South Knox traveled to White River Valley for a non-conference matchup this evening. The Spartans came out flat, allowing WRV to control possession early and apply constant pressure near the Spartan goal. WRV broke through first on a questionable penalty kick, then quickly doubled the lead on a well-finished corner. Moments later, a scramble in front of the net ended with another WRV goal, putting the Spartans in a 3–0 hole. That deficit finally sparked South Knox, as the energy flipped and the Spartans began to control the tempo. A golden chance came when the WRV keeper mishandled a ball, leaving the net wide open, but South Knox couldn’t convert. They kept pushing, and the breakthrough came when Ava Babrick delivered a perfectly placed header to Cala Charleston, who buried it to give the Spartans new life. Minutes later, a set play off a free kick found Kalissa Lavely, who slid the ball to Charleston for a dangerous shot that just missed wide. The Spartans carried momentum into halftime down 3–1. The second half picked up right where the Spartans left off, with sustained possession and multiple chances. Another free kick nearly cut the deficit when Lavely’s strike rattled off the post. While WRV created little in the second half, they made the most of their opportunities—scoring on a second penalty and later from distance for their fourth and fifth goals. Despite the tough 5–1 final, the Spartans showed fight after the opening stretch, with their energy and effort in the last 55 minutes offering plenty of positives to build on heading into tournament play. South Knox falls to 8-4-1 on the season (4-1 Blue Chip) and returns to action Friday at Wood Memorial for a conference matchup at 7:30 PM.