Playing their final regular season game Tuesday night at the Cougar Soccer Stadium, the Cougars got four goals from junior Wyatt Schultz to lead them to a 5-1 win over visiting Muhlenberg County.
Grayson County closes out the season with a 10-6 record, having won 10 of its last 12 games. With just two boys teams in the 11th District, the Cougars will host Meade County in the 11th District final on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.
Against Muhlenberg on Tuesday, it took the Cougars about 30 seconds to get a goal to take a 1-0 lead. Schultz took a short pass from senior Cody Watkins that put him behind the Mustang defense, and Schultz beat keeper Tyson Shanks to give the Cougars a lead they would not give up.
Through the game’s first 15 minutes, the Cougars were controlling the ball in the Mustang end of the field nearly the whole time, and in the 16th minute it paid off in another Cougar goal. Following a Grayson County foul out in front of the Muhlenberg goal, the Mustangs set up for a free kick.
The ball kind of squibbed off the kicker’s foot and went directly to Watkins, who was camped just beyond the 18-yard box. With no one in front of him, Watkins took the ball directly at Shanks and beat him on his right side to make it 2-0.
Five minutes later, the Cougars were on the board again. Gaining control in the Cougar end, sophomore midfielder Malaki Clemons sent a beautiful through-ball up the center of the field. Schultz beat a couple of defenders to the ball and took it in all alone. His shot from about 15 yards out curved up and into the left-hand corner of the net, beating Shanks badly to make it 3-0.
Less than a minute later the Cougars had a defensive let-down that cost them a goal as senior Blaine Clark scored to make it 3-1.
In the 29th minute, Schultz was again threatening the Mustang goal inside the 18-yard box when he was grabbed from behind by Mustang junior Amadeo Percy. The foul caused Schultz’s shot to sail wide of the goal, and it also brought out a red card for the Mustang defender, much to the displeasure of the Muhlenberg coach, Josh Kelso.
Schultz was awarded a penalty kick on the play, but he got under his shot and sent a harmless rainbow over the top of the goal. But the Mustangs had to play the rest of the game with just 10 men. Kelso was incensed with the call and kept badgering the referee until he himself was shown a second-half yellow card with less than 15 minutes remaining to play.
Grayson County made it 4-1 in the 55th minute as sophomore Matthew Haycraft assisted on Schultz’s third goal. Haycraft now has 25 assists on the season, keeping him in second place in the state in that category.
Grayson County scored its final goal in the 60th minute after Watkins gained control in his own end of the field. Bringing it up to midfield, he sent a pass through the Mustang defense, and once more Schultz beat his defender to the ball, took it in and scored to make the final score 5-1.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
