Mohammed Wumpini was leaning toward his right side, and so of course his MUS defender began to shade that way. That’s when Wumpini stunned his marker by cutting back to the left into open space. The keeper was no match for Wumpini’s strike, and the substitute’s 27^th minute blast gave Baylor a two score lead in a quarterfinal they eventually won 5-0.

 

“He thought I was going to use my right, so I saw space and cut back in and used my left,” Wumpini said about what he saw on that goal.

 

Coach Curtis Blair’s Red Raider squad controlled the match from beginning to end against a Memphis University School team that had travelled east the night before.

Junior defender Mac Hickman and the rest of his teammates had the MUS attackers locked down during the few times the visitors made it into their final third. 

 

If there was one indicator of how lopsided the game was, MUS’ second-half penalty box was worn down, a dirt patch. Meanwhile, Baylor’s Zach Ubamadu patrolled a pristinely green square of grass. 

 

It took Baylor until the 18^th minute to turn their dominance into a score, with striker Gui Gragnano slotting it in. His first header bounced off the crossbar, but that did not deter him. The striker followed up his miss and used his right foot to put Baylor on the board.

 

Coach Blair brought in Wumpini and a slew of other substitutes throughout the match, which meant the players remained fresh as the oppressive summer heat made its grand entrance. Two mainstays combined for their second score though. Anthony Weekley got past his man on the right wing and launched a cross into the box. On the other end was senior Riley Shankle, who put it in.

 

“What we work on is our combination in the final third,” coach Blair said. “We know a lot of teams are going to sit on us, so we try to do a lot of combinations in the final third to give us an opportunity.”

 

The second half was more Baylor domination. In the 53^rd minute, Jon Ryan Godbehere ran free down the left wing and got the reversal with plenty of open space to work with. Godbehere made MUS pay by torching the goalkeeper for Baylor’s fourth goal. David Wang closed out the scoring in the 78^th minute with a goal from that same left wing.

 

In total, five different Red Raiders scored in what was a very balanced attack. This bodes well for Baylor, who's next matchup will take place in Murfreesboro. 

 

“I think we’re extremely dangerous, and we have multiple guys who can put the ball in the back of the net,” coach Blair said. 

 

 

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