Speed filled the need Thursday for Polk County.
The Wolverines took advantage of West Wilkes’ defensive approach to utilize its team quickness to the fullest, racing to a 9-0 victory over the Blackhawks in the second round of the state 3A playoffs.
The mercy rule win at G.M. Tennant Stadium moves Polk County (15-0-3) into a third-round clash Monday against West Caldwell (15-6-1). The Warriors snapped a halftime scoreless tie with three second-half goals to take a 3-0 victory at Mount Airy in their second-round encounter.
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Sebastian Azar scored three of his four goals in the first 13 minutes and the Wolverines quickly turned the matchup into a rout. With West Wilkes (11-12) opting to play a high defensive line, that allowed Polk County’s forwards room to chase down through balls, setting up 1-on-1 scoring opportunities.
“That’s not how we really want to play, to play the long ball in,” said Polk County head coach George Alley. “It was good for the guys to see the ball going to the back of the net. That’s key.
“It’s good to have Seb back (from an early-season injury). We got some practice finishing.”
Azar scored twice in the sixth minute, 22 seconds apart, and Thomas Varnadore followed with a low drive in the 11th minute to quickly make it 3-0. Azar converted a nice Blake Anderson pass into a goal in the 13th minute, then notched his fourth tally in the 16th minute.
Cooper Meyer, Tanner Osborn and Wyatt Highsmith also found the net before halftime. The lead allowed Alley to liberally substitute, and three different goalkeepers saw time – Charlie Wagoner, Nathan Harms and Jackson Blotner.
Jonathan Aguirre brought the match to an end early in the second half in the 46th minute, his teammates racing onto the field to celebrate his first goal of the season.
Polk also celebrated Senior Night at halftime, recognizing the group that has been at the core of this year’s success.
“I love this group of seniors,” Alley said. “It’s really one of the best groups I’ve ever coached. They’re just quality kids, and fortunately for me, they’re also good soccer players.”
