In what he is hopeful develops into a consistent rivalry, Wright City Soccer Coach Kurt Laughmann was able to guide his team to a 2-1 victory over cross-county Warrenton last Wednesday. The triumph came as part of the first-ever Wright City tournament, which also welcomed Elsberry and St. Louis United.

“It was a great game,” said Laughmann. “The teams were evenly matched, and it could have gone either way.”

Ultimately, it was the Wildcats who escaped, with Martin Lopez scoring the game-winning goal on a breakaway run with around 8:00 remaining.

“Both teams had numerous opportunities,” said Laughmann. “The field was soaked, so that presented additional challenges.”

Warrenton gained an early advantage, going ahead 1-0 about five minutes into the game.

“Santiago Cano had the ball in the middle of the field and hit a long ball up top to Bryan Guerrero, over top of one of Wright City player’s heads,” said Warrenton Coach John Schulte. “It went right to Bryan’s feet, and he was able to touch it around the goalkeeper to shoot and score.”

Warrenton’s goal remained clear of the ball until the second half, when Branden Contreras put the Wildcats on the board, notching the contest at 1-1.

“He’s a senior playing his first year of soccer and has been a great addition to the team,” said Laughmann. “He and Martin already have chemistry and have grown up playing soccer together. I think that’s really translated onto the field.”

The Warriors weren’t able to respond to Wright City’s increased attacks on the net.

“In that second half I don’t know if we got tired or ran out of steam,” said Schulte. “Wright City was able to move the ball on us more during that timeframe. We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores out there learning as we go.”

This was Wright City’s first victory over Warrenton since their debut as a program last fall, when the Warriors prevailed 4-1 in their initial meeting.

“A lot of the kids know each other and some are related so they kind of have a good time with it,” said Schulte. “I look at it as another team we’re playing and we just need to be ready, but I know the kids get excited about it.”

Wright City has begun the season 3-2, as it gains awareness in the community.

“They’re laying a foundation,” said Laughmann. “We’re starting to get more fans that are coming to games. I’m seeing middle school kids coming up and hoping they’re getting excited about the future of the program. There’s a bit of a buzz and that’ll help us in the future.”

Warrenton started the season 0-3, as it prepares to host Winfield on Thursday. The Warriors have been relying on the immediate impact of Guerrero.

“Right now Bryan is really standing out for us,” said Schulte. “His knowledge and poise for being a freshman is outstanding. He’s able to get the ball and dribble around to create a lot of things. He has great poise around the box. He’s going to be a leader there offensively for our team.”