After winning their seventh-straight 3rd Region Boys’ Soccer Tournament title, the Daviess County Panthers aren’t strangers to semi-state as they hit the road to Paducah Saturday to take on McCracken County at Marquette Stadium.
Despite the wet and rainy weather, the Panthers took a first half goal from Sean Higgs and held the Mustangs at bay for the 1-0 victory to advance to Monday’s Elite Eight at South Warren.
DC beat McCracken County 5-1 in the season opener but Panther coach Doug Sandifer said none of that mattered.
“That was definitely a point of emphasis with the guys in that game meant nothing and obviously from the game today, you could tell that game meant nothing,” he said. “They were a very good team, a very dangerous team. That game had no impact on this game I don’t think. It was just two quality teams playing and we were fortunate to get the one goal we did. I think we probably had a couple others in us but we maybe didn’t find the right guy at the end there but we’ll take it. This time of the year, you get a win and you go home. That’s what you want to do.”
Sandifer said the gameplan was simple going in as they just did what they always do.
“We prepared for what we could for them and what we’d seen on film but it’s really just do what we do what we do offensively,” he said. “Put pressure on them offensively, the defense play solid and I think we’ll see if that’s good enough.”
Midway through the first half, DC’s Sean Higgs entered the game just before a corner and made his presence known quickly.
Hunter Clark sent the ball toward the box and after it bounced around, the ball found Higgs’ foot and he got it by the Mustang keeper for the only lead the Panthers would need in the game.
“He and Hayden (Boswell) both, they provide a spark for us off the bench and give us a lift,” Sandifer said. “Sean’s kind of made a habit the last week or so of coming in and making an immediate impact whether it’s scoring or setting up. Hayden Boswell gives us a lift whether I put him in the midfield or up front. Having those two guys coming in as our first two guys off the bench is huge for us. In a lot of ways, they bring something different than the guy that they’re going in for that has run hard for 15-20 minutes and we’ve got fresh legs and we’re not missing a beat.”
The Panthers were the aggressor in the first half but it was the Mustangs that made more moves in the final 40:00 of the game.
“I thought we had a gap in our midfield,” Sandifer said of the second half. “They were finding their outlet passes better in the second half and causing us to chase. I think we got maybe a little bit spread out and we tried to compact it as the half went on and cut out those passes and we did better after the first 15 doing that.”
When the final whistle sounded, a sigh of relief came from the Panther faithful as they not only won the game but were able to find solace in their cars from the dreary weather.
DC keeper Cody Clark earned the shutout in goal for the Panthers. Like his coach, the plan was simple.
“Stay composed,” he said was his goal coming in. “Always get behind the ball and double check everything.”
Clark said he gets nerves during the beginning of the game but they quickly go away and when the Panthers net a goal, they go away even quicker.
There have been games where DC kept the ball on the offensive end for most of the contest and in those games, Clark said he still has a job to do.
“When it’s like this, when it’s cold and rain, try to stay warm,” he said. “Move a little bit. Stay in the game don’t let the score get to me.”
With Henderson County having to forfeit because of COVID exposure, South Warren had already advanced to the Elite Eight as the Spartans will host Daviess County at 7 p.m. Monday with the winner earning a spot in Thursday’s state semifinal.
“It’s going to be a lot to ask of our boys but we’ll get a light training in tomorrow and try to get ready from South Warren on Monday and see if we have enough in the tank to go down there and get a win,” Sandifer said.
