By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Three Topeka High soccer players with a multi-goal games led the Trojans to a 6-1 road victory over the Seaman Vikings.
Class 6A No. 7-ranked Topeka High put together its best offensive performance of the year on Tuesday night at Seaman, with the Trojans’ six goals a season-high for most goals scored in a game.
Topeka High exchanges well-wishes with Seaman after the Trojans' 6-1 win over the Vikings Tuesday night. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Trojan strikers Jaime Alvarado, CJ Brown and Aidan Morrison all netted a pair of goals in the high-scoring affair
Alvarado scored two goals in the first half while Brown and Morrison scored High's final four goals in the second half.
“We thought going with the wind that we would be able to score some more goals in the second half,” Topeka High coach Derek Snook said. “We needed to be a team-first team today and set each up for success and I think we displayed that well in the second half. We looked for each other instead of just ourselves.”
The Trojans are currently riding the wave of a five-game winning streak. The Trojans have lost a few close games on the road this year, but on Tuesday night, Topeka High brought the fight to North Topeka.
“We’ve been using each other well with our strengths and eliminating our weaknesses,” Snook said. “We’ve been on the attack instead of the other side lately. Our defenders have been creating lanes and setting up each other well. It’s been an emphasis to get with each other and get to the goal.”
Topeka High was the aggressor right out of the gate. Just 11:02 into the first half, Morrison toe-tapped it to Alvarado for the sophomore’s first goal of the night, giving the Trojans the early 1-0 advantage.
Seaman would have its only offensive response of the night off of a gorgeous kick near the left corner of midfield. Senior defender Joseph Budge kicked a long-shot goal to the top right corner of the goalpost.
After Budge’s goal, Topeka High would run away with the game, but it wasn’t looking like that until 11 seconds left in the first half.
Topeka High would have a seismic shift in momentum when Alvarado kicked in his second goal.
Brown and Morrison’s rapid-fire goals throughout the second half made it impossible for Seaman to overcome Topeka High.
“Sometimes we get caught up in the stats, but we always seem to do a good job of coming back down to earth,” Snook said. “These guys work well together and the energy feeds off each other. We have to keep our heads straight and keep working. We can’t get complacent and maybe next time we can get our goals scored a little earlier.”
Topeka High (9-4) will play host to 501 rival Topeka West (2-9-1) Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park. Seaman (2-9-2) will have its third consecutive home game this Thursday against 6A powerhouse Washburn Rural (11-2).
TOPEKA HIGH 6, SEAMAN 1
Topeka High (9-4) – 2 4 – 6
Seaman (2-9-2) – 1 0 – 1
Goals: Topeka High – Alavarado 2, Brown 2, Morrison 2. Seaman – Budge
Assists: Topeka High – Morrison (2), Brown, Lutz.
