Wiggins' hat trick leads Sikeston to 6-1 win

FESTUS, Mo. — The Sikeston soccer team left no doubts about their resilience as they stormed to a sensational 6-1 victory at Festus on Tuesday, October 10.

Bulldogs’ (8-10) Tristan Wiggins stole the spotlight, netting a remarkable hat trick and becoming the first player since 2014 to achieve the coveted 20-goal milestone for the team.

“We played a very well-organized match in which we were able to generate 32 shots and play several players in different positions to gain experience,” said Sikeston coach Gabe Dement.

Sikeston's first goal came in an unorthodox fashion, as Festus accidentally scored on their own net with 39 minutes and 17 seconds remaining in the first half. This fortuitous start gave the Bulldogs a momentum boost, and they capitalized by scoring three more goals before halftime: Jaden Johnson scored on an assist by PJ Farmer at 36:16, and Wiggins scored on back-to-back goals on assists from Johnson and Will Sims at 25:12 and 17:47, respectively.

“We set the tone with an early goal generated from an intelligent corner kick play by Carter Grimes and Christian Parker within the first minute,” Dement said. “We maintained pressure throughout the match and came away with a comfortable win. That early corner put the ball into a dangerous spot and forced an attempted clearance by Festus that went into their own goal.”

Sikeston continued their dominance in the second half, with Wiggins and Farmer each scoring a goal off an assist by the other.

Sikeston travels to Notre Dame (10-9) on Monday, October 16.