Cinderella Pocahontas earns tourney shot

By Jed Lockett

EAST RIVER — The PikeView Panthers were a Cinderella team, an unlikely group that banded together late in the season to overachieve and win the Class AA/A Region III Section 2 championship emphatically.

But on Thursday, the clock struck midnight for the Panthers.

Jimmy Wiley scored two goals and added an assist and Jesse Bolyard added a goal and an assist of his own to lead the Pocahontas County Warriors to a 4-1 win over PikeView for the Class AA/A Region III championship at the East River Soccer Complex.

“We got beat by a better team,” PikeView coach Sam Hill said. “We played them three times this year. That’s the first goal we’ve scored in those three games. They’re just a superior team.”

“I think we dominated and kept control of the midfield,” Pocahontas County coach Mike Burns said. “I did lose one of my key midfielders with an injury right before halftime. So we were slowed down a little bit after the half.”

The Warriors took control of the game early and were rewarded in the 10th minute. Wiley launched a rainbow cross from the left wing that was just over the outstretched hands of PikeView goalie Aaron Nash. Jerry Simonin met the ball with a right-foot volley and Pocahontas County led.

Nine minutes later, the Warriors doubled their lead. This time Wiley got the goal when he headed a corner kick by Abe Rittenhouse past Nash. They increased the lead to 3-0 five minute later thanks to an outstanding individual effort. Bolyard got the ball from 45 yards out, then dribbled through the defense and rolled the ball under Nash.

PikeView tried to launch counter attacks, but was unable to make any of them stick. The Panthers were unable to put a shot on the Warriors’ goal and therefore unable to stop the onslaught.

“I think the PikeView boys just weren’t marking up and we had a little more speed,” Burns said. “They played like they can play.”

“For some reason we didn’t come out as ready to play as perhaps we should have,” Hill said. “They touched every ball first, 50-50 balls in the air they won easily, even balls on the ground they got to first.”

The Warriors put the game out of reach in the 48th minute. Wiley and Bolyard used each other, passing the ball back and forth as they ran through the Panther defense. Wiley got his second goal with a low shot that easily beat a befuddled Nash.

PikeView got a goal back in the 66th minute on a left-foot shot by Will Webster. But it came too late for the Panthers as the second half was a stalemate they could not afford to play.

“We had to get players up and just for whatever reason we didn’t seem to play with the urgency that we needed to get those numbers up,” Hill said.

Pocahontas County (19-1-2) will advance to the state tournament in Beckley.

“We get Charleston Catholic,” Burns said. “I’ve been doing this for eight years and I’ve never had a chance at Catholic. So now I do.”

PikeView ends its season with a record of 11-11. The Panthers started slow, but got hot late and proved what they were capable of.

— E-mail:

jlockett@bdtonline.com

At East River Soccer Complex Field 1

Goals — Pocahontas County, Jerry Simonin (10), Jimmy Wiley (19, 48), Jesse Bolyard (24); PikeView, Will Webster (66). Assists — Pocahontas County, Jimmy Wiley (10), Abe Rittenhouse (19), Jesse Bolyard (48). Halftime — Pocahontas County 3-0. Shots (On Goal) — PikeView 9 (4); Pocahontas County 22 (10). Saves — PikeView 5 (Aaron Nash 5); Pocahontas County 3 (Jeff Fertig 3). Corners — PikeView 3; Pocahontas County 8. Offsides — PikeView 0; Pocahontas County 7. Fouls — PikeView 9; Pocahontas County 5. Cards — None.