Indians oust Hillsboro 5-0

~ Jackson peppered the Hawks goalkeeper in advancing to tonight's championship game.

Jackson missed wide left twice, wide right once and the goalie made a stellar diving save on another scoring chance.

That was in a six-minute span before the midway point of the first half Monday night.

The Indians finally broke through when Spencer McCormack found the back of the net midway through the first half. The offense didn't cool off as Jackson knocked off Hillsboro 5-0 in their Class 3 District 1 semifinal at Central.

"We came out and did what we're capable of doing tonight and started things off right," Jackson coach Zack Walton said. "We started playing the ball to each other's feet and had a lot of really good opportunities down there. That was one of our big things, we wanted to make sure we came out tonight and played at our level and not someone else's."

Jackson's scoring opportunities came at point-blank range, but the Indians couldn't get the shots on goal. Walton said he wasn't worried about his players getting frustrated in the early going.

"As long as we're getting good opportunities, I don't think they're getting too frustrated yet," Walton said. "I'm sure they're disappointed they didn't score a couple right off the bat. But frustration really wouldn't have set in until the second half if we hadn't scored."

McCormack finished with two goals, scoring the team's third goal in the opening half. On his second goal, he delivered a laser from outside the box that tore into the back of the net to push the Indians' lead to 3-0.

"We were running to the right place at the right time," he said. "When you get that first goal, the other team goes down and you go up. You've got the momentum."

Matt Mueller assisted on McCormack's first goal then added two goals on his own. Mueller's second goal came less than a minute after Brian Davidson missed his fourth golden scoring chance in close. Andrew Lysell added the other goal for the Indians.

In order to repeat as district champions, the Indians will need to take care of their rival, Central. The two teams split their games during the regular season, with the Tigers earning the 1-0 victory Sept. 18 and the Indians taking the 2-0 win Oct. 11. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Central.

"We need to capitalize tomorrow, keep focused and keep it up," Mueller said.

Jackson beat Poplar Bluff for the district crown last season, whereas this year it will take a victory against the rival Tigers.

"It just makes it all the sweeter," McCormack said.