The very fact that Waynesville split its  games at the Thomas Whitefield Games in Rolla last weekend is cause to celebrate.  Add a significant coaching milestone to that and there were lots of reasons to smile after Saturday morning's 6-3 win over Joplin College Heights. 

The Tigers' long losing streak grew to ten in Friday night's 5-1 loss to Parkway Central.  But it was 4-0 at halftime when their coaching staff had a few pointed things to say.  WHS battled the Colts to a draw in the second half with Caleb Rodriguez picking up his fifth goal since returning from injury.

The magic continued Saturday morning against College Heights.  Waynesville put together a near-flawless first half, making pinpoint passes and successfully challenging for most fifty-fifty balls.  The result was 21 shots, ten of which were on goal, and a 5-0 lead at the break.  The fun began at the 28:35 mark when Danny Sesay redirected a ball from D.J. Kaaihue.  Just 1:12 later Rodriguez made a perfect cross to Alberto Reyes, but a Panther defender, stretching to disrupt the cross, instead deflected it into the goal.   Seven minutes later, Rodriguez tapped in a slow roller from Hunter Ball to make it 3-0. The Tigers then found the back of the net twice more in the final seven minutes.  The first came off a corner kick from Joey Cartwright.  Rodriguez, with all the time in the world from the Panther defense, settled the cross and took a perfect shot.  Cartwright then  found the back of the net himself with a long shot off a pass from his brother, Austin.

College Heights's talented offense woke up for three goals in the second half, but when Sesay tapped in a keeper-deflected cross from Kaaihue, it was plenty for the win.  The losing streak was over and the Tigers appeared to be closer to district-tournament form.  The win was also celebrated because it was Tiger Coach Mike Armstrong's 100th coaching victory with the WHS boys varsity  program.  Armstrong is in his eighth year of coaching the varsity boys.  He is the only soccer coach in WHS history, girls or boys, to reach the mark.  The milestone win puts him in an elite club, alongside just-retired football coach Rick Vernon, and former basketball coaches Butch O'Riley and Tom Bildner.  Congratulations to Coach Armstrong.