Staff report
Salisbury’s boys soccer team, which hasn’t allowed a goal in two playoff victories, will be the third straight CCC squad Hibriten has encountered this postseason.
The league champion Hornets (16-4-1) will travel to Lenoir today to face Hibriten (20-5) in a 2A state quarterfinal match scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Salisbury has reached the Western semifinals for the first time since 2004, so this is the deepest playoff run for Tom Sexton’s senior class.Goals by Kenny Bonilla (in OT) and Paul Kollie (in the final minute of regulation) lifted the Hornets to 1-0 wins against Forest Hills and South Iredell. Senior keeper Frankie Cardelle recorded a pair of shutouts.
Hibriten, which finished second overall and first among 2A schools in the split-classification Catawba Valley Athletic Conference, advanced with victories against Lexington (6-1) and East Davidson (2-1). Jule Picton, who totaled four goals in those matches, scored twice in the final 13 minutes to help the Panthers erase a 1-0 deficit against East Davidson. His game-winner came with nine minutes remaining off a corner kick from midfielder Miguel Aguilar, who has three assists and one goal in the playoffs.Hibriten, which outshot East Davidson by a 17-3 margin, lost to 2A Patton and 3A R-S Central in its first five contests. The only losses during a current 17-3 run came against 3A conference foes Hickory (twice) and St. Stephens. The Panthers have scored 86 goals and allowed 10 during that stretch.
Two forfeits contributed to Salisbury’s 0-3 start, and the Hornets are 16-1-1 in their last 18 matches. They won 5-1 against East Davidson in September and settled for a 1-1 tie against the Golden Eagles on Oct. 6. Salisbury prevailed 4-1 and 2-0 in its meetings with Lexington.