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The Lebanon High School’s boys’ soccer team secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Marshfield in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday night. The Yellowjackets struck early and often, with Senior Jacob Reagan finding the back of the net just minutes into the game off a perfectly placed pass from Senior Noah Anderson.
Sophomore Trent Penner doubled the lead late in the first half, converting an assist from William Hodges. Penner wasn’t done, adding a second goal in the second half, and Micah Perryman capped the night by scoring his first varsity goal, sealing the 4-0 win for Lebanon.
“I thought our boys played well,” head coach Matt Jernigan said. “We’ve been talking about converting chances, and we were able to do that tonight. Micah getting his first varsity goal was special. He worked his tail off, and it was nice to see that pay off.”
Lebanon’s defense was equally impressive, stifling Marshfield’s attack and earning their second shutout of the season. Senior Curtis Frazier was instrumental in midfield, consistently winning the ball and keeping Marshfield on their heels.
“Our defense was outstanding all night,” Jernigan said. “Curtis Frazier won every ball in the middle, and our back line just made it hard for Marshfield to get out of their defensive end. Our defense already tied the mark for shutouts from last year, and they’re only getting better.”
The win against Marshfield comes on the heels of Lebanon’s performance in the First State Community Bank Kickoff Tournament last weekend, where the team went 1-2.
In their tournament opener, Lebanon secured a 1-0 victory over Sullivan, with Anderson scoring the game’s lone goal on a quick heads-up play from Reagan. The defense held firm, and senior goalkeeper Chris Kilburn made crucial saves late to preserve the shutout.
“We lost to Sullivan twice last year, so getting that win was big for our confidence,” Jernigan said.
Lebanon’s second tournament game saw them fall 2-1 to West Plains, despite dominating possession early. A pass from Anderson to Hodges resulted in an own goal by West Plains to tie the game at 1-1, but Lebanon was unable to finish their chances and conceded a late goal.
“I felt like we played a great game,” Jernigan said. “We just couldn’t finish our chances early, and it came back to bite us.”
In the tournament’s third-place match, Lebanon battled Southern Boone, keeping it scoreless until late in the second half before falling 2-0. Despite the loss, Jernigan praised his team’s effort throughout the weekend.
“Our guys played great all weekend,” Jernigan said. “We were able to compete against some very good teams and see what we need to improve on. Our defense showed that we can compete at a high level.”
The ‘Jackets are back in action on the road on Thursday at Crocker High School.
