By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Goalkeeping dilemmas aside, the Sylvan Hills Bears picked up a 5A-Southeast Conference victory over 5A-Southeast Conference rival North Pulaski in an 8-3 shootout at Falcon Stadium on Tuesday.
Starting goalkeeper Devin Pearson, who is also the starting post player for the Bears’ basketball team, was away practicing for an all-star basketball game.
Backup David Johnson was also out for basketball reasons — a sprained ankle he suffered while playing in a pickup game at school earlier in the week. Johnson attempted to start but gave up an early goal to North Pulaski forward LeVander McGinnis because of his limited mobility.
That led the Bears to put Jake Norris in front of the goal. Norris gave up two second-half scores, but both came after the Bears had the game in hand.
“He did well,” Sylvan Hills coach Sam Persson said. “It’s not easy to come into a game 10 minutes in, especially being down a goal.”
Nate Clark led the scoring for Sylvan Hills with four goals, including his first to tie the game at the 30-minute mark of the first half.
Clark scored again on a corner kick five minutes later to put the Bears up 2-1.
Noah Peters closed out the half for the Bears with a breakaway goal that gave them a 3-1 lead heading into halftime.
Clark struck again to start the second half, giving the Bears a 4-1 lead.
But the Falcons made it close briefly with two straight goals but they scored on themselves thanks to a breakdown in the defensive backfield that gave Sylvan Hills a 5-3 lead.
A hat trick wasn’t enough for Clark, who scored his fourth and final goal midway through the second half.
“He is a tremendous athlete,” Persson said. “He started playing for us last year. He’s starting to have a good understanding of how to communicate with Jeremiah Persson.
“He’s so much faster than basically anybody we play against. Once he gets back behind a defense, they have a hard time stopping him.”
North Pulaski coach Raymond Cooper, who also doubles as the boys basketball coach, was not available for comment.
It is Cooper’s first year to serve as the Falcons’ soccer coach.
Forward Edwin Smith scored when the ball ricocheted off North Pulaski’s goalkeeper to set him up for the easy kick.
Midfielder Brandon Shermo set the final margin when he scored on a right-side breakaway in the final five minutes.
The Falcons controlled things early, including McGinnis’ early goal.
Trevor Lear had a chance to add to North Pulaski’s lead in the ninth minute with a corner-kick attempt, but Johnson finally secured the ball for Sylvan Hills to put an end to the scoring threat.
Jeremiah Persson got things headed in the Bears’ direction when he took a shot on goal from the left side in the 15th minute.
