Alley, Marino score hat tricks to lead Polk Middle to easy 7-0 win

On a warm Monday afternoon at Polk County Middle School, the Wolverines nearly sizzled on the soccer pitch.

Reese Alley and Ava Marino each scored three goals to lead Polk Middle to a 7-0 rout of Brevard Middle in a Blue Ridge Middle School Conference match.

Marino tallied in the opening minutes of the game before Alley scored three times in 16 minutes, the first from well outside the penalty area, sailing the long kick over the Brevard goalkeeper, the other two line drives from the center of the field.

Marino scored twice in the second half and Sydney Waldman added a goal as the Wolverines (1-1) earned their first win of the season.

“We’ve been working on attacking the corners and using different parts of the field,” said Polk Middle head coach George Alley. “We’re working on trying to come in wide, then come back inside, and we did some of that today.”

Brevard mustered a scoring threat shortly before the end of the first half, but opportunities were few and far between as the Wolverines controlled the flow of play.

“Bailey Lowman and Aria Shields played well defensively,” Alley said. “They played consistently and at good angles against passes.”

Polk Middle is scheduled to be back in action on Thursday, traveling to Rugby to face the Raiders in a 4:30 p.m. match.