By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
The Stanhope Elmore Mustangs Boys’ soccer team had a very successful week as they opened the historic, brand new, state of the art Stadium at 17 Springs in Millbrook.
“Opening night for the Stadium at 17 Springs was a great experience for our players, fans, and coaches,” said Stanhope Elmore Head Coach Richie Beyer, who also serves as the Chief Operations Officer for Elmore County. “This facility affords our student athletes a very unique experience and one that is only rivaled by college programs in our state.”
The Mustangs defeated Opelika 4-0 in the first ever game played at the stadium. There were a lot of firsts in the stadium’s inaugural game. Thomas Richardson scored the first goal in the stadium and Colby Beyer scored the stadium’s second ever goal. Richardson then added another two goals to notch the stadium’s first ever hat trick.
“On top of the fact the inaugural games were coupled with the grand opening of the Fieldhouse, the excitement and atmosphere created in the stadium only added to the intensity of our competition with Opelika. We appreciate the Opelika High School Soccer program for working with us to accommodate the pregame ceremony to open the stadium and honor the partners responsible for making 17 Springs a reality,” said Beyer.
On Friday, the Mustangs demolished area foe Percy Julian by a score of 11-1. Jay Myers had a whopping six goals to lead Stanhope Elmore High in the game that was ended early due to the mercy rule.
The Mustangs finished the week on Saturday afternoon with a showdown against the Mountain Brook Spartans, the #2 ranked team in Class 6A. The Mustangs won the highly anticipated matchup 3-2, despite being down four starters. Myers scored two goals for the Mustangs and Jake Graham added another.
“I am so proud of our team and how they handled the match versus Mountain Brook,” said Beyer. “We were down four starters and a key substitute, yet all our team stepped up for an impressive performance. Our captains provided even more leadership today and helped the much younger players throughout the match. Jay Myers had another superb game leading the team to victory and taking charge in the attack with 2 goals and an assist.”
The win over Mountain Brook gives the Mustangs their second win on the season over a team ranked in the Top 5 of the Class 6A Coaches Poll. Last weekend, the Mustangs won 3-1 over Calera, who is ranked #5 in Class 6A in the Week 3 poll.
With those victories, the Mustangs have entered the Class 6A Top 10 rankings in the most recent poll that came out on Sunday, coming in at #9.
