidson and Kane juggled the Caps roster to give the Huskies a run for their money. Bennett won her match on the #3 singles court without giving up a game! Broughton is now 9-3 in the Cap 8 conference and 9-4 overall. Tomorrow they face rival Sanderson at home. Come out and cheer on the Lady Caps!

SINGLES:

M. Hardesty (BRO) def. A. Scott (HER) 6-4, 6-4; K. Burroughs (BRO) def. J. Maffucci (HER) 6-0, 6-1; S. Bennett (BRO) def. H. Viall (HER) 6-0, 6-0; J. GIlbert (BRO) def. S. Garff (HER) 6-0, 6-0; A. Camak (BRO) def. E. Phan (HER) 6-3, 6-1; L. Roth (BRO) def. A. Fellner (HER) 6-2, 6-0

DOUBLES:

Camak/Gilbert (BRO) def. McCabe/L. Halik (HER) 8-1; Marlowe/DeVivo (BRO) def. Yorke/O'Connor (HER) 8-3; Roth/Alphin (BRO) def. S. Halik/Weaver (HER) 8-0


The link to the MaxPreps page is here:
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/broughton-capitals-(raleigh,nc)/girls-tennis/home.htm