AHOSKIE – Super seniors, super champs.

Ridgecroft School’s soccer team celebrated ‘Senior Day’ Monday at Mike Bryant Field with a 10-0 drubbing of Terra Ceia Christian School then wrapped up the Coastal Plains Independent Conference regular season with a perfect 10-0 mark after securing a pair of forfeits.

The Rams, currently ranked number one in the latest North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A soccer poll, end their regular season undefeated in CPIC league play and 17-1 overall.

Junior Michael Byrum led Monday’s attack with three goals while senior defender Ben Newbern, playing in the front-court in the second half, scored a pair.  Junior Drey Chrysostomou had three assists while sophomore Jordan Harrell got the shutout in goal.

Senior midfielder Aaron Rock also had two goals while fellow seniors Austin Britton, Daniel Early and Ryan Beggs scored a goal apiece.

“It was a good game for our seniors,” said Ridgecroft Head Coach Aron Martin, “and it was also a good game for players who don’t get into a lot of matches because they got a lot of work today.

“I’m super-proud of this senior class,” he added, “because this senior group is the first class that has been with me since they entered the jayvee program until they were seniors.”

Fans had hardly settled into their seats good or along the fence before the Rams’ onslaught began.  After Beggs put a brilliant shuffle move on a pair of Knights defenders it was quickly 1-0.

Chrysostomou and Byrum then hooked up for another quick goal; and within minutes of the first two Beggs got an assist on a nice crossing pass to Byrum for a 3-0 early Ridgecroft lead.

Even with the match 10 men-on-10 men instead of the usual 11-a-side, Martin began substituting liberally.  Early got his goal on a breakaway to up the margin to four goals and then sophomore Max Boone found Rock for another score to make it 5-0 just 15 minutes into the match.

At the 11-minute mark, Britton curled in a goal on a free kick from near midfield, and later Byrum got his first-half hat-trick with a goal at less than three minutes until the break for a 7-0 halftime score.

With the defenders moved upfield in the second half, Newbern collected a pair of goals unassisted and Rock closed out the scoring with his second goal of the contest.  Then one-by-one the seniors left the field to the cheers of the crowd.

“I think the continuity they’ve been able to have is part of our success,” said Martin, “and their hard work in the off-season and during the season is paying off.”

Meanwhile, Wayne Country Day School forfeited their final two matches with Ridgecroft, and the two ‘W’s’ give the Rams 10 wins on the season.

The unblemished mark means the Rams earned the top-seed for the 1A state championship and open the playoffs at home on Friday.

“Funny things have happened (with the seedings)”, cautioned Martin, “but I really just wanted us to be in position where we could play at home in the first and second rounds.

“I know you have to be a little cliché about taking it one game at a time at this point in the year,” he added, “but it’s true and the regular season is over and a new season begins.”

(By Gene Motley, Sports Writer)