Suffolk Christian Academy sophomore Michael Cornette entered this season with the memory of playing soccer as a 4-year-old for one season and no experience beyond that. Nevertheless, he has managed to make a huge impact for the Knights, and it was never more on display than the week before last.

He produced four goals and an assist over the course of two games, and one goal served as the spark plug leading to a landmark win in school history, as well as his title of Duke Automotive-Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week.

Gateway Christian School had never yielded a game in boys’ soccer to Suffolk Christian, including when the institution was known as First Baptist Christian School. The Knights were playing well in their most recent matchup but still trailed the Crusaders 1-0 early in the second half.

“We were just all pretty hyped up, and I knew that somebody had to get it started, so I was like, ‘Why not me?’” Cornette said. “So I got that one goal, and then it all went uphill from there.”

SCA head coach Steven Milner spoke to the significance of the goal.

“It allowed the team to see, ‘Hey, we can play with them, we can beat this team.’”

And they did, 4-1. A day earlier they hosted Chesapeake Bay Academy.

“I did better than I thought I would,” Cornette said after scoring three goals to go with an assist in the 9-0 victory. The week pushed the Knights back over .500 for the season.

When he was 4, Cornette played soccer with the YMCA in Suffolk. But until this year, he had been focused on other things.

“Mr. Milner, he tried to get me to play soccer last year, but I was busy with baseball, and this year, Steven Effler, he pretty much persuaded me,” Cornette said of his teammate.

Effler, a sophomore forward/midfielder, explained why he encouraged Cornette to join the team.

“I played basketball with him, and I could tell he had good instincts,” he said. “I figure a lot of good basketball players could be really good soccer players because they have those instincts that you need to play soccer.”

He said both sports highlight the importance of the give-and-go, ball distribution, as well as pick-and-roll-type plays.

Cornette admits the rust was evident when he first re-took the field this year.

“But now, I’ve learned from my teammates, mostly Steven and Collin Dennys, and they’ve just taught me some stuff to do, and I’ve worked on it, and become a lot better player.”

Coach Milner has been pleased with Cornette’s contributions

“Michael does really well,” Milner said. “He adds good, hard work ethic and then also speed.”

His quickness is the other reason Effler wanted him to be on the team at forward, where Cornette now primarily plays.

While baseball remains his favorite sport to play, Cornette said he has enjoyed his return to soccer, with six games under his belt.

“I just love sports,” he said. “I love playing and being out here in the outdoors, and I might stick with it.”

Though college is a ways away, if he played a sport at that level, he said it would probably be baseball, “but my close second would be soccer.”

“My goals for this year aren’t to just get the most goals,” he added. “It’s just to help my team win, try to get them to the championship and hopefully win.”

And his spark plug to do his best while playing is never far from him. “The fans that come out here and support us every game, that’s my main motivation, to make them be happy and go home knowing that we won for them.”