HC Blue Devils soccer soars in district and regional tournaments
HC soccer has moved on to the KHSAA state tournament for the first time in four years, and has defeated Mercer County 2-1 in the Round of 16 with two goals coming from senior Braxton Burton.
As well as advancing to the state tournament, HC won the 42nd district tournament for a sixth consecutive year.
Two seniors, Logan Cox and Zach Whitehouse returned from injuries and are a big part in the team’s success this postseason.
Seniors Aimé Mabika and Collin Rose are 2016 University of Kentucky commits who play important roles in leading and motivating the team.
On Saturday, Oct 24th the Blue Devils faced off in the regional finals a rematch against Fayette County rival Paul Laurence Dunbar.
The tense game was tied 0-0 for most of the match, until sophomore Henry MacFarlan finished a brilliant game-winning goal into the back post with only five minutes left in the second half.
To improve to the championship, the team played in an action packed semifinal match against Madison Central on Thurs Oct 22nd, and recovered from a three goal deficit in the first half to win 5-4.
HC soccer has held an impressive .886 win percentage this season, along with a national ranking of 9th.
Sophomore Colby Rose played an outstanding match, in which he scored a hat-trick for the Blue Devils, hoisting them to the victory, and went on to receive MVP of the tournament.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Colby Rose said. “The win reflected our team’s motivation and fight to play hard from behind.”
The team will play their next game in the State tourney Elite 8, where they will face Perry County Central at 4pm on Oct 31st.