Eagles recover from early deficit for win
Ojo-Ade records a hat trick in victory over Rams
After watching the visiting McDonough High School boys soccer team attain an early 1-0 lead over his squad on Tuesday evening, North Point High School junior Jimi Ojo-Ade admittedly shouldered some of the blame for the Eagles’ early deficit.
Over the next 65 minutes of play, however, Ojo-Ade would more than atone for any perceived letdown he may have had early in the game as North Point countered with five goals in the first half en route to a 6-1 victory over the visiting Rams in a Southern Maryland Athletic Conference Potomac Division contest. OjoAde scored twice in the first half then capped his hat trick by tallying with just over two minutes remaining.
“I wasn’t playing well early in the game, so coach [Cameron Ballard] sat me on the bench for five minutes,” Ojo-Ade said. “It was the best thing for me, really. After that, I went back into the game and I was a lot more focused. We played some tough teams early in the season and now we’re getting on a little roll.”
North Point (4-3, 3-0 SMAC Potomac) had actually controlled the tempo early, but after McDonough goalkeeper Harmon Bennett fended off several good Eagles attacks, McDonough countered with one of its own. With just over 27 minutes left in the half, Rams senior Nick Saoud gave the visitors a 1-0 lead when he beat North Point goalkeeper Liam Perella with a shot into the left corner of the net.
“We had a really good start tonight, but we had a lot of issues with their team speed up top,” McDonough head coach Mike Deeds said. “Early on, I thought we were able to get through the middle. But once they started to clear the ball, their speed up top really turned the game around. It wasn’t what we planned for or expected.”
With just over 19 minutes remaining in the first half, North Point finally benefited from its constant pressure up top when junior Jordan Perkins scored to bring the hosts even at 1. Just over five minutes later, the Eagles took the lead for good when junior Dadani Harris scored on a header off a corner kick from junior Zander Barrow.
Not content with its 2-1 lead, North Point continued to attack the McDonough zone throughout the remainder of the
first half and the Eagles’ pressure again proved successful and eventually decisive. Ojo-Ade notched his first goal of the game with just less than six minutes remaining in the first half and the hosts added two more in the final two minutes.
Junior Daniel Beasley drilled a low shot past Bennett to give North Point a 4-1 lead, then Ojo-Ade added his second goal of the half with roughly one minute remaining to make it 5-1. Neither team mounted many serious attacks in the second half, but it was Ojo-Ade who capped the scoring with just over two minutes remaining to complete his hat trick and account for the final tally.
“It probably took me a few games to realize where everyone should be playing,” North Point first-year head coach Cameron Ballard said. “We opened with Leonardtown
and Huntingtown and they’re both really good. We’ve been playing much better of late, but a lot of that is me getting familiar with the kids and them getting familiar with me.”
North Point’s next scheduled contest is at 6 p.m. Monday at home versus Great Mills, but Ballard and Ojo-Ade pointed toward a division clash at La Plata, slated for 6 p.m. Thursday, as one of the genuine measuring sticks for the Eagles squad heading into the latter portion of the schedule and postseason.
McDonough (2-7, 1-2) travels to Oxon Hill for its next scheduled contest at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.