North bounces back

North Iredell soccer coach Tim Watson is an interesting man. Not quite as interesting as the guy I saw playing the accordion on the side of Interstate 40 on my way to work Tuesday, but interesting nonetheless.

Watson uses words like "languid" and "glorious" during interviews. He has eight children and operates a small cattle farm. And during the entire game against West Iredell on Wednesday, he paced up and down the sideline without shoes.

"I was in boots all day," Watson told me after the game. "My feet are happy they're free."

He's also a heck of a motivator. He put the Raiders through an intense practice after Monday's 12-0 loss to Lake Norman. That was an obvious move.

But he sets team goals every week. He sets individual goals for players. He has one-on-one chats with every player about what he expects from then. He makes great adjustments during the game.

North's 8-0 decision over West had the feeling of a turning-the-corner type of victory. Next up for the Raiders is a game at Northwest Cabarrus on Monday in what will be a huge conference game. The Trojans throttled North 7-0 earlier this month.

Let's see if North can respond.