Davis nets hat trick in Wilson's win over Page

FISHERSVILLE — Wilson Memorial’s Grant Davis scored three goals and an assist as the Green Hornets rode seven first-half goals to a 9-1 victory over Page County on Tuesday in Shenandoah District boys soccer action.

The Green Hornets scored five goals in the first 20 minutes and outshot the Panthers 24-0 in the first half to open the match wide open.

Wilson was led offensively by the goal-scoring combination of Josh Miller and Davis. After Wilson opened the game on a goal by Miller, Davis crashed the net but watched his first opportunity drill off the crossbar and out.

Davis continued to pressure the Panthers defense and before long he put home his first goal of the evening off an assist from Sam Bowman. It would only take a few more minutes for Davis to be right back at it again. Davis received a pass from Jesse Myers from the corner and, a couple of seconds later, the Panthers’ keeper was digging the ball out of the back of the net.

Wilson head coach Kyle Congleton was pleased with some of the passes as well as the play of Davis and Miller.

“Passing has really been the key to our game. Some of these guys have been playing together for a while and they make great combinations,” Congleton said. “Grant [Davis] and Josh [Miller] have made a really good combo together. Grant knows where to be at all times and he has been a lot faster than we ever expected him to be, and that is just a tribute to his effort during training.”

Davis said his time working with Miller has really helped improve his game as well as the team’s play.

“Josh and I have been playing really well together up front. We are really starting click and I think the more we have been playing together the better we have become,” Davis said. “We didn’t really play that much together last year so for this to be our first season working together we are doing really well.”

Wilson (7-0-2, 3-0-1 Shenandoah) continued to put the pressure on the inexperienced Panthers. Chris Doll, Hunter Gallimore, Wil Hall and Jesse Myers added goals for the Hornets in the first half as Wilson took a 7-0 in the first 40.

Congleton switched some things up throughout the game pulling some of his defenders up, and gave some of the junior varsity players time to play.

“It was nice being able to bring up some of the JV players and give them some exposure to the varsity level,” Congleton said. “When you play teams like this it really gives you a chance to work on some of your tactics as well as give them some opportunities. We made some changes, but I didn’t want to move everyone around because there was still things I wanted them to work on out there.”

The Panthers finally got on the board early in the second half when a loose ball in the box was knocked past the keeper, but the Hornets would not give the Panthers another opportunity.

Davis put home his third goal of the contest in the 65th minute, and later assisted on Gallimore’s second goal of the game as the Hornets pulled away from the Panthers remaining unbeaten.

Up next for Wilson is a first-place battle at Stonewall Jackson on Tuesday. The rest of next week doesn’t get any easier with Riverheads looming after the battle with the Generals.

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