Boys’ state soccer semifinals: Daviess County crushes Paul Laurence Dunbar

Daviess County dashed Paul Laurence Dunbar’s dreams of another soccer championship, routing the Bulldogs 5-1 in the KHSAA Boys’ State Soccer Tournament semifinals Thursday night at Bryan Station.

The Panthers’ five goals were the most by any Kentucky opponent this season versus Dunbar. The scoring margin matched the Bulldogs’ worst defeat, 4-0 to Evansville Reitz Memorial (Ind.), in an early regular-season tournament. It was only their second loss to a Kentucky school in 2016.

Coming in, Dunbar’s 18 goals allowed were the second-fewest of teams still alive in the field; the Panthers had only allowed nine.

Dunbar was in the semifinals for the sixth time in the last 12 seasons and playing for its seventh state finals trip. The Bulldogs’ four state titles are the most by any Lexington school and third most all-time.

Daviess County, ranked No. 1 in the latest Maher Rankings, nearly tripled Dunbar in shot attempts, 22-8. The Panthers scored four of their goals in the second half after taking a 1-0 halftime lead on a one-touch finish by Elliott Wells off a Graham Miller cross in the 36th minute.

“We didn’t do as well in the final third as we have been,” Coach Todd Bretz said of Dunbar’s inability to create scoring chances. “We weren’t quite as efficient. … We tried to be a little bit more aggressive in the second half and against a team that can counter-attack, like they did, we got exposed a few times. But we came to win, not to just play.”

Miller assisted on a goal by Josef Winkler to put Daviess County ahead 2-0 in the 53rd minute before Winkler assisted on a Tommy Booker goal 2 1/2 minutes later. Brian Winkler and Miller scored within two minutes of each other late in the game. Jack Rodes, a sophomore, scored Dunbar’s goal in the 76th minute.

Panthers Coach Doug Sandifer was taken aback at the final margin of victory, the third-largest in a semifinal in the last decade.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Sandifer said. “Dunbar’s a fantastic team. I didn’t in my wildest dreams think this game would be that wide of a margin at the end. I expected a 1-0, 2-1 kind of game.”

Daviess County will play for its first boys’ soccer title against the Covington Catholic-North Hardin winner on Saturday. The Panthers fell 2-0 to Henry Clay in their only previous finals trip in 2010. Their only loss this year was 1-0 against Oldham County on Sept. 2.

“This group is just a complete package of players,” Sandifer said. “There’s not a weak spot on the field.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 9:39 PM with the headline "Boys’ state soccer semifinals: Daviess County crushes Paul Laurence Dunbar."