For Andalusia’s season opener Monday night, Bulldogs soccer coach Tim Ramsden said he was “quite pleased” with the intensity the players displayed, despite a 4-1 loss to Enterprise.

“They warmed up better than in any practice we’ve had,” Ramsden said. “We were encouraged by that. Obviously, a 4-1 defeat isn’t something we want to carry forward. Looking at the game, I’d say it was quite a fairly matched game.

“The four goals they scored were mistakes in the defense with the goal keeper,” he said. “We made more chances than they did. We’ve just got to finish.”

Three first-half goals by Enterprise’s TJ Fleming, Ryan Massey and Kelan LeBlanc put the Wildcats ahead 3-1 at halftime.

Andalusia’s only goal of the match came on an own goal from a shot by Trey Ossenfort. Ossenfort’s shot deflected off of an EHS player into the goal, Ramsden said.

Enterprise’s Ivan Ramos scored the final goal late in the second half.

Ramsden said after thinking about the game, the players’ still need work on the fundamentals.

“Our touch needs some work,” he said. “We were quite slow in our touch and moving the ball. The chase and intensity I was quite pleased with. For our first game, it could’ve been better, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse.”

A bright spot for the Bulldogs Monday night was sophomore Jaxon Rudolph, who played in his first ever soccer game.

“He really stepped up and was a highlight for all of us in that game,” Ramsden said. “He worked and worked and worked. His work ethic was what I needed.”

Ramsden was right about Rudolph because the midfielder wouldn’t quit on balls coming his way, whether in the air or on the ground. Nary did an EHS player get past his position without him making his presence known.

Additionally, AHS captain Zach Parker stepped up and played well in whatever position the coaches put him in, Ramsden said.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but I was a little encouraged,” he said. “It was good.”

One of the most important parts of the game Ramsden said he was encouraged by the most was how well the team responded to adversity.

Early to midway through the second half, AHS junior Trey Ossenfort was benched for drawing a yellow card.

A short time later, the referee gave a red card to junior Kevin Rooks for making a tackle on an EHS player. A red card carries an ejection from the game and a fine. There can be no substitution made for the ejected player.

Ramsden argued the penalty during the game, and said he is filing a complaint with the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

“The sending off of Kevin Rooks was one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen,” Ramsden said. “That really didn’t affect the outcome of the game. What it did do was show us that we had 10 men against 11, and we held our own.”

The Bulldogs are back in action on Tuesday at home against Robertsdale, with kick off set for 6 p.m.