On Thursday evening, rivalries were renewed as the McCracken County Mustangs played host to the Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado, the first meeting of the season between the two. Coming into Thursday’s action, the Mustangs have seen an uncharacteristically slow start to the year, holding a record of one win, two draws, and two losses. The Tornado also came into the clash looking to snap skid of their own, holding a record of 1-3, aiming to bounce back from a loss to Calloway County their last time out.
After 80 minutes, McCracken walked away with a much-needed win, as a flurry of first half offense powered the Mustangs towards a comfortable 5-0 victory on their home turf.
“We’ll take whatever win we can get, you look at our schedule so far, and already we’ve faced a lot of really good teams,” McCracken County head coach Mike Wiersema said. “These guys have really competed this year, they did tonight and I’m proud of that, and hopefully we can keep making progress.”
Five different Mustangs found the back of the net on the evening, as Lenny Garcia, Julian Warfield, Mason Atnip, Dawson Beyers, and Grant Seaton each recorded a goal. Junior goalkeeper Lane Grace got the start between the sticks for McCracken, keeping a clean sheet as the Mustangs completed their third shutout of the young season.
After spells of possession for Tilghman following kickoff, McCracken began to sway the early momentum, pressing deep into Tilghman’s half. After a handful of opportunities went by the wayside, the Mustangs broke through after eight minutes, with Lenny Garcia finishing from close range after finding the end of a centered pass from out wide.
The Mustangs continued to press as half rolled past the 10-minute mark, with Garcia narrowly losing a footrace to the ball against Tilghman keeper Braden Talbert on two occasions. Julian Warfield managed to get a head on the ball off a corner, finding the back of the net past an off-balance Talbert, doubling the McCracken advantage as the Mustangs led 2-0 with 27:29 to play in the half.
McCracken’s dominance continued, as seven minutes later the Mustangs struck again from a set piece, with Mason Atnip curling in a long-range free kick to extend the lead, as the hosts held a three-goal advantage midway through the half. Following McCracken’s productive stretch, Tilghman slowed the pace, settling back into the half and creating chances of their own. Down the stretch in the first, opportunities for either side came up empty, as the score held at 3-0 after the first forty.
To open the second half, the Mustangs pinned Tilghman in their own end straight away, leading to a quick corner. After an initial header wouldn’t go, Dawson Beyers got a foot to the loose ball in close, finishing the chance to put the Mustangs on top, 4-0, less than a minute into the second half.
Following the quick strike, play evened out, with the Tornado creating attacking opportunities, but ultimately were unable to break through as the half passed the midway point. The final goal of the evening, came with 5:40 left on the clock, as Grant Seaton stormed through the Tilghman back line, weaving through two defenders before firing home the Mustang’s fifth goal of the evening. From there, McCracken cruised through the final five minutes, putting the final touches on a 5-0 victory.
“I thought we moved the ball really well in the first half, and parts of the second half as well. We did what we needed to do, got everyone involved in the game, and it was just a good night for us,” Wiersema said. “If we can keep moving the ball, we’ll be able to create plenty of chances, and that’s a big deal for us. Getting the shutout was important, too. It starts from there, and we’ll build from that.”
Looking ahead for the Mustangs, they next take the field on Saturday morning, hoping to build some momentum when they match up against Warren Central. As for Tilghman, the Tornado look to get back to winning ways next week, as they’re set to take on St. Mary on the road this coming Monday night.