For the past two seasons, the road to the District 8 Boys’ Championship
has run through Bowling Green, with the Purples claiming back-to-back
titles.
When the tournament begins Monday night, the road once again goes
through Bowling Green - with the Purples hosting the event. And once
again Bowling Green heads in as one of the teams to beat.
Bowling Green enters the tournament 12-2-2, fresh off a 2-1 win at No. 1
Louisville Trinity on Thursday.
While the Purples may be one of the favorites, head coach Craig Widener
said there are plenty of contenders vying for the crown.
“I think top to bottom this is probably the strongest the district has
been since I’ve been at Bowling Green,” Widener said. “(Barren County
coach Laurence Nyekan) has done an amazing job getting those kids to
jell. Central is dangerous for anybody that has to play them and
Greenwood is as good as anybody in the state. Glasgow is a little young
and East is a little young, but in a couple of years they will be good
as well.
“Top to bottom, it keeps getting stronger and stronger.”
Bowling Green opens play Tuesday against Glasgow (5-13), with the winner
facing the winner of Barren County (13-5) and Monroe County (4-11) on
Thursday.
If the Purples make the finals, they might see a familiar foe in
Greenwood (8-5-3) - looking for its first title since 2005.
The Gators and Purples tied 0-0 in the regular season; Greenwood has the
added luxury of a first-round bye, determined by a draw.
Still, Greenwood coach Scott Gural said he expects his team to be tested
in the semifinals.
“We are fortunate enough to pick up the bye, so that gives us some time
to rest,” Gural said. “It looks like we will play the winner of
(Monday’s) Warren East/Warren Central game. Barren County has improved
from last season. We learned the hard way two years ago that you cannot
over look anyone in districts. The stakes get a lot higher and the
tension goes way up.
“This is where it is nice having 13 seniors, because they are not going
to want to lose any of these games.”
Gural said his team will have to be on the same page if it wants to be
successful.
“We have got to start executing things as a team,” he said. “We can’t
have three-quarters of the players doing something. It has to be, top to
bottom, being on the same page, working together and making good things
happen.”
The winner of the district will host next week’s Region 4 Tournament,
giving the teams an added incentive to win the district.
Still, Widener said the ultimate goal is to get to the district final
and qualify for the region.
“Hopefully we’ll do what we need to do to host the region tournament,
but we’re more worried about the team we have to play on Tuesday than
anybody else,” Widener said.
In the Girls’ District 8 Tournament, which begins Monday at Greenwood,
Bowling Green and Greenwood are also considered the favorites - but
Warren Central is hoping to spoil the party.
Bowling Green (10-6-1) is the top seed after going unbeaten in district
play in the regular season and receives a first-round bye. The Lady
Purples won the district title last season and have won the Region 4
title the past two years.
Bowling Green head coach Lisa Correa said her team is capable of making
another deep postseason run.
“When this team is focused, I think they can play with anyone in the
state,” Correa said. “We’ll just have to make sure the ladies are
focused and we take one game at a time.”
The Lady Purples will open play Thursday when they face the winner of
Monday’s first-round game between Glasgow (6-11) and Warren East (4-9).
Bowling Green beat the two teams by a combined score of 18-1 in the
regular season, but Correa said her team can’t enter its game
overconfident.
“Warren Central a few years back beat the Greenwood boys,” Correa said.
“We have to focus and play our game and at the level we are capable of
playing. If we’re not playing at the level we’re capable of, that’s when
we can get in trouble.”
On the other side of the bracket, host Greenwood (12-3-2) will face
winless Monroe County (0-12) in the final postseason for head coach Amy
Helliwell, who will join her husband, Sean, in Terre Haute, Ind., who
was named the head coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in
August.
“From here on out we’re looking at one practice at a time, one game at a
time,” Helliwell said. “We’re not looking past anybody. The ultimate
goal is the district championship, but we know we’ve got to win three
games to be the district champion.”
The Greenwood/Monroe County winner will face the winner of Warren
Central (13-3-1) and Barren County (5-8-2) - setting up a potential
Greenwood/Warren Central showdown in the semifinals.
Greenwood beat Warren Central 5-0 in the regular season, but Helliwell
expects a stiff test from the Lady Dragons.
“We’re not looking past Monroe County, but Warren Central is a dangerous
team,” Helliwell said. “They are up and coming and you can’t look past
them. We’ll have to be ready for them.”
Warren Central has won five straight heading into the postseason, with
the last loss coming at Bowling Green on Sept. 25.
“We’re very pleased with the way we’ve been playing, but we know to get
past Greenwood or Bowling Green, we’re going to have to play the best
game we can play,” Warren Central coach Sam Flener said. “We plan on
showing up and challenging whoever we do play.”
Kentucky Boys' Soccer
Welcome to the home of Kentucky boys' high school soccer. The goal is simple: provide a site allowing the soccer community to showcase their favorite players and teams.
KyKicks.com would like to welcome Banquet Bob...he will be available to help cater your banquets starting on Sunday!
" I look forward to arranging catering for your banquets!"
click to see the Banquet Boys....
Are you interested in more income?
Join the fastest growing beverage in the USA!
Become a Zija distributor!
#1 Compensation plan in the USA!
Click here to purchase the
Smart Drink or join!
Put Up or Shut Up Week
Coach Needed!
10/23/08
West Jessamine 2 vs. Lexington Catholic 1 shootout
Boy's soccer: West Jessamine takes region title in shootout
By Jennifer Smith
jsmith3@herald-leader.com
BEREA — Nathan Andrews knows his flaws. He knows he's pretty tightly wound.
But as the chaos of a region championship game gone to sudden-death penalty kicks swirled around the West Jessamine coach, he felt nothing but peace and serenity.
Elizabethtown 0 vs. John Hardin 1 shootout
John Hardin tops Elizabethtown in a shootout again to defend region title
Greenwood 1 vs. Bowling Green 0
Trinity 3 vs. Atherton 3 ot
Atherton, Trinity not done yet
Postponed until 10/24/08 at 5:00 PM
Pendleton County Claims Region Title
Conner 0 vs. Ryle 1
Ryle's third title 'just awesome'
Raiders to play Highland after beating Conner
Ryle senior Eric Froschauer (right) tries to take the ball from Conner's
Jeff Poore in the first half Thursday. Froschauer scored the game's only
goal in the second half.
Rowan Co. 2 vs. Russell 0
Tates Creek 0 vs. Henry Clay 1
Perry County Central 0 vs. Corbin 6
Ft. Campbell 0 vs. University Heights 2
Heath 2 vs. Graves Co. 1 ot
Overtime Goal Lifts Heath To 3rd Straight First Region Soccer Crown
KyKicks.com Exclusive Interview
Jeremy Robertson - Highlands HS answers a few
questions for KyKicks.com after winning the
region title...
Your team just one your region...Is this where you thought you would be at the beginning of the season?
I always thought
we could win our region but it was going to take
hard work and focus as a team. If we did the simple things I Knew we could
have great success.
Who have been most consistent performers for you this year?
I would like to think that on both sides of the Ball we have been
consistent. I really don't like singling out players due to the fact
that everyone on the team has been playing well.
What player or
players have surprised you on your team this year?
The surprise for everyone is how well be are doing as a team. Nobody
outside of the team would believe that we would be regional champs.
What has been or have been the biggest wins for your team this year?
The biggest win so far this year is winning the region vs. Covington
Catholic. We hope to have another big win on Tuesday. We as a team take
every game one at a time.
What is the mood like for your team entering the round of 16?
The team is very excited to be in the round of 16. The boys can't wait to
play again on Tuesday.
10/22/08
Daviess Co. 0 vs. Henderson Co. 2
Cols win 2-0 for first title in 18 years
Henderson County Colonel Caleb Mills, right, fights with Daviess County’s Ricky Freeman for the ball during the boys regional soccer championship game Wednesday night at Owensboro Apollo. The Colonels won 2-0. (Gleaner photo by Mike Lawrence • 831-8346 or mlawrence@thegleaner.com)
By MITCHELL STINSON, Gleaner correspondent
OWENSBORO -- Eighteen years of frustration came to an abrupt end Wednesday, with Henderson County posting a 2-0 victory over Daviess County in the Third Region Soccer Tournament title game.
It was the Colonels' first regional crown since 1990.
Brian Crafton was there both times -- first as a player and now as coach of the 2008 champs. Which experience did he find more satisfying?
"This one probably feels better because I didn't know any better back then," he said. "I didn't know it was our first regional title. As a coach I knew it was 18 years since the last one. Yeah, this one seems more special."
Most of Crafton's players weren't even alive when he was a goal-scoring machine for a team that went to the state Final Four. "We just figured it out -- two were born," he said after a midfield celebration. "(That's) a little too long for as good a Henderson teams as we've had."
They were certainly the better team on Wednesday. Keeping consistent pressure on the Panthers goal, the Colonels broke through with two scores in the waning minutes of the first half. First came a Jordan Gregory header, off a pass from Brandon Potts in the 34th minute.
Henderson seemed destined to take that 1-0 lead into halftime before Caleb Mills dribbled deep down the right side. With 90 seconds remaining he sent a crossing shot near the crossbar, forcing the goalie to leap high to deflect it. Swooping in at the left post, Brandon Potts drilled a five-yard follow shot into the net.
Cols will face Daviess, shoot for first region title since '90
St. Xavier 2 vs. DuPont Manual 0
St. X gets past Manual's tough 'D'
The Courier Journal
Manual's Cole Page, center in red, headed the ball over a crowd of St. X players during the Sixth Region final, won 2-0 by the top-ranked Tigers. St. X advanced to subsectional play.
Oldham, Shelby in regional final
Kemper's offense powers Colonels
Photo by Mickey Patterson
Oldham Co. 3 vs. Shelby Co. 0
Kemper's hat trick lifts Colonels to title
Covington Catholic 0 vs. Highlands 1
Highlands takes title in 2nd OT
Holladay scores header after corner to beat CovCath
Covington Catholic goalkeeper Kent Wessels gets up to punch the ball out
of the box surrounded by Highlands players Charlie Gold (19), Evan
Holladay (12) and Tyler Smith (10) in the 10th Region final.
Pendleton Co. 5 vs. Grant Co. 0
Who are these guys???
Southwestern 2 vs. Boyle Co. 3
Broucqsault's play helps Boyle win regional title
Thomas Broucqsault (13) of Boyle County races Southwestern's Moises Avina to the ball in the first half of the boys 15th Region Tournament championship Wednesday. (Mike Marsee photo)
Whitefield makes its presence known
10/21/08
John Hardin 3 vs. Nelson Co. 1
Henry Clay 4 vs. Anderson Co. 1
Tates Creek 5 vs. Franklin Co. 3
Elizabethtown 4 vs. Bethlehem 2 ot
West Jessamine 4 vs. Madison Central 2
Lexington Catholic 3 vs. Berea 0
Greenwood keeps focus on Wildcats, cruises 6-0
Joe Imel/Daily News
Greenwood’s Alex Belt heads the ball toward the
goal Tuesday in the semifinals of the Boys’
Region 4 Soccer Tournament at the Bowling Green
Soccer Complex.
Joe Imel/Daily News Greenwood's Ninel Zukanovic heads the ball away from Franklin's Bracken Flynn Tuesday in the semifinals of the boys' 4th Region Soccer Tournament at the Bowling Green High School Soccer Complex.
Purples surge past Stars, 10-0
Joe Imel/Daily News
Bowling Green’s Max Oldham heads the ball
Tuesday against Muhlenberg North’s Connor Rogers
in the semifinals of the Boys’ Region 4 Soccer
Tournament at the Bowling Green Soccer Complex.
Joe Imel/Daily News Bowling Green's Grant Sims heads the ball toward the goal off a corner kick Tuesday in the semifinals of the boys' 4th Region Soccer Tournament at the Bowling Green High School Soccer Complex.
Elizabethtown stuns Bethlehem in OT to secure fifth straight region finals berth
Photo by Neal Cardin
Elizabethtown goalkeeper Jacob Wilson deflects a goal kick by Bardstown Bethlehem's Braden Hurst during 5th Region Tournament semifinal action Tuesday night at John Hardin High School.
By NATHANIEL BRYAN
nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com
RADCLIFF — Jack Goblirsch loves his older sisters,
but a brother’s love only goes so far when soccer is involved.
On Thursday, Jack planned to go to Lexington to watch
sister Anna’s Mississippi State team take on sister Jenna’s Kentucky
squad.
They’ll have to settle for giving their younger brother a
recap.
A junior center midfielder, Goblirsch scored one goal and
assisted on two others as the Elizabethtown Panthers stunned the Bardstown
Bethlehem Eagles, 4-2 in overtime Tuesday night in the Boys’ 5th Region
Soccer Tournament’s late semifinal at John Hardin.
The victory means Goblirsch and the Panthers (12-8-1) will
be playing for the title at 7 Thursday night against the host John Hardin
Bulldogs (17-4-1), who advanced with a 3-1 win against the Nelson County
Cardinals in Tuesday’s early game.
“Oh well,” Goblirsch shrugged. “I’d rather be playing for
the region championship than spectating at my sisters’ soccer game.”
Bethlehem (17-6), the All ‘A’ Classic state champion,
entered the game among the state’s elite in defense. But the Eagles had a
hard time containing an Elizabethtown team which had been held to one goal
or less in six of its previous eight games. Elizabethtown outshot the
Eagles, 25-18.
“We’ve been unlucky all season finishing and tonight our
luck finally turned,” said Elizabethtown junior defender Nick Link, who
scored his team’s first goal after the Panthers had fallen behind a little
more than 2 minutes earlier.
The Eagles, who had beaten Elizabethtown in three
consecutive meetings, looked to be on their way to a fourth straight
victory when senior forward Zach Wychulis sped up the left side of the
field, cut across the middle and slid the ball to open senior midfielder
Braden Hurst, who scored.
John Hardin cruises by Nelson County and back into region title game
Photo by Neal Cardin
John Hardin's Daniel Johnson, left, and Josh Hare try to block
the kick of Nelson County's Tyler Rogers during 5th Region Tournament semifinal action Tuesday night at John Hardin High School.
By NATHANIEL BRYAN
nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com
RADCLIFF — Alex Shearer understands how dangerous an
underdog team can be when it gets confidence early.
That’s why Grant Zigos and the rest of Shearer’s John
Hardin Bulldogs made sure it would be hard for Nelson County to build up
any confidence Tuesday evening.
A junior forward, Zigos scored the first of his two goals
less than 4 minutes into the match as the Bulldogs eased by the Cardinals,
3-1 in the Boys’ 5th Region Soccer Tournament’s early semifinal.
“I think that was big. It set the flow for the rest of the
game for us,” said Zigos, whose first goal came off an assist from senior
midfielder Daniel Johnson.
Shearer agreed with Zigos, and all Shearer has to do is
look at last year’s John Hardin team for proof.
In the 2007 region semifinals, the Bulldogs upset highly
favored Bardstown Bethlehem on the Eagles’ home field. Two nights later,
the Bulldogs beat Elizabethtown in a shootout for their first region
championship.
“It’s important to get that first goal early and not give
the underdog any confidence,” said Shearer, whose team will try to defend
its title at 7 Thursday night against Elizabethtown, which outlasted
Bethlehem in Tuesday’s late semifinal. “When you’re the favorite, it’s to
your advantage to score early. That paid off for us tonight.”
John Hardin (17-4-1) kept the pressure on the Cardinals
(10-11-1) and doubled its lead in the 28th minute as junior midfielder
Kevin Stafford slid the ball over to Johnson, who took a few dribbles
before putting the ball in the lower left side of the goal.
The Bulldogs might have carried a larger lead into
halftime, but three of their shots were saved and the other 10 went wide,
were deflected by Nelson County’s defense or were collected.
“I thought we played pretty well offensively for the
majority of the game, but we had lots of opportunities. We easily could
have scored two or three more,” Shearer said.
The Cardinals, who were beaten 3-0 by the Bulldogs less
than two weeks ago in the teams’ only regular-season meeting, made the
game interesting midway through the second half when junior midfielder Lee
Keith scored off a left-side cross.
Mills’ early header puts Cols in finals
10/20/08
C.A.L. 1 vs. Shelby Co. 4
Oldham Co. 4 vs. Eastern 0
Madisonville - North Hopkins 2 vs. Daviess Co. 3
Southwestern 1 vs. Danville 0
Admirals face off against Warriors in Regional Rematch
The Class A Danville Admirals squared off against the Class 5A Southwestern Warriors in the first round of the Region 15 tournament Monday night. Southwest’s undefeated record in the region earned them the top seed and right to host. This would be a rematch of the regular season contest played on September 4 that seemingly set the tone for both team’s seasons. The Ads came into that game 6-0-0 and ranked in the Boys State Top 20, while SW was at 3-3 and struggling to find their game. A fired up Warriors bunch took that game 4-3 and won or tied their 10 next games while the Ads, despite a spirited comeback, went into a tailspin, going 5-7-1 over the same span.
In the first contest the Warriors stretched the Ad defense with long diagonal passes to the sidelines that their speedy midfielders could run onto. With the field narrowed by 10 yards for Region play, this would prove a little tougher. A controversial PK and a quick whistle to end a DHS challenge in the closing seconds were also factors in the first game, and after seeing 5 PKs and a slew of yellow cards in the last 2 contests, Danville was just hoping to have their play on the field decide this one. It didn’t look like that would be the case however when, in just the first 2 minutes, SW captain Ryan Smith was carded for yapping at the officials. Fortunately, the play quickly settled and both teams got down business.
With 13 seniors on their squad, the Warriors are deep and well seasoned - but their offense pretty much runs through a junior - midfielder Niklas Nielson. In the first game, Nielson bent in 2 pretty goals from the wing. Without as much room to maneuver on the tighter field, he would have to find other ways to score in this game. Fortunately for SW, he did. In the 8th minute a long throw-in to the DHS box was stopped, but seemingly lost by a group of flatfooted Ad defenders. Before anyone else could react Nielson pounced on it and blasted it high under the crossbar to get his squad on the board first.
For much of the second half of the season the Ads put themselves in early holes by giving away this type of strange, flukey score. For the most part though, they also responded well to the adversity and they did so again on this night. Immediately after the goal they earned a corner kick, served a good ball to the far post and almost finished it when Cole Steber’s header went just wide. They followed with some quality runs, competitive play and good opportunities. Most were well off the mark however, and as the first 40 minutes ticked away, things looked bleak when SW midfielder Chris Campbell broke into the box 1v1. Only a sliding save by Ad keeper Jake Winkler snuffed the chance and preserved the 1-0 deficit going to halftime.
Immediately after taking the ball to start the second half the Ads went back to work. Getting a ball behind the Warrior defense, they had 2 good shots to tie from point blank range – but both were deflected before the 3rd finally went wide. The offense was not dissuaded though, as they took the play to the Warriors. Facing elimination, the Danville seniors in particular were digging and scrapping for balls. The hustling play kept producing opportunities, but the Ads couldn’t find the net. About midway through the half, a blast from Max Meckes banged off the crossbar and shortly thereafter another Meckes shot – this time a header - went just wide. In the 78th minute the Ads last and best chance ended when a Kyle Snapp corner kick was headed wide by Taylor Foster to end the rally, the game and the 2008 Admiral season.
Coaches Beauman, Shulz and Smith were left to console their players, but were pleased with the effort. “Tonight was a tough loss for us all. We were playing pretty good, we just couldn’t get the ball in the net”, said Beauman. “That is what I love about this program – battling with the big schools and never backing down. I am proud of the effort tonight and the year we had. I hate to say good bye to the seniors. Their high school soccer careers may be over, but all five of them have bright and successful futures in front of them. I wish them all the best of luck.” Well said and thanks from all of us fans, friends and parents to Frey Daddy, Capt. Cole, JC, Bananas and Rice Krispies for your hard work and dedication to DHS Soccer.
10/18/08
Joe Imel/Daily News Bowling Green's Omar Anaya battles Greenwood's 4 in the finals of the Boys' 8th District Soccer Tournament at the Bowling Green High School Soccer Complex. BGHS won 2-0.
10/17/08
St. 4 vs. Manual 0
St. X tops Manual 4-0 in district final
KyKicks.com Exclusive Interview
Andy Schulten, head coach from St. X answers a few questions for KyKicks.com...
Your team finished 14-1-0 and the 2nd seed in the
toughest district,
Is this where you thought you would be at the end of the season?
- I knew it would be tough because we wouldn't be able to sneak up on
anybody after our success last season, especially with so many returning
players. But I 'm pretty happy with the way the season worked out. We had
a couple of close ones, and most fell our way. One didn't, and that was to
a very tough Manual team. We're pretty proud of our efforts so far this
season.
Who have been most consistent performers for
you this year?
-We've had some pretty tough luck with sickness and injuries this season,
but Nick Jones and Andrew Brotzge have really been solid all season. Kevin
Bick, Kyle Schickel, Ryan Smith and Kyle Richard are always very solid and
dependable when they are on the field, but they have faced various injuries,
illnesses and issues that have interrupted their seasons. For Nick and
Andrew to have been as solid as they have been all season speaks volumes
about their character.
What player or players have surprised you on
your team this year?
-I'm pleasantly surprised by our younger players who have stepped in to fill
in the various vacancies we've had in almost every game this season. We've
asked many guys without a lot of varsity experience to step into a starting
role and not once have we been let down by their performances. So far this
season we've had what I believe to be our best 11 on the field for only 2
match. In every match, a role player has helped to make a difference in the
outcome.
What has been or have been the biggest wins for
your team this year?
Probably our victory over Cathedral Prep from Erie, Pa. and our stretch
where we beat strong Male, South Oldham, and Trinity and Lexington Catholic
squads that were playing good soccer at the time.
What is the mood like for your team entering
district play?
- I think we're feeling pretty confident. Having been to Georgetown before,
we realize that talent alone won't get you there. You have to be tough (and
a little lucky.) We had a tough stretch of matches to close the season, and
we played exceptionally well in most of them. That has given us some
momentum, and our injured/sick guys are starting to heal at just the right
time. Hopefully the ball will bounce or way again this year and we'll get
out of our district/ region/section and back to Georgetown.
10/16/08
Lexington Catholic 1 vs. West Jessamine 2
WJHS soccer teams
lay claim to 27th District
Colts upend Lexington
Catholic in title games
Henry Clay 2 vs. Tates Creek 1 - 2 ot
C.A.L. 3 vs. Eastern 0
John Hardin 1 - Elizabethtown 0
John Hardin claims first-ever district title
Photo by Jill Pickett
Elizabethtown's Jarod Hinton gets tangled up with John Hardin's Kevin Stafford as they battle for the ball during Thursday's 10th District Championship at John Hardin High School.
The News Enterprise
John Mullendore made a sliding kick to cap off a well maneuvered breakaway with 8:57 left in the first half and the John Hardin Bulldogs’ defense took care of the rest, shutting out the second-seeded Elizabethtown Panthers en route to a 1-0 victory and the program’s first-ever Boys’ 10th District Soccer Tournament championship.
OBI surprises South Laurel
Dustin Lawson (18) goes up for a
header against OBI.
Photo by Tim Branstetter
Mountaineers eliminate Cardinals, 3-0
By Tim Branstetter
Sports Writer
CORBIN—The South Laurel Cardinals dropped a heartbreaker to Oneida
Baptist Institute in the first round of the boys’ 31st District tournament
on Tuesday night ,3-0.
The Mountaineers came in fired up and took advantage of the Cardinals missed
opportunities to claim the victory in a hard fought game.
“It’s a big win,” OBI coach Scott Self said. “They have dominated us for 5
or 6 years so it was time to make a comeback.”
The Cardinals have struggled to find the back of the net lately and Tuesday
night was no different.
“It’s frustrating,” South Laurel coach Harmon Hodge said. “We had three
opportunities in the first have and kicked it right to the keeper. There
were just too many missed opportunities.”
The Mountaineers scored in the 22nd minute on a tough shot by Hoon Chun for
the 1-0 advantage. Just before the half they added another goal on a shot by
Albert Momoh for the 2-0 lead.
Corbin downs NL
Photo by Tim Branstetter
Redhounds drop Jaguars from boys' district soccer tournament
By Tim Branstetter
Sports Writer
CORBIN—The North Laurel Jaguars season ended with a second round boys’
31st District tournament loss to the Corbin Redhounds 6-0 on Tuesday night.
The Redhounds jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage and never looked back as
Mike Huff and Conner Holland scored inside the first seven minutes of
action.
The Jaguars held the Redhounds scoreless for the rest of the half with a few
big saves by Caleb Mosley.
“Caleb played very well,” North Laurel coach Becki Woodworth said. “He got
burned a couple times, but he made some nice saves. He has been so good for
us this season.”
The Redhounds found the back of the net again during the 52nd minute for the
3-0 advantage which forced the Jaguars to press in order to make something
happen.
Warriors hold off Somerset to win district
Steve Cornelius Photo / Commonwealth Journal
By DOUG EADS, CJ Sports Writer
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — For the third time in the past four years, the Boy’s 30th
District Soccer Tournament belongs to the Southwestern Warriors.
And, in all three of those championships garnered by the blue and orange,
it’s been the Somerset Briar Jumpers that have found themselves winding up
on the wrong side of a 2-1 margin in each of those title games.
Now sandwiched in between those three titles for the Warriors, was the 2006
district tourney title match, won by Somerset over the Warriors on
Southwestern’s home turf by a 3-0 margin.
However, last night at Pulaski County High School, James Ray’s club once
again had some post season magic working for it in this rivalry, as
Southwestern held on to knock off Somerset once again by that 2-1 score.
Southwestern scored the first two goals of the contest last night, and
despite getting outshot by the Briar Jumpers for the contest 16-9, it was
Ray and crew repeating as district champs, with the hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Whitefield boys win district soccer crown
Trinity edges Atherton 4-3 in soccer
Clark looks ahead to regionals
Greenwood avoids upset
Purples blank Barren
Co., advance to Region 4 tourney
Joe Imel/Daily News
Greenwood’s Riley Williams (left) and Warren Central’s Pho Kyant battle
Thursday in the Gators’ 3-0 win over the Dragons in the semifinals of the
Boys’ District 8 Soccer Tournament at the Bowling Green Soccer Complex.
Highlands boys win 19th district
Roundup of other Kentucky games
Cincinnati.com
Highlands junior forward Dakota Beerman scored two goals as the host Bluebirds defeated Campbell County 5-1 in the 19th district final boys' soccer game Thursday night at Tower Park.
Highlands (12-3-4) plays at 4:30 p.m. Monday at Holy Cross..
Ryle 3, Conner 1, 17th district final: Down 1-0 early in the second half, junior midfielder Grant Kennedy scored the tying goal.
That set up the winning goal by the Raiders' leading scorer Eric Froschauer.
Viking Boys Soccer advance to final round
Rhett Hughes shoots for the goal
during a recent home game.
Leeann Tanner photo
By Leeann Tanner - Staff Writer
The Rowan Boys Soccer team is heading into the final round of the 21
District soccer tournament against Bath County tonight at 6 p.m. The Vikings
defeated Jackson City 9-0 on Wednesday in Menifee County in the second round
of tournament action.
“We got off to a slow start and we have been struggling in the first 20
minutes all year, but we found our groove and finished well,” Head Coach
Alan Evans told The Morehead News. “Goalkeeper J.D. Patrick had a shutout
Wednesday after an excellent game against ninth ranked Woodford last week.
We like for him not to see much action, but when he can get a shutout, we
can win tournaments.”
Houghton scores twice in 3-1 win over Berea in semifinals
Clay’s three goals lead Central past Southern
10/15/08
West Jessamine 3 - Paul Dunbar 2
Bourbon Co. 2 - Montgomery Co. 1
Trinity 4 - Atherton 3
St. X 5 - Male 0
St. X ousts Male, earns rematch with Manual
Male's Josh Romero battled for control of the ball with Nick Jones of St. Xavier during the Tigers' 5-0 win in the 12th District Tournament semifinals last night.
Admirals Oust Titans
A full house was on hand at Mercer County High School Wednesday night to root on their hometown Titans against Danville in a showdown at the District 29 Semis. The field was decorated in blue and red and a roving band of painted girls soccer players/cheerleaders was whipping the crowd into a frenzy. The winner would move on to Thursday night’s final, but the loser faced elimination, so tensions were running high in this one.
DHS was hoping to survive the first few minutes and avoid surrendering an early goal – a bad habit that had sabotaged their hopes in several late season games. However, in just the 4th minute a long ball down the right side was misplayed and Titan midfielder Aaron Steele broke towards the net. His crossing pass was headed by Tanner Readnour, and as the shot sailed over the charging Danville keeper the place erupted and it was déjà vu all over again for the Ads.
The question now was, how would they respond? Would they fold their tent like they did in a blowout loss at Berea (a team that Mercer beat early in the season) a week ago, or would they fight back? It didn’t take long to find out. Fueled by pressing forward John Clay Davis, DHS showed some Admiral pride and amped up the intensity – locking the ball in the Mercer end. A failed clear was collected and fed to a charging Max Meckes who took a big rip that was blocked by a scrambling Titan defender. The rebound spun back into the box however, and the hustling Meckes would not be denied – taking 2 nice touches and beating Mercer Keeper Koji Butterbaugh to silence the partisan crowd. Just 2.5 minutes after falling behind, the Ads had a huge goal that put the momentum back on their side.
The remainder of the half was all Danville. The play of Davis again led to good things, as with a little over 15 minutes left in the first, he stole a pass and broke in on goal all alone. Titan sweeper Sterling Shannon put a hard tackle on the Danville senior, but it was late and from behind, to earn him a yellow card and the Ads a penalty kick. Kris Frey had the honors and made no mistake, blasting the ball past the Mercer keeper and giving his squad a one goal lead.
Although holding the advantage going to halftime, things were far from over for DHS. Davis was treated for a hand injury and would not return, forcing some lineup juggling by Coach Beauman and his staff. Taylor Foster was moved to right wing defender and Jake Davis (John’s brother) started the second half at striker. Both guys responded well, with Taylor solidifying the backline and Jake pressuring anything in the Mercer end. More pressure led to more chances for the Ads and another tackle in the box – this time on Meckes – resulted in their second PK of the night. This time ‘Capt.’ Cole Steber was chosen to take the kick and went ‘upper V’ for 3 – a 3-1 Danville lead.
Facing a two goal deficit, Mercer was forced to do some juggling of their own, moving leading scorer Kyle Chadwick up top to try and generate some offense. But the Danville defense, led by Kyle Snapp, Louis Beto and now Foster stiffened. They turned away several Mercer charges and anything that got behind them was quickly cleaned up by keeper Jake Winkler. As the Ads packed it in and played possession, the Titans grew more frustrated and, trying to force the action, were booked for several hard fouls. But, try as they might, they would not change this outcome, and as time expired the Ads had a 3-1 win and a birth to the district final. Their opponent will be cross town rival Boyle County who will surely be looking to repeat their 3-0 regular season victory. Will some more Admiral pride be on display? Game time is 7:00 pm at Mercer County High School.
10/14/08
Elizabethtown 1 vs. Meade Co. 0
E'town gets a 76th minute goal from Todd Lucas
John Hardin 4 vs. North Hardin 1
Ugly game with too many fouls...key injuries to 2 North starters
Highlands 2 vs. Newport Central Catholic 0
Male 10 vs. St. Francis 0
Woodford Co. and St. Henry lose...
Lucas, Elizabethtown edge Meade County, 1-0
Photo by Jill Pickett
Elizabethtown's Todd Lucas heads the ball in the game against Meade County of the 10th District Tournament on Tuesday at John Hardin High School.
John Hardin 'sets' up a 4-1 win over North Hardin
Photo by Jill Pickett
John Hardin's Kevin Stafford is double-teamed by Jacquez Leandre, left, and Marcellus Hobbs during the 10th District Soccer Tournament on Tuesday at John Hardin High School.
Joe Imel/Daily News
Bowling Green’s Ed Mendoza (top) collides with
Glasgow goalie Dillon Kirby on Tuesday at the
Bowling Green Soccer Complex
Grant County ends Royals
season with 2-0 win in 23rd District semifinal
Pendleton County ends
Saints' season with 3-0 win in district match
KyKicks.com Exclusive Interview
Covington Catholic head coach Al Hertsenberg
answers few questions before his team plays
in districts
Your team finished 8-4-5. Is this where you thought
you would be at the end of the season?
I really did not expect so many ties. We have had a hard time scoring but our defense has been pretty solid as of late. Our midfield has really controlled a lot of games and set up nice opportunities up front that we just could not capitalize on.
Who have been most consistent performers for you this year?
Junior Michael Huffmyer has played at forward and attacking mid all year. He leads us in scoring and assists. He is a talented player who has grown into a selfless leader on the team. And juniors Garrett Justice, Matt McDonald, along with seniors Max Maier and GK Kent Wessels have worked very well together as of late. They are complimented by either juniors Chris Hellman
or Jacob Toebben who share playing time on defense. Junior Tyler Stewart has been solid as an outside midfielder all year. Senior Tommy Hebbeler has moved from defense to midfield. He and junior Trey Evans have begun to work well together controlling the midfield.
What player or players have surprised you on your team this year?
I have been happily surprised by senior Max Maier at stopper. Max has stepped up his game from last year and has become a solid defender for us. Also Chris Roch is a senior striker who has been dangerous and hard to defend all year.
What has been or have been the biggest wins for your team this year?
We were able to beat a very good Henry Clay team earlier in the season. We also were able to beat Ryle for the first time in two seasons. We are hoping our 4-0 victory in the last game of the season against a team that has not given up that many goals in a game all year will help us carry momentum into the postseason.
What is the mood like for your team entering district play?
We seem very focused in practice and the team is itching for the tournament to begin. They have high expectations of themselves individually and as a team.
KyKicks.com Exclusive Interview
Elizabethtown head Coach Jon Parsons answers a few questions before his big match against Meade Co.
Your team finished 10-7-1...second seed in the
district tournament. Is this where you
thought you would be at the end of the season?
We are excited and looking forward to the
postseason. We were young at the beginning of
the season and we have grown through experience
and I believe we are playing our best soccer to
date.
Who have been most consistent performers for you
this year?
We have several key contributors back from last
year (Jack Goblirsch, Nick Link, Ty Strader, and
Huu Nguyen were voted by their teammates as
Captains for this year and they have done an
excellent job in leading us thus far)
What player or players have surprised you
on your team this year?
A few players are new to the program and have
done extremely well for us (Todd Lucas and Beau
Bouthilette)
What has been or have been the biggest wins for
your team this year?
We have not necessarily had that key top 10 win,
but we are right on the edge. We have played
Bowling Green, Oldham County, and Male to a one
goal deficit and had the majority of the run of
play against them)
What is the mood like for your team
entering district play?
We are extremely excited and looking forward to taking it one game at a time!
Mills posts five goals; Cols cruise into finals
HCHS's Jordan Gregory (2) runs in step with Hopkins Central's Hunter Miller (22) during their second half of their district tournament game Madisonville North Hopkins Monday evening, October 13, 2008. Henderson shut out Hopkins Central 10-0
Photo By State Journal/Kelly Mackey
Frankfort High's Matt Talson tries to
maneuver the ball past Franklin County's Logan
Clouse at Sower Field in the first round of the
25th tournament at Monday. Frankfort High's
Harold Jennings watches from behind. Franklin
County won 4-1. State Journal/Kelly Mackey
Prep soccer: Cards' season ends
Bill Thiry/bthiry@winchestersun.com Clark senior Rex Catron keeps both eyes on the ball as he gains control with a Bourbon County defender over his back in a 2-1 loss to the Colonels in the opening round of the 24th District Tournament
Central’s strong night too much for WE
Joe Imel/Daily News
Warren Central’s Randy Rodrigues (left) settles the ball Monday on his way
to scoring one of his three goals in the Dragons’ 10-0 win over Warren East
in Boys’ District 8 Soccer Tournament at the Bowling Green Soccer Complex.
Joe Imel/Daily News Warren East keeper Manuel Ortiz just misses a goal Monday Raiders 10-0 loss to Warren Central in the first game of the boys' district soccer tournament at the Bowling Green High School Soccer Complex.
Joe Imel/Daily News Warren East keeper Manuel Ortiz stops a shot by Warren Central's Andre Picos Monday Raiders 10-0 loss to Warren Central in the first game of the boys' district soccer tournament at the Bowling Green High School Soccer Complex.
Boys' soccer season ended by Sayre
10/11/08
Dupont Manual 3 - Trinity 2
Owensboro 9 - Ohio Co. 0 - 1st banquet boy's team
Woodford Co. 2 - Rowan Co. 0
Hobbs, North Hardin top Central Hardin in first district quarterfinal
Photo by Neal Cardin
Central Hardin's Ryan Ortiz lands on North
Hardin's
Jacob Hughes as they battle for the ball in the opening round of the 10th District Tournament on Sunday at John Hardin High School.
By NATHANIEL BRYAN
nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com
RADCLIFF — It didn’t matter what jersey number
Marcellus Hobbs wore Sunday afternoon at John Hardin High School, because
he was a pain in the Central Hardin Bruins’ side in both of them.
A North Hardin senior striker, Hobbs scored one goal while
wearing each number to lead his fifth-seeded Trojans to a 2-0 upset of the
fourth-seeded Bruins in the 10th District Boys’ Soccer Tournament’s early
quarterfinal.
Hobbs started off wearing No. 10 because he left his
uniform back home. He scored in his back-up uniform midway through the
first half on an assist from senior defender Will Yates while his mother
went home to fetch his jersey. Back in his customary No. 7, Hobbs added an
insurance goal in the second half off a long through ball from junior
defender Andrew Cranmer.
“Marcellus came to play, that’s for sure,” said veteran
North Hardin coach Jim Stone. “I don’t know if he transformed when he
started wearing a different shirt or not.”
The goals gave Hobbs a team-best 16 heading into Tuesday’s
5 p.m. semifinal against the top-seeded John Hardin Bulldogs.
“His speed stretched us. He did what he can do,” said
Central Hardin coach Mike Wiersema. “He put pressure on our defense and
our communication between our back line and goalkeeper wasn’t what it
should have been and wasn’t as good as I should have had it and it ended
up costing us the game.”
Hobbs’ first goal came with 22:59 remaining in the first
half when Yates’ pass got through the Central Hardin defense and bounced
over the head of Central Hardin junior goal keeper Dakota Bowen. Hobbs was
able to pounce on the ball and tuck it away.
His insurance goal, which was scored with 24:32 remaining
in the game, came when Cranmer’s lofted pass from the back was sent near
the Bruins’ 18-yard box. Hobbs won a foot race with two Bruin defenders
and used his right leg to knee the ball over Bowen.
“It didn’t matter to me,” Hobbs said when asked if changing
numbers affected his offensive performance. “On the first goal, I think
they (the Bruins) miscommunicated in the back and I just attacked on it.
On the second goal, Andrew and I have been playing together since we were
10. We call that the United play.”
Hobbs and the Trojans’ offense pummeled the Bruins’
defense, outshooting Central Hardin, 5-0 on frame and by 14 shots overall.
The Trojans had 10 corner kicks to just two for the Bruins.
“We had a lot of opportunities and Marcellus honestly
should have had about two or three more goals,” said Stone, whose team
lost on the road to Central Hardin on Sept. 4 in the teams’ lone
regular-season meeting, 2-1. “We had a lot of looks the first game, but we
just couldn’t finish.”
While North Hardin’s offense notched its fourth
consecutive game with multiple goals, the Bruins had a hard time getting
much going offensively against the Trojans (8-7-2). Central Hardin managed
just nine shots, six of which came after halftime, and put none of its
nine on frame.
“Our defense was excellent. I love being bored like that
back there,” said North Hardin junior keeper Michael Sears, who had to
make zero saves to record his fourth shutout of the year and third in his
last eight games.”
In its first season under Wiersema, Central Hardin finished
9-7-2 for its best season since the 2001 squad went 13-6.
“Hopefully we’ve turned some corners and we’ve got things
headed in the right direction. But obviously it’s disappointing in terms
of my expectations,” said Wiersema, a veteran who has more than 400 career
wins including other stops.
Next year, the Bruins will have to play without the
services of four seniors: Josh Nichols, Cody Richardson and captains Ryan
Ortiz and Nick Laux.
“I thought they did a great job this year. The two who were
captains gave us great leadership and the other two always gave us energy
and always gave us commitment. I was proud of them all,” Wiersema said.”
After avenging their regular-season loss to the Bruins, the
Trojans get the chance Thursday to avenge their 4-1 road loss to the
Bulldogs on Aug. 26.
“It’s about redemption,” Hobbs said. “It’s our biggest game
of the year. The regular-season game was big, too, but the district
tournament is when it all matters. With Central, that was one obstacle we
had to get past. Now we’re moving on to John.”
Meade County pulls away from Fort Knox in second district quarterfinal
Photo by Neal Cardin
Fort Knox goalkeeper Dustin Nangle tries to protect the ball from Meade County's Zack Brown during 10th District Tournament action Sunday at John Hardin High School.
By NATHANIEL BRYAN
nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com
RADCLIFF — With his team nursing a one-goal halftime
lead against an overmatched opponent, veteran Meade County coach Matt
Pollock was less than thrilled with his Green Wave’s play Sunday evening.
Logan Raley and Zack Brown got the message.
A pair of juniors, Raley and Brown each scored in the
second half to help the third-seeded Green Wave pull away from the
sixth-seeded Fort Knox Eagles, 3-1 in the 10th District Boys’ Soccer
Tournament’s late quarterfinal at John Hardin.
“We played a little crappy in the first half, but we pulled
it out in the second,” said Brown, whose team managed just two shots on
frame in the first half against a Fort Knox team which has lost 25
consecutive games against district teams since 2004.
Brown got the Green Wave on the scoreboard with 14:17
remaining in the first half when he finished off a pass from sophomore
midfielder Cody Clements, but that was the only Meade County goal in the
first 49 minutes.
“I’m not surprised with the way we performed because we’ve
been doing that off and on throughout the season,” Pollock said. “I
expected more out of my team and we have to play better in the remainder
of the district.”
Raley scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with
30:23 left in the game when he gained control of a loose ball on the right
side and cut across the middle of the Eagles’ 18-yard box before scoring.
Fort Knox, playing with just one reserve because standout
offensive players Kyle Spadie and Chris Whitaker were both red carded in
their final regular-season game against Bullitt East, cut the Green Wave’s
lead to one goal with 14:38 remaining in the game. Senior Chris Deleon was
able to chip the ball over Meade County junior goalie Jordan Compton’s
head and a Meade County defender misplayed the ball, instead sending the
ball into the net, in a last-ditch effort to keep the ball from crossing
the goal line.
A larger Eagles squad played visiting Meade County to a 2-0
loss on Sept. 16.
“They played a tough game. They packed it in and made it
hard to move the ball,” Raley said. “We thought they’d be weaker in the
middle with Whitaker out, but they played us just as strong as last time.”
The Eagles’ momentum was short-lived, however, as Brown’s
second goal came less than 3 minutes after Deleon’s.
“That was the back breaker,” Brown said. “When it’s 3-1
like that that and there’s only like 5 minutes left, it’s pretty much
done.”
Brown’s second goal was similar to his first, meaning it
came off a pass from Clements, who wasn’t even on the varsity roster at
the beginning of the season.
“Cody’s proving he’s definitely varsity material,” said
Meade County junior defender Gabe Buttram.
Fort Knox finished 8-11-1 for its best season since the
2002 team went 9-10. Next year’s squad will be without seniors Charlie
Davidson, Deleon, Spadie, Gabe Velez, Robert Gray and Zacc Holman.
Meade County (11-6-2) advances to Tuesday’s 7 p.m.
semifinal against the second-seeded Elizabethtown Panthers (10-7-1), who
beat the Green Wave on Sept. 4 in Brandenburg, 3-1.
Pollock said he doesn’t have anything special in store for
the Panthers.
“We just have to play better than we did today,” he said.
“I don’t have a magic plan or lineup and I can’t make it any simpler: We
have to play better.”
KyKicks.com exclusive....
Damien Sweeney, head coach of Male talks about being in the toughest district in the state which includes St. X and DuPont Manual...
Our district is obviously extremely tough. Last year, the #1, #2, and #4 team were in the same district. Consequently, a good team never had the opportunity to show the rest of the state what we were capable of. This year, ESPN noted that St. X, Manual and Male were the top 3 soccer programs in the entire state of Kentucky. Again, one of these three teams will be unable to showcase their talent and progress. We always look forward to playing St. X and Manual and I believe that Wednesday's game should be hard fought. The situation we are in is obviously a hard one. While we have been such a strong program, it is no secret that we haven't gotten out of our own district in eight years. I guess it is up to the rest of the state as to whether or not that is fair. I think that the best teams should get the best opportunity to get far in the state tournament, but there are obvious issues with this. We look forward to competing in the district tournament against St. Francis on Tuesday and hopefully St. X on Wednesday. We have prepared the entire season with the district and state tournament in the back of our minds. It is our job to prove that we do belong at the top of the state. We started to show this towards the middle and end of the season when knocking off multiple top ten teams. Furthermore, we played nine top 25 teams on purpose. We scheduled competitive games that would give us the feel of the district tournament environment and that allow us to get better as a team. We have faired well and are very confident that our results speak for themselves. While playing in the toughest district is hard, it absolutely makes us better. We know and understand that we cannot take any games in the regular season for granted and must continue to progress. Does playing St. X and Manual hurt us? No. It makes us better and makes us work harder.
District tournament not easy to predict
The News Enterprise
By NATHANIEL BRYAN
nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com
RADCLIFF — With 12 years of coaching high school
soccer in the boys’ 10th District under his belt, North Hardin coach Jim
Stone has seen plenty.
What he’s not so sure of, however, is seeing a tournament
as unpredictable as the one that starts today at John Hardin.
All six teams in the district – the top-seeded John
Hardin Bulldogs (14-4-1 overall, 4-1 district), the second-seeded
Elizabethtown Panthers (10-7-1, 4-1), the third-seeded Meade County
Green Wave (10-6-2, 3-2), the fourth-seeded Central Hardin Bruins
(9-6-2, 3-2), Stone’s fifth-seeded Trojans (7-7-2, 1-4) and the
sixth-seeded Fort Knox Eagles (8-10-1, 0-5) – have at least seven wins
and at least four losses.
Of the 15 games between the teams, almost half were
decided by one goal and only three were decided by more than two goals.
“Just based on records alone, this league is wide open,”
Stone said Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours before North Hardin
gets the annual single-elimination event started with a 2 p.m.
quarterfinal game against Central Hardin. “At this point, any team has a
chance to knock off any team. It comes down to who’s ready to play
soccer.”
The Panthers have won the last four titles, but
Elizabethtown coach Jon Parsons admits he doesn’t know who his team
would have to beat to extend their championship streak to five.
“I think it really is wide open,” Parsons said. “Everyone
is starting to play their best ball right now and everyone is peaking at
the right time. I honestly think it is up for grabs.”
The Central Hardin-North Hardin winner advances to
Tuesday’s 5 p.m. semifinal against reigning 5th Region Tournament
champion John Hardin.
The 4 p.m. quarterfinal pits Meade County against Fort
Knox, with the winner advancing to Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinal against
Elizabethtown.
Tuesday’s winners will meet in Thursday’s 5:30 p.m. title
game – which will be carried live on HCEC-TV (Brandenburg Telecom
Channel 1) – and both of Thursday’s competitors advance to next week’s
four-team, single-elimination region tournament, which will be hosted by
Thursday’s winner.
CENTRAL HARDIN VS. NORTH HARDIN. The Bruins won the
teams’ regular-season meeting Sept. 4 in Cecilia, 2-1.
First-year Central Hardin coach Mike Wiersema said the
regular-season meeting will not determine today’s victor.
“But it let us know what they bring to the table,”
Wiersema said. “They’re one of the fastest teams in the district and
they’re probably the most physical. We have to control our emotions and
account for their speed.”
North Hardin’s speed starts with senior track star
Marcellus Hobbs, a midfielder/striker who leads his team in goals (14)
and assists (11).
“I think Hobbs is one of the best players in the area and
certainly one of the most recruitable. He’s got the stuff you can’t
teach,” Wiersema said.
After winning six of their first seven games under
Wiersema, the Bruins were battered by injuries and struggled to just one
win in their seven games from Sept. 11-27. They did bounce back to win
two of their final three regular-season games, the latter of which was a
3-0 home decision against Grayson County on Thursday.
“I was encouraged how we moved the ball against Grayson,”
Wiersema said. “We have to win this game with soccer. We can’t
out-athlete North. We have to move the ball to have a chance.”
Like Wiersema, Stone agreed the outcome of the Sept. 4
game means little now.
“Our lineup is completely different and I’m sure theirs
is too. It comes down to who is ready to play and I’m excited about how
we’re playing,” Stone said.
After losing five times in their first seven matches, the
Trojans closed the regular season with just one loss in their final five
games. North Hardin has multiple goals in three straight games and
hasn’t been shut out in 14 consecutive games, the best streak of any
district team.
Central Hardin beat John Hardin in the regular season,
2-1, while North Hardin lost to John Hardin, 4-1.
“On the record, we’ll be prepared for both. I think it
will be a good competitive game and I hope Central and North plays lots
of overtime so we can take whoever on Tuesday,” said second-year John
Hardin coach Alex Shearer. “This is the best district I’ve seen from top
to bottom, 1 to 6. No offense to the other side of the region, but our
district is much better top to bottom.”
MEADE COUNTY VS. FORT KNOX. The Green Wave knocked off
the host Eagles on Sept. 16, 2-0.
Meade County lost 4-of-6 games between Sept. 4 and Sept.
23, but closed the regular season with just one loss in six games,
holding all six of those foes to one goal or less.
“I think they’ll be ready to play. We’ve had such a long
road leading up to the district tournament,” said veteran Meade County
coach Matt Pollock. “They’ve had a little bit of time off to fine tune
some things, so hopefully the timing is right to play our best soccer.”
Fort Knox has lost 24 consecutive games against district
competition since the 2004 semifinals, but the Eagles are having their
best season, in terms of total wins, since the 2002 team finished 9-10.
The Eagles also feature one of the district’s biggest and most dangerous
players in sophomore Chris Whitaker.
“You have to make sure you pay attention to him. You
can’t do anything silly defensively and let one person beat you on an
attack,” Parsons said. “Generally, when one person does a lot for a
team, you don’t want him to be the deciding factor when there’s 11
people on the field.”
In the regular season, Elizabethtown beat Meade County,
3-1, and Fort Knox, 7-2.
Purples remain team to beat in District 8 soccer tourney
By MICHEAL COMPTON, The Daily News