Don't be Scrooge at soccer

One of the hard things to teach beginning soccer players on a high school team is the need to pass the ball. The rule is: you may work the ball all the way to goal, but your last touch should be a pass, and the scorer will be the other guy. This is because you will have drawn defenders; your teammate is open.

But the newbies want to imitate the highlight videos, which almost universally present one-in-a-thousand individual efforts: the Maradonnas, the Messis, the Kakas.

Inexperienced high schoolers want to try their hand (or rather, their foot) at a series of dazzling jukes, dashes and smashes to perforate the net.

Inexeperience is what happened again Thursday as Lighthouse Christian Academy overpowered Pilgrim School 6-1.

Garrett Lahood is not exactly Scrooge, but he has a problem with giving gifts. At least, giving the ball to his teammates.

He'll dribble the ball and flash past one or two players until he's eventually dispossessed, and it all comes to nothing. If he passes the ball, it's actually something of a small miracle.

So when Garrett dashed up the right line brilliantly streaking past Pilgrim players, it was not surprise when he took the final shot himself instead of passing.

And it was no surprise when the ball missed the inside of the far post.

Actually, the ball ran out of speed and rolled temptingly for anyone in the 6-foot box on the far post. The goalie had already come out to challenge Garrett, and defenders weren't marking Mosie Bowen, who lurks and lunges on the left.

There is some debate about Mosie did next. Some say, Mosie, totally alone with the ball just a few feet in front of the open net, made a look around the field to taunt the other team. Such a gesture is unsportsmanlike and not beneath Mosie.

Others say that Mosie gave Garrett a sardonic glance. Much communication can be imparted with a simple glance: "You should have passed the ball. And even though you didn't pass it, look, I got it. The goal is mine."

Mosie tapped it in for the easiest glory in his life.

Yeah, karma. A lot of communication goes on on the pitch. Much can be said in a facial gesture.

The Saints are continuing their march towards a playoff berth. With Thursdays win, they are now 7-1.

If the game was another decisive win, it didn't seem like that at half time. It was tied 1-1.

Then midfielder Hosea Ashcraft -- who had been casting gems into the danger zone all the first half that his teammates failed to capitalize on -- decided to take matters into his own hands and assure the victory. In rapid succession, he slotted a hat trick of goals. He had given, then he received.

After that, coach took him off the field, perhaps to avoid humiliating Pilgrim.

Another goal was made by Ethan Zerihun. Mosie made a second goal off a header assist from Hosea.

Read about our staunch defender in the game against Westmark. Read about LCA's loss to Newbury that features a senior who figures who would be dead if not for Lighthouse. Read about Lighthouse's game against Gorman here, LCA's game against Pilgrim School, and its game against Highland Hall.

Full disclosure declaration: Hosea is this reporter's son. Pictured left: Mosie. Right: Garrett.