The Tiger soccer team overcame a sluggish first half to pick up a 5-0 district win at Dawson Springs on Tuesday.
Caldwell County, now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in 4th District play, took just a 1-0 lead to halftime but quickly pulled away after the break.
“We were just really flat,” noted Tiger head coach Alan Shaffer. “I think the starters were only in about 10 or 12 minutes before I starting subbing people.
“We just were not on. Nobody was spreading the field out. Everybody was just standing in the middle waiting for the ball to be played to them.”
Glenn Gray’s unassisted goal in the 20th minute put the Tigers in front, but Dawson (0-4, 0-2) was able to keep the game close until the second half.
Jesse Sherrill gave Caldwell a little breathing room when he blasted home a shot from 25 yards out just two minutes into the second half.
Aaron Laurent scored off a Cody Hooks assist in the 48th minute. Hooks then set up David Watkins in the 50th minute to make it 4-0.
Gray scored his second goal of the night in the 61st minute to extend the lead to 5-0.
“The second half we just did a better job of using the width of the field and did a good job opening seams,” said Shaffer.
“Glenn Gray had a good game up top,” he added. “He normally starts in the back but he stepped in at center forward and initiated a lot of our offense. Glenn would play the ball to Cody and he would send it across.
“We also got some good minutes tonight from Clayton McGregor. He joined the team late but has picked things up at outside forward pretty well.”
McGregor, a junior, adds depth to a Tiger roster that started the season on the thin side but has grown in recent weeks.
Caldwell held a 16-5 advantage in shots on the homestanding Panthers.
The junior varsity Tigers also recorded a shutout Tuesday, beating Dawson Springs 7-0.
Brett Seymore had two goals and two assists for the JVers while Zach Adams had a goal and three assists, and Dakota Young recorded a goal and two assists.
Adams scored off a Seymore assist in the 17th minute. The duo then reversed roles in the 24th minute as Caldwell took a 2-0 lead to halftime.
Seymore scored his second goal in the 36th minute, again off an Adams assist.
Jonathon Martin scored in the 42nd minute with help from Adams.
Seth Cook scored off an assist from Young in the 47th minute to make it 5-0.
Young scored with help from Seymore in the 50th minute.
Thomas Riley found the net in the 56th minute, using help from Young to make the final margin 7-0.
“We really spread the scoring around tonight,” said JV coach Steve Adams.
“We don’t really have a forward yet that has the desire to score that Jesse Sherrill has. They basically couldn’t care less who scores as long as the ball goes in the back of the net. I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“We also got good minutes tonight from Keenen Boitnott and Dan White. And Seth Cook at back did wonderful, then he went up to forward and worked his butt off there,” Adams added.
The Tigers limited Dawson to just three shots in the junior varsity tilt.
The JV Tigers are now 5-1.
Caldwell’s varsity team will return to action on Monday when it visits Lyon County as part of a district boys and girls doubleheader.
The Tigers then have a rematch with Dawson Springs on Tuesday at Butler Stadium. Shaffer noted that a pair of U-10 soccer teams will take the field during halftime of the varsity contest that night.
