Hornets Lose Tough One to SoBoCo

The Fulton Hornets lost a frustrating match to the SoBoCo Eagles on a rain-soaked field in Ashland on Wednesday night. Despite their enjoying the majority of possession and creating numerous chances to score, it was the Eagles who came away with the victory with a goal against the run of play.

Despite the loss, it was a better performance for the Hornets as they seem to have recovered their soccer skills (and brains) after a dismal outing Tuesday night in Jefferson City. The Hornets managed the narrow field (played in the confines of the SoBoCo football stadium) relatively well as they were able to comfortably pass the ball around the field. Unfortunately for the Hornets, they let their guard down shortly before the end of the 1st half. In the 31st minute, the Eagles took a throw-in deep in Fulton territory. A seemingly-unconcerned Fulton defense applied little pressure and the Eagles were able to play the ball into the melee in front of the Fulton goal. The lightly marked E.C. Duckworth used his height to full advantage and headed the ball across the line.

In the second half the Fulton Hornets pressed for the equalizer, bringing Morgan Milligan from his defensive position up to forward. Despite the added scoring threat, the Hornets were unable to secure the tying goal. With the loss, the Hornets drop to 3-2.

In the Junior Varsity game, the Hornets again found themselves trailing, despite dominating possession for much of the match. When the Hornets failed to clear the ball in the second half, the Eagles found an unmarked player in the box who calmly volleyed the shot past freshman keeper Daniel Lair. However, the Hornets continued to press forward and in the dying seconds of the match junior forward Cruz Gomez proved the hero when he leveled the match from close range. The junior varsity remain undefeated with a record of 3-0-1.

The varsity team has the opportunity to return to their winning ways this Friday when they take on hosts Parkview in the Parkview Viking Invitational in Springfield. The Hornets will play two additional games on Saturday as part of the tourney.

Hornets Fall to Jefferson City Jays, 1-0

It was an anemic offensive display from the Fulton Hornets as they traveled to Jefferson City to take on the Jays. The score of 1-0 was flattering to the Hornets as the Jays dictated the action throughout the match. The Hornets struggled to maintain possession as pass after pass went awry. The result was a match played mostly in Fulton's defensive end as the Jays created numerous scoring chances.

The one bright spot for the Hornets was the play of the defense as they heroically kept the Jays off the board in the first half. In the opening minutes, defender Nick Heimericks' sliding clearance denied the Jays the early lead when he hooked away a slow roller bound for the net. The rest of the half was fairly dismal for the Hornets as the offense proved unable to surmount the Jays' defense and mount anything but a token challenge on the Jay's goal. Junior Darren Jones' half chance from the edge of the box was the only Fulton shot of the half.

In the second half the constant pressure from the Jays and continued sloppy play from the Hornets proved too much as the Jays struck for the only goal of the match. Jefferson City freshman forward Aaron Crane found himself in acres of space on the right-hand side and he made no mistake on the finish as he approached goal. His right-footed shot struck the inside of the far post and across the goal line to give the Jays a deserved 1-0 lead.

The Hornets responded by making some adjustments in the midfield to generate greater possession, but it was to no avail as the possession in the final third proved to be too elusive. While the effort from the Hornets was laudable, it was ultimately for naught as the class 3A Jays proved the superior team Tuesday night.

Fulton takes a 3-1 record to Ashland on Wednesday evening to take on the SoBoCo Eagles.

Fulton Takes Winning Streak on the Road

Fulton Midfielder Darren Jones came up big on Tuesday with the game winner against Boonville.

The Fulton Hornets went on the road for the first time this season on Tuesday and brought home two well-earned victories against the Boonville Pirates. The JV cruised to a 7-0 victory to remain undefeated, while the varsity squad fought off a tough first-half challenge from the Boonville Pirates to earn a 4-1 win to also keep a perfect record.

It was a tale of two halves for the varsity match. Despite Fulton having the majority of possession for the opening minutes of the game, it was the Pirates who struck first. A well-organized and motivated Boonville squad caught the Hornets napping and struck early for a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute. A looping shot from outside the box caught keeper Dan McClure just slightly off his line and squeezed under the crossbar. Their confidence shaken, the Fulton players struggled to maintain both their composure and possession of the ball. Fulton was fortunate not to go down by 2 goals when Boonville struck a shot off the crossbar midway through the half.

As it became clear that Boonville was not simply going to hand over a victory, the Fulton players slowly responded to the challenge. As the quality of the Fulton squad began to show, the Hornets began to mount more serious challenges on the Boonville goal. The speculative efforts from distance gave way to more dangerous opportunities in the box. In the 30th minute the effort paid off. A Boonville foul on the right side of the box resulted in a Fulton freekick. Midfielder Jake Pierce floated a cross into the six-yard box. The keeper fanned it and the ball bounced to Fulton defender Nick Heimericks, who from an acute angle was able to head the ball across the line to level the score at 1-1.

A more confident Fulton team emerged for the second half and played energetic soccer to take control of the match. With the defense and midfield clamping off supply to the Pirate attackers, the game was played on the Hornets' terms. The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Sam Mayne -- pressed into service as a forward -- used his ball winning skills to head a 50-50 ball into space on the left side. Junior Darren Jones took the opportunity as he dashed onto the ball and chipped past the onrushing keeper. The celebration had scarcely ended when the Hornets scored again in the 54th minute. Forward Zach Thomas cleverly laid off a cross from Jakob Hull to feed Pierce who hammered the ball past the keeper from 11 yards out. Pierce added to his tally a minute later with a leaping header that redirected a free kick from Heimericks into goal. The keeper made an effort to clear the danger but got caught in no-man's land with the service perfectly placed between the Boonville backline and the goal.

As expected, the explosion of goals (three in four minutes) put a damper on the spirits of the hosts, but there was still work to be done to finish out the game. Fulton keeper McClure was called upon to make a key save with 10 minutes remaining to preserve the three goal cushion. While the goal scorers and assistmen receive their just accolades, much credit for the victory goes to the excellent play from sophomores Brian McCarty and Ben Kucera, who along with freshman Trevor Neal, harrassed their Boonville opponents throughout the game with their tireless work-rate and solid passing.

In the junior varsity match, the Hornets quickly put their stamp on the match. Several near misses by the Fulton attack gave an early indication of what was to come. In the 5th minute freshman Aaron Arms put forward Chancellor Ameyaw in on goal. Ameyaw dribbled and fired from close range to give the Hornets the 1-0 lead. Their appetites whetted, the Fulton players created chance after chance on goal.

It was senior keeper Dan McClure -- playing on the field for the first time this season -- who took greatest advantage of the opportunities. Using his lethal left foot, McClure scored the hat-trick with a goal in the 9th minute and two goals in the second half. The first came off a nice through ball from freshman midfielder Jonathan Perry that McClure rifled into the lower right corner of the goal from 16 yards out. In the second half McClure added two more in the span of 30 seconds. The first came in the 30th minute when Ameyaw found McClure making a slashing run into the box. A quick touch to settle left McClure with an easy pass into goal. No sooner had play resumed then McClure again found himself alone with the keeper. From the left touchline Hull found a seam in the Boonville defense. The pass split three Boonville defenders and McClure made no mistake on the finish as he shot low and hard to the left-hand side.

The Hornets' offense also received contributions from:

- Jones, who curled a left-footed freekick around the wall in the 11th minute to beat the keeper;

- Steven Maddox, whose shot in the 24th minutes produced a soft goal. The shot had pace, but was straight at the keeper. Unfortunately for him, a hand was not enough to stop the shot as it rolled agonizingly over the goal line; and,

- Thomas, who rounded off the scoring, thanks to a stellar pass from Kucera, which allowed Thomas to walk in for the easy finish to the right-hand corner.

Although rarely tested throughout the match, the Fulton defenders earned their third shut-out. The junior varsity now have an impressive plus 21 goal differential.

The Fulton squads resume action on Thursday night when they host conference foe Marshall @ 5:30.

Hornets Coast to Victory Against Montgomery County

The JV game in a microcosm: the Fulton Hornets soared above the Montgomery County Wildcats on Monday night. Jonathan Perry, Brian McCarty, and Trevor Neal prepare for the arrival of the Hornet's corner kick.

In the varsity match "Coach" Seelinger surveys the action as Coach Milligan relaxes. Midfielder Jakob Hull is in the foreground.

It was an embarrassment of riches Monday evening as both Fulton squads posted impressive victories against Montgomery County. The JV squad won by a gaudy 13-0 in the first match and the varsity put up 10 before the mercy rule ended the game.

In the varsity match Montgomery County played bravely and were unlucky not to put up two goals of their own with a shot that struck the crossbar (and that by the slimmest of margins stayed out of the goal) as well as a narrowly-missed breakaway. Nevertheless, it was the Fulton boys that dictated the action on the field.

Defender Nick Heimericks came forward on several deadball situations, which twice paid dividends in the first half. In the 12th minute, Jake Pierce unleashed a hard freekick which the keeper spilled. Heimericks pounced on the loose ball and left-footed the ball into the roof of the net. Heimericks also scored the last goal of the half, heading in a freekick from Chad Davis in the 34th minute. The curving inswinger found Heimericks on the back post and he made no mistake about the finish.

Between the two Heimericks' goals, several other Fulton players joined in the action. In the 17th minute, Pierce played a through ball to break the Montgomery County offside trap. The pass put Davis alone on goal and he curled his shot away from the keeper with his left foot to make the score 2-0.

Six minutes later freshman forward Trevor Neal took a pass down the left wing and after cutting the ball back, found Pierce just inside the box. With a quick turn, his measured shot curled into the side netting on the right to put the Hornets up by 3 goals. Pierce added to his tally moments later when a cross from Zach Thomas was cleverly left by Peter Plakorus to a wide open Pierce, who volleyed from 12 yards out to make the score 4-0.

Fulton scored again from the right side as sophomore midfielder Ben Kucera got into the scoring. A defensive miscue from the Montgomery County keeper saw Kucera's powerful shot from outside the box deflect in for his first varsity goal.

Coming out of the halftime break with a 6-0 lead, the Hornets went right back to work. In the 48th minute, sophomore Jakob Hull carried the ball from a deep lying midfield position to the top of the penalty area. An attempted block by a Montgomery County defender had the opposite result as the deflected shot left the keeper stranded as the ball looped into the opposite side of the goal.

Two more goals in quick succession put the Hornets up 9-0. Fifteen seconds after Hull's goal, Plakorus again played provider with a quick lateral pass to Zach Thomas who finished easily from inside the box. Plakorus himself scored scarcely more than a minute later off the corner from Darren Jones.

With the outcome certain, the Hornets methodically worked the ball around the field for a good fifteen minutes before ending the game on a solid goal from Thomas again. Thomas took a pass from Neal, turned, and fired into the left corner to end the game on the mercy rule in the 65th minute.

In the Junior Varsity game, the Hornets scored early and often with 10 players getting into the scoring column. Jakob Hull opened the onslaught in the 3rd minute and Zach Thomas added two goals in 2 minutes (the second on a nice assist from freshman Aaron Arms) to make the score 3-0 halfway through the first period. Darren Jones then put back a rebound off a shot from Peter Plakorus to make in 4-0 before Sam Mayne closed out the scoring in the first half with two goals from close range.

In the second half, it was more of the same. With the Hornets dominating possession, the game was played in Montgomery County's half. Sophomore defender Scott Strough moved up into the midfield and quickly took advantage of the more attacking role by sending in a curling shot from the edge of the box that beat the keeper. Plakorus then added a long-range goal from distance that dropped over the keeper to make the score 8-0. Sophomore defender Cody Pae then added two more within two minutes to make the score 10-0. Brian McCarty, Steven Maddox, and Jonathan Perry rounded off the scoring.

The Hornets return to action next Tuesday when they go on the road to play the Boonville Pirates.

Fulton Hornets Open Season With 6-0 Win Over Chillicothe

The Fulton High School boys soccer team opened their season with a powerful performance as they defeated the visiting Chillicothe Hornets on Saturday 6-0. Employing a game of close ball possession and well-timed through balls, the Fulton boys cut the visitors' defense apart in the opening half and surged to a 5-0 lead at halftime.

Midfielder Jake Pierce opened the scoring in the 7th minute by pressuring the outlet pass from the Chillicothe keeper. Pierce went to goal after stealing the ball from the defender and -- in marked contrast to his booming kick in Friday night's football game -- calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing goalie from the top of the penalty area.

The Hornets doubled their lead 5 minutes later on a beautiful diving header from defender Morgan Milligan. The play was set up by an intelligently taken free kick from forward Peter Plakorus. After being fouled in the midfield, Plakorus saw Milligan making a run behind the Chillicothe defense and dropped an accurate ball that Milligan dove to meet with a powerful header past the helpless keeper.

Minutes later the Hornets scored again as Plakorus found the speedy Zach Thomas on a through ball. Coming in on the left of the box, Thomas cut the ball to his favored right foot and fought off the challenge of both defender and keeper to put the Hornets up 3-0.

With the Hornets' back line ably controlling their opponents, Milligan was able to take a more advanced role in the midfield, which soon paid dividends. In the 31st minute Milligan delivered the first of his two assists in the game. A ball into space found midfielder Jakob Hull with a clear path to goal. Hull's powerful shot from the top of the box went over the keeper's outstretched arms and just inches under the bottom of the bar. A similar result came in the 35th minute when Milligan played a ball over the Chillicothe defense into the path of junior Chad Davis. He calmly played the ball over the challenging keeper and then finished his chance with a cursory header to put the Hornets up 5-0.

In the second half, the Hornets completed the scoring with an impressive corner kick in the 61st minute. Plakorus drove a ball to the back post, which Thomas rose (seemingly in violation of the law of gravity) to meet with a decisive header into goal.

While they would continue to torment the visitors the remainder of the half, the Hornets were content to play out the game to earn the victory. Much credit goes to the defense, who made senior goalkeeper Dan McClure's day an easy one. Nick Heimericks, Scott Strough, and Steven Maddox were ably joined by Sam Mayne and Luke Nigus in shutting down the Chillicothe attack.

The solid passing of the defense allowed the Fulton midfield to maintain a very attacking posture. Timely substitutions -- Brian McCarty and Ben Kucera maintained the high level of the starting trio of Pierce, Hull, and Darren Jones -- allowed the Hornets to control possession for the majority of the game.

In the junior varsity game, there was a similar cast of characters as many of the varsity players are doing double duty due to the small squad this year. Joined by freshmen Daniel Lair, Jonathan Perry, and Aaron Arms and sophomore Cody Pae, the team began quickly. Freshman Trevor Neal opened his high school scoring account in the 3rd minute with a thundering volley from a corner kick delivered by Zach Thomas. While the Hornets had several other chances to increase their lead, they failed to connect. On the opposite end, Nick Heimericks kept the clean sheet for the 1-0 victory.

The Hornets will host Montgomery County on Monday at 5:00.

Thursday, July 1

Today was a relatively easy day because of 7 v 7 last night and Pride tryouts this evening.

Warm-up

A version of Gaelic football (15 minutes)

Samson stretch

Metcon WOD

We ran down Bus. 54 to 10th St. (to see what Nick was up to) through the William Woods' campus and up to Industrial and back to the high school. Total distance: 3.5 miles.

Soccer

Futsal

Wednesday, June 30

Warm-up

Full court basketball (20 minutes)

Metcon WOD

200 push-ups

Go to failure. When you can't do another push-up, run a down-and-back and do 10 situps. Resume push-ups. Continue until you complete 200. For time.

(It took between 14 and 20 minutes.)

Soccer

Futsal