Swansboro's Rhue finding his game

 SWANSBORO - A knee injury may have earlier hampered Christian Rhue, but it appears the ailment no longer is a problem.

This was evident when the senior midfielder recorded a goal and a trio of assists to lead Swansboro to a 4-2 soccer victory over rival Richlands on Monday at Earl Taylor Field.

Rhue's latest performance comes after he felt comfortable again playing his own game that was challenged by a knee injury he suffered earlier in the season, forcing him to miss time.

"It wasn't until last week that I began attacking as much as I had been," he said.

Often looked upon to organize Swansboro's attack, Rhue did exactly that, as he not only created opportunities for himself but for his teammates. By playing the ball toward the left corner and delivering a crossing pass, he assisted on sophomore Storm Tootle's goal that tied the East Central 2-A Conference contest at 1-1 with about 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Then, with his club trailing again, Rhue scored nearly 20 minutes into the second half before being credited with an assist seven minutes later after his serve toward the middle deflected off a couple of players, allowing senior Andrew Snyder to score and give the Pirates the lead. Tootle would score his second goal nearly four minutes later off another assist from Rhue.

"I like to attack, but it depends on the game," Rhue said. "A game like this I like to beat someone and look to score."

And while Rhue may not have found the net as much as he perhaps anticipated, the fact he drew much of the Wildcats' attention, opened the door for others to contribute. Richlands understood Rhue was talented, displaying the ability to beat defenders off the ball, so it was a focus for the Wildcats to make sure the Pirate didn't attack as well as he often has.

"Christian is a good player and he did a great job of (running Swansboro's attack)," said Wildcats head coach Mike Roed.

First-year Pirates head coach Doug Kidd also recognized that.

"Christian did a great job of serving great balls and giving us good chances," he said. "His level of play has risen the level of play of the team."

And though Rhue made a difference, he was aware that it wasn't just his talents that propelled the Pirates to register their sixth consecutive triumph over Richlands.

"It's communication and knowing where everybody is," he said. "Everybody understands their roles and my teammates making the right runs help me distribute the ball."

Rhue has done that wel. He has seven assists to go along with his 14 goals and his influence will certainly be valuable as the Pirates look to seize another East Central Conference title.

"This is a big win for us," Kidd said. "We are two games up in the conference, so we hold our own destiny."