McCracken County’s boys soccer team had their ‘breakout game’ offensively that they were looking for in the early stages of the season, with a dominant 8-0 victory over the Mayfield Cardinals.
At the helm of half the Mustangs’ goals was junior Williams O’Neill. After transferring over from St. Mary for this new school year, O’Neill has made a strong impact for the Mustangs on the soccer field. He shone offensively on Monday with four shots that hit the back of the net.
“It was a lot of fun tonight. I didn’t expect myself to score four goals,” O’Neill said following the game. “Coming from St. Mary, that doesn’t happen too often. Usually, it’s us on the other side of the scoreboard. But tonight was a lot of fun. I thought we played well.”
The transition into a new school can be tough for any kid, but a team sport like soccer, and the fact that he’s played on a club team with a chunk of guys at McCracken already, has eased the change into his junior year.
“It’s been good. It’s been really good. I’ve known these guys for a long time. We’ve had really good chemistry and work well with each other. We play well together.”
Head coach Michael Wiersema had high praise for the junior and credited him with how well he has adapted in his new environment.
“He’s been great. He’s a great kid first of all, and he just fit in with these guys from day one,” Wiersema said about William’s impact this season. “He plays club with them also, so they’ve known each other for forever, so it’s been seamless.”
Along with O’Neill, senior Mason Atnip had another two-goal performance in this contest, both coming in the first half. Grey Vessels scored the other first-half goal, and both teams took a break at the midpoint with McCracken up 7-0.
Nine minutes into the second half, Kaden McKenzie put the game on ice after beating the defender and putting one in to enact the mercy rule, with the final score ending at 8-0.
The 2-1-2 Mustangs will play again Tuesday, this time on the road against familiar district rival Paducah Tilghman. That game is slated for 7 p.m. Mayfield, now 1-2, takes the rest of the week off and will regroup Saturday on the road at Vienna, Illinois, at 11 a.m.