When all else fails, count on Jacob Boling. Daviess County struggled in their semi-state game against Madisonville-North Hopkins, but Boling scored all three goals in a 3-2 victory for the Panthers on Tuesday.
Boling, the lone senior starter, delivered the game-winner in the waning minutes, lifting DC to a first-round boys’ soccer state tournament win for the fourth year in a row. Relying on Boling — who leads the team with 31 goals — is nothing new for this year’s Panthers.
“That kid has a motor that just doesn’t quit,” said head coach Doug Sandifer. “He is the most instinctual player I’ve ever had. He’s carrying a lot of this team on his shoulders with his effort and his attitude and his leadership. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody.”
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For photos from the game, click here.
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With about three minutes to play, Tanner Andersen pushed up the right side and sent a pass in to Boling, who was making a run to the near post and easily knocked it in to cap off his hat trick.
Boling could hardly describe the happiness of keeping his final season at DC alive.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “It feels great. I don’t know how to put it into words really. It’s a great feeling to see how these young guys have played well together with me.”
It was a tough environment for the visiting Panthers, as a boisterous home crowd for Madisonville overflowed the stands and did their best to disrupt Daviess County.
Boling and the Panthers (19-2-2) had just enough to get by, holding off a fierce second-half attack by the Maroons (20-4-2).
“My teammates played strong,” Boling said. “That’s what we wanted from our whole team was to not let the outside scenario and the fans get to us. It was a heck of a game.”
Madisonville struck first, working their way from the right side of the field into the box for a goal in the 12th minute.
About two minutes later, Hunter Clark’s corner kick sailed through the box from left to right and Boling headed it toward the goal. It bounced off the right post, but Boling drove the rebound home for the equalizer.
With 10:20 left in the half, Boling got on the end of another corner kick by Clark, this time scoring directly off the header.
“We talk all the time about how we get several corner kicks in games and we’ve got to take advantage of them,” Sandifer said. “We feel like we can be dangerous on them. If teams are going to allow us get corner kicks, we’ve got to make them pay for that, and tonight we did.”
DC held strong the remainder of the half, but the Maroons came back in the second period with renewed purpose. After constant pressure, they finally pulled even at 2-2 using a booming shot from well outside the box in the 51st minute.
Madisonville kept up their aggression, but DC settled back in and took control over the final stretch.
“I think Madisonville played really well,” Sandifer said. “We struggled at times tonight to generate anything. We were on our heels for stretches, but we kept going to what works for us. I’m proud of the guys for the effort they put in. It’s a tough environment to play in.”
Daviess County will now travel to play Warren Central in the quarterfinals of the state tournament later this week. A time and date for the match were not known immediately following the game. The Dragons (20-4-1) beat Marshall County in their semi-state game Tuesday night.
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2019 soccer coverage is presented by Worth Insurance Group.
