Senior Night complete. Rival win complete.
Polk County’s now ready for its biggest match of the season.
The Wolverines’ three seniors each played a role in helping Polk push past Landrum, handing the Cardinals a 5-3 setback in a non-conference matchup in G.M. Tennant Stadium.
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Polk County (13-2-4) will now turn its focus to Monday’s showdown at Hendersonville (16-1-1), with the winner claiming the Western Highlands Conference regular-season title. That match is set for 6 p.m. at Dietz Field.
Reeve Carroll scored midway through the first half to give Polk a lead it would never relinquish, and then the Wolverines upped the margin to 2-0 in the 29th minute with what is becoming a familiar pattern, a 1-2 Savaia strike.
Kenley Savaia won a footrace to a long through ball and tapped it just past Landrum goalkeeper Marley Alverson toward one of those three seniors, Gabby Savaia. She and two Landrum defenders all arrived at the ball at the same time, colliding in a heap and leaving the ball free just outside the net. Kenley Savaia sprinted in and tapped the ball home to give the Wolverines a two-goal edge.
Landrum’s Hazel Cain sliced that advantage in half with a goal in the 34th minute.
A Cardinal hand ball just in front of the net early in the second half earned Polk County a penalty kick, which senior Charley Dusenbury calmly converted to up Polk’s lead to 3-1. Some 90 seconds later the Wolverines scored again as Carroll played a long through ball from past midfield toward Gabby Savaia, who ran past Landrum’s defense, took a couple of touches and buried a hard drive from just outside the 6-yard box.
Kenley Savaia capped the scoring in the 67th minute in similar fashion, corralling a ball played forward by her sister, beating the Cardinal back line and firing from point-blank range to give the Wolverines a 5-1 lead.
Polk senior goalkeeper Cate Brown and the Wolverine defense kept the margin there until Landrum (3-9) scored a pair of goals in the closing minutes.
Monday’s matchup at Hendersonville will be the regular-season finale for both teams. State playoffs begin May 11, with Polk expected to get a first-round bye into the second round on May 14.
