Polk County Middle spent nearly an entire match Wednesday trying to undo what happened in the opening two minutes.
The Wolverines came close, controlled much of the second half and repeatedly pressured Apple Valley, but never found the equalizer in a 1-0 loss in the opening round of the Blue Ridge Conference Tournament at Utz Field.
Apple Valley (7-6) took advantage of Polk’s slow start, scoring in the second minute on a shot from the upper right corner of the penalty area.
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Polk gradually worked its way into the match and nearly pulled even midway through the first half.
Colton Stahr delivered a corner kick in the 18th minute that Rhys Jackson met at the back post from about eight yards. Jackson headed the ball past the goalkeeper, but an Apple Valley defender cleared the attempt off the goal line to preserve the 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines went to halftime still trailing by that margin, then immediately applied pressure after the break.
Polk created a corner kick in the opening minutes of the second half and largely kept Apple Valley pinned in its own half for the next 20 minutes. The Wolverines had the better of the play during that stretch but couldn’t produce the finishing touch.
Apple Valley eventually regained some momentum and nearly doubled its lead, striking both goal posts during one 30-second sequence.
Polk continued to push forward in search of the tying goal, but the Wolverines couldn’t convert a chance before time expired.
“We felt good about how we played at the end of the first, and the second half,” Polk Middle head coach Lennox Charles said. “It was a good overall performance. I felt like we were the better team during that time. So it makes the result even more disappointing.”
The loss ended Polk County Middle’s season with a 6-6-1 record.
