It was a rematch we had all been waiting for. It was talked about all week, IF Hopkinsville can beat County, and IF UHA can beat Ft. Campbell, we get a rematch of a highly competitive and physical game from back on September 20th.
A game many Tigers fans felt like they should have or could have won, and a game Blazers fans looked at as a catalyst to the back part of a season in which they have now won nine of their last eleven and five straight games including both in the District Tournament.
The final score was 4-1, but for entire first half, you would not have believed that is where we would end up.
UHA has a very attacking, physical style of play on the pitch. Hopkinsville, knowing this, almost seemed to step their physicality and attack up in half number one.
The Tigers controlled possession and looked like the more aggressive and physical team all half. Unfortunately, they just had not found the back of the goal, and with less than thirty seconds remaining that was not a big deal, because neither had UHA. Then Preston Thomas did what he does best, found a way.
It was a clump up in front of goalie KJ McMickens and try as he might, he just could not get two hands on it. 1-0 UHA and the half came to an end.
The Blazers had suffered two yellow cards on players, and each coach had received a yellow card in half number one.
That goal allowed them to play back defensively, make adjustments to draw in a Hoptown offense that seemed almost to be pressing in the second half, and it led to a big second for the Blazers.
Four minutes into the half Logan Miller, after having to be stretched out during the break, made it 2-0 on a goal that his entire team swarmed it for getting; they were quite excited for the sophomore.
UHA would receive another yellow card five minutes later, different player than either before, and that only seemed to fuel them.
Preston Thomas again, this time with twenty-three minutes remaining, sent a shot flying and as he has all season, Thomas hit that gritty after he saw it find the nylon.
Ethan Hale followed that up, one upping him, with one of “the best goals I have ever seen” according to his head coach as he touched the ball just enough to get it underneath a sliding McMickens but not so much it carried beyond the bar. It slipped just inside the right bar as you look at the goal and with fifteen minutes remaining it was 4-0 Blazers.
Tim Marvel the senior defensemen got in his teams ear about continuing to play hard and fellow upperclassmen Nick Klar heard the call.
Despite missing on several other opportunities, Klar battled through contact and sliced a shot, threading the needle, through the defense to narrow the margin of defeat by one, 4-1.
That would be your final score and the celebration would ensue for UHA.
It was a hard fought, physical, and draining affair. Both squads were beat after the game just sitting or laying there for a few moments post celebration and prior to the awards being handed out.
I caught up with Head Blazer Coach Frankie Thomas and he has this to say…
Now, much like the girls, we await region matchups for both teams who hope to get a good draw and give themselves a chance to compete at the state level.