Oates hat trick helps Polk roll past Avery

Polk County spent the opening minutes Wednesday threatening Avery’s goal.

Once the Wolverines finally broke through, the goals came quickly.

Brennan Oates scored three times and Polk County struck four times in the first half on the way to a 7-0 Western Highlands Conference victory at Avery in Newland.

Polk nearly grabbed the lead in the fifth minute when Ross Dow drove a shot off the crossbar, then saw Jackson Blotner denied from inside the six-yard box four minutes later.

The breakthrough came in the 21st minute. Erik Pena looped a pass from the right corner into the penalty area, where it bounced once before reaching an unmarked Erik Ramirez on the left side. Ramirez drove the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.

Polk struck again a minute later. Dow lofted a pass from above the penalty area into the box, Blotner got a touch on the ball and Luke Garrison nudged it home at the right post.

Oates then scored twice before halftime.

In the 28th minute, Pena sent a long ball from near midfield down the left flank. Oates raced onto it, gained control, beat a defender and drove a shot from the wing into the right side of the net.

Three minutes later, Ramirez won possession deep in the left corner and dribbled past a defender along the end line. His pass toward Blotner was deflected to Oates, who converted from close range to give Polk a 4-0 halftime lead.

Dow added the fifth goal in the 48th minute, collecting a loose ball and drilling a 30-yard shot into the upper right corner.

Oakley Whiteside made it 6-0 in the 59th minute. Dow found Tallis Metcalf near midfield, and Metcalf carried down the right seam before slipping a pass ahead to Whiteside, who ran onto the ball and finished into the left side of the goal.

Oates completed his hat trick in the 78th minute. Juan Vazquez sent a long pass ahead that gave Oates a one-on-one opportunity, and Oates finished with a high drive past the goalkeeper for the final margin.

Avery fell to 4-10-1 overall and 2-9 in conference play.

Polk County improved to 16-3-1 overall and 9-1-1 in the Western Highlands Conference. The Wolverines close the regular season Monday with a road match at Hendersonville.