The Hickman boys soccer team is not done yet.
The Kewpies advanced to the Class 3 state semifinals with a 1-0 win over Kickapoo in quarterfinal play Saturday in Waynesville.
Hickman’s journey began on Halloween, when it won its first of three games in a district tournament where it was the fourth out of five seeds. It continued when junior *Brian Willcox kicked in senior Taylor Cox’s corner-kick pass with less than two minutes remaining in the quarterfinals Saturday afternoon.
Coach Adam Taylor described himself as ecstatic.
“As a coach there’s not a much better time to score,” Taylor said. “Getting it in that last minute and a half, all we had to do was kill a minute and a half. It was perfect.”
Taylor said his team was outplayed in the first half. But after adjusting at halftime, the Kewpies took control and produced eight second-half shots on goal compared to one for Kickapoo.
As Cox stepped up to take the corner, he made an effort not to let the ball float too far from the goal. He said he hadn’t been giving his team a chance to score in the previous postseason games. He was shocked as he saw the ball hit net.
“I stared at the clock and couldn’t believe it,” Cox said. “Brian came and we celebrated.”
Hickman now turns its attention to Christian Brothers College High School, which defeated Vianney 2-1 in two overtimes in it's quarterfinal game. The two teams will meet at 5 p.m. Friday in Fenton. Taylor said he is glad the Kewpies have the full week to prepare for CBC, which he said is the top-ranked team in the state.
“Just because their jerseys say CBC doesn’t mean they’re ripe for the finals,” Taylor said. “We wouldn’t have made it this far if we weren’t a good team.”