The Mason County Royals and Fleming County Panthers soccer groups met for the fist time this season in a preseason exhibition match on Tuesday.
Final season, the Fleming County Panthers had been on fireplace all yr lengthy. After a considerably rocky begin to the season in 2022, after their first win in opposition to Menifee County in mid August going 2-0, the Panthers solely misplaced 4 extra video games the remainder of the season.
The 61st district runners-up made all of it the best way to the second spherical of the sixteenth area event, the place their season got here to an finish in a 4-0 loss to sixteenth area champs, the Boyd County Lions.
The Royals nevertheless, weren’t so fortunate.
Mason County received simply 5 and tied three of their nineteen video games final season, two lower than their season in 2021. The Royals did advance to the tenth area event, having overwhelmed St. Pat within the semifinal spherical of the thirty eighth district, however fell to Harrison County within the district championship recreation, and didn’t advance previous the primary spherical of the area, dropping 10-0 to George Rogers Clark.
The Royals and the Panthers met final season solely as soon as, with Fleming County taking the win 2-1. In Tuesday’s exhibition match, the 2 groups basically repeated final years recreation.
Fleming County received 3-1, thanks largely to senior Logan Applegate.
Applegate scored two of the Panthers three targets, having labored exhausting to get previous the Mason County protection. Junior Parker Sills scored one other purpose for the Panthers, with this win getting Fleming County’s season heading in the right direction.
Mason County, now underneath the course of a brand new coach, coach Shane Taylor, is hoping to beat the stoop the workforce has been in since their final profitable season in 2020.
Though the Royals might not have been on the profitable facet of many video games these previous few seasons, Mason County has been placing within the work to get forward of their opponents. When Mason County has possession, the workforce is ready to rating, placing up 50 targets final season. Eight greater than the Panthers.
The Royals greatest downfall is available in permitting targets. When Mason County misplaced final yr, it was usually by upwards of three targets, an extremely troublesome deficit to make up. Coach Taylor is aware of his groups’ abilities and weaknesses, and certainly will likely be doing his greatest to get the workforce on monitor to victory.
Fleming County has accomplished their closing exhibition match, with final nights contest in opposition to the Menifee County Wildcats. The Royals and Panthers will face off once more throughout this season, on the Panthers house area on August 29 at 6:00 p.m.