In a low-scoring district rematch Thursday night, the Daviess County boys’ soccer team squeaked out a 2-0 win at Apollo with help from a pair of unlikely freshman heroes.
Hayden Boswell scored the Panthers’ first goal with 23 minutes to go in the first half and Davian Clark knocked in one of his own at the 18-minute mark in the second half to solidify the victory.
Boswell was also involved in a scoring threat in the second half, when he was brought down in the box after getting on the end of a lofted cross on a strong counter-attacking run for DC (12-1-2, 5-1 9th District). Jacob Boling took the penalty kick but his shot attempt clanked off the right post and out of the box.
Though he missed the penalty, Boling praised his underclassmen teammates for coming through.
“Our young kids are just amazing,” Boling said. “They do a phenomenal job, they are so knowledgeable, and they have blown me away this year. It starts with our JV team. These guys come into the varsity setup knowing what their roles are and the mindset that we have from day one.”
Head coach Doug Sandifer was equally as proud of his senior captain as Boling was of the freshman.
“Jacob played a heck of a game tonight,” Sandifer said. “Despite missing the penalty attempt in the second half, he stayed on the field for the entire game. He helps to orchestrate what happens in attack, and he is a huge reason why the young guys are so successful.”
Apollo head coach Ryan Poirier was disappointed with the end result but felt the Eagles (8-7, 2-4) gave full effort.
“We didn’t play as sharp as we have the last few games tonight,” Poirier said. “That being said, we had a few chances and played hard. After winning four in a row, we had high hopes for tonight. Unfortunately, our touches and passing let us down a little bit, and we just weren’t able to overcome our mistakes in this one.”
Poirier also made note of his goalkeeper’s effort on the night, as senior Matthew Marks recorded five saves.
Apollo returns to action Saturday in Glasgow, while Daviess County plays Saturday at home against Oldham County.
The win ensured the Panthers tied for first place in the district with Owensboro. The loss for Apollo solidified a third-place seeding in the district.
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2019 soccer coverage is presented by Worth Insurance Group.
