Ferrebee's overtime goal lifts James Wood girls over Clarke

Shull, Rieg fuel James Wood softball win over Clarke County

BERRYVILLE — Over 80 minutes of regulation, three future NCAA Division I soccer players who combined for 113 goals last year pumped in eight goals in a back-and-forth affair in Thursday's girls' soccer game at Feltner Stadium.

In overtime, a girl who had just one goal in 2023 showed once again that James Wood head coach Donavan Russell made the right decision to move her into a new role this season.

Junior forward Sloane Ferrebee — a Class 4 All-State defensive midfielder last year — volleyed in junior forward Jolie Jenkins' cross with less than two minutes left in overtime to give James Wood a thrilling 5-4 win over defending Class 2 state champion Clarke County in the season opener for both teams.

Ferrebee also assisted two of Clemson commit Jenkins' four goals.

James Wood — a Class 4 state quarterfinalist last year — needed every one of Jenkins' goals, as Clarke County erased the Colonels' 2-0 lead after 12 minutes by making it 2-2 at the 17-minute mark of the first half, and wiped out James Wood's 4-2 halftime lead.

Summer Toone (Longwood signee, three goals), Madison Toone (Marshall signee, one goal, one assist) and fellow senior Kelsey Elrod (two assists, shot off the crossbar that led to the Eagles' first goal) led the comeback charges, with Elrod assisting Madison Toone for the tying goal with about eight minutes left in regulation.

Madison Toone was fouled with less than 40 seconds left in overtime 28 yards from goal. But her ensuing free kick pass along the ground was cleared back up the middle by James Wood. As the ball crossed midfield, the clock ran out.

The Colonels didn't celebrate as wildly as they did after last year's Region 4C semifinal win against Broad Run that clinched the program's first state berth, but hugs were doled out in abundance after beating an Eagles team that has most of its players back from last year and outscored foes 181-4 in a 24-0 season. Clarke County was missing its two starting outside backs in Sydney Shinabery (injury) and Morgan Walker (illness).

"I think the team did well and gave 110 percent the entire time," Ferrebee said. "The work ethic was amazing throughout the whole game."

James Wood had reason to be fired up from the start. Senior All-State midfielder, Marshall signee and captain McKenna Newcome played the first 30 seconds of Thursday's game before checking out of the contest. Newcome is not yet cleared for normal soccer activity after being hospitalized from Jan. 31 to Feb. 20 as a result of a kidney disease, but she's been a constant presence with the team since being released from the hospital and is currently engaging in non-contact drills with the Colonels. (Check back later this weekend for a story on Newcome's situation.)

With Newcome as a source of inspiration, James Wood was certainly going to do everything it could to work some magic in overtime.

"We use the term, 'Whatever it takes,' a lot for McKenna, and I thought that was what we did," Jenkins said.

James Wood coach Donavan Russell could be overheard in the team's post-game huddle expressing his admiration for how well the team worked together to set up the winning goal. The end of it saw Jenkins making a run on the left side of the field and crossing the ball into the middle to a wide-open Ferrebee.

"I thought we expanded [the field] well, and when I was dribbling down the side I saw Sloane coming and I just played her the ball because the two defenders kind of stepped toward me," Jenkins said. "I saw Sloane back post, and I played her."

Ferrebee read what Jenkins was doing and separated herself from the defense, then finished the opportunity when the ball came to her. James Wood's players immediately rushed to congratulate her.

Jenkins (25 goals last year) showed her typical finishing form by burying passes in the box from teammates and taking long passes and dribbling in to score, and Ferrebee did what Russell knows she's capable of doing.

"The way our team was kind of made up this year, it really made sense to get her up [at forward]," Russell said. "[Jenkins and Ferrebee] are really good friends, great passers. So that kind of combination up there, we're really looking forward to seeing what we saw today [the rest of the season]."

Russell was just glad James Wood came together on offense before it was too late. After managing four shots in a scoreless second half, in the 10-minute overtime the Colonels had three shots and played a couple balls into the box that nearly resulted in own goals by Clarke County before Ferrebee's game-winner. James Wood had a 16-10 shot advantage for the game.

"I thought we were looking for the long ball too much," said Russell of the second half. "That is part of our game, but I think we're a real build-up, move-the-ball-up-together [team], five front-line girls moving up. And we did that with that goal [in overtime]. I could see Sloane going when Jo had the ball, and everyone filling in behind her.

"Those are the kind of goals we really want to look for. We talked before the overtime — 'Let's just play our game. We need to score, we need to defend, but we need just to build and be patient.' If we had played the second half that way, [the game] probably would have been a lot different."

Russell was impressed with a defense that did not give up a goal in overtime, and liked the work that defensive midfielder Mary Kimble did against Madison Toone, who had 58 goals and 24 assists to lead the area in both categories last season.

James Wood did well to win against a quality team in its first official game without Newcome, and Clarke County did well to push the Colonels to the limit given the adjustments it had to make without Shinabery — who was injured in last week's scrimmage against Skyline — and Walker. The Eagles had to use star midfielder Campbell Neiman as a center back, forward Leah Mitchell (20 goals last year) at outside back, and moved Kyleigh Goforth from center to outside back.

"[James Wood] pressed really well in the first half," Eagles coach Ray Hawkins said. "Once our players settled down, they got used to the positions, and they got used to playing with each other where they were, we came out stronger in the second half. I think it would have been more difficult for [James Wood] to score if Sidney Shinabery would have played."

The Eagles had a 6-4 shot advantage in the second half. Summer Toone completed her hat trick in the 54th minute by winning a 50/50 ball with James Wood goalkeeper Alaynah McGuire (two saves) outside of the box, then knocking it into an open net. Madison Toone passed to Elrod before getting the ball back quickly on the goal that tied the game.

Clarke County never came close to losing last year, but Hawkins feels Thursday's game will benefit the team. The Eagles will play James Wood again and Sherando (2-0) twice before March is over.

"I think it's very important we had this first challenge right out the gate to make us play at the best level we possibly can," Hawkins said. "I think we did today, even with people out and in different positions."

Jasmine Hackman and Avery Wright also had assists for James Wood, which will host Sherando on Tuesday. Avery Shinabery had four saves for Clarke County, which is next in action on Tuesday at Strasburg.

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