A two-goal second-half deficit did not prove a mountain too high to climb Monday for Polk County’s boys soccer team.
The Wolverines faced that 2-0 margin with 25 minutes remaining in their Mountain Foothills 7 Conference matchup at Hendersonville. Undeterred, Polk responded with a pair of scores to force overtime, then struck in the first extra session to secure a 3-2 win over the Bearcats at Dietz Field.
The win marked Polk County’s first triumph in the series between the two programs since 2019.
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The teams battled to a scoreless tie at the end of the first half. But Hendersonville (3-3-2, 1-1) tallied twice in the first 15 minutes of the second half to build its two-goal advantage.
Polk County (6-2-2, 1-1) began to rally not long thereafter. Deep in the Bearcats’ end of the field, Nate Martinez slipped a pass through the right side of the Hendersonville defense to Cooper Meyer, who dribbled almost to the end line before drilling a shot into the left side of the net, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with 16:09 remaining.
Time, though, seemed to be running out on the Wolverines’ chances until James Purtill played a long pass deep into the Bearcat penalty area. Meyer outraced a defender to the loose ball, was tackled from behind and drew a foul in the process. That earned Polk a penalty kick, which Martinez calmly converted with 2:49 remaining to even the match.
Late in the first of the two 10-minute overtime periods, Tommy Jackson drew a foul near the sideline well into Hendersonville’s half of the field. Martinez took the free kick and dropped a perfect pass near the back post, just out of the grasp of Hendersonville’s goalkeeper but well within the reach of Meyer, who redirected the feed into the net for the game-winning goal.
Polk’s defense made that lead hold throughout the second 10-minute overtime, allowing the Wolverines to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play.
Polk County will return to the pitch on Wednesday, traveling to R-S Central for a 6 p.m match.
