The Wiregrass boy’s soccer team defeated the Nature Coast Sharks on Monday, winning 3-1. The Bulls were looking to keep their undefeated streak against the Sharks and they succeeded in this endeavor.

Wiregrass, coming off of a tough 3-0 loss to East Lake, proved their strength  against the visiting Sharks.

Coach Dave Wilson knew what needed to change going into this game.

“We have started trying to do the little things well and then work on the bigger things. We started the day by having the boys dress for success, in shirts and ties, with a focus on it being game day,” Wilson explained.

The first half of the game started off slow, with both teams playing very defensively and not being able to generate much offense. Wiregrass struck first with 31 minutes left in the half, scoring off an impressive bicycle kick by junior midfielder Jake Bierhorst, assisted on a cross by sophomore midfielder Adrian Maldonado.

Sophomore Justin Amis scored a header with 20 minutes left, but the goal was overturned after the refs called offsides. The remainder of the half was mainly defensive, with both teams missing scoring opportunities. Junior Jad Dagher came in the game as a substitution, and made his impact with a goal with 2:15 remaining in the half, giving the Bulls a 2-0 lead.

Nature Coast brought the game to 2-1 at the start of the second half. Junior Malcolm Lewis then missed a goal with 20 minutes left in the half, striking the ball off the post. The Bulls controlled the offense during the majority of the second half, but the Nature Coast defense was shutting down every offensive attempt. With less than a minute left, the Sharks fouled Justin Amis in the box, giving the Bulls a penalty shot. Malcolm Lewis capitalized on this chance, blazing it into the top left corner. The final score of the game was 3-1, Bulls.

This year has been different for the Bulls, compared to previous years. There are no seniors on the team this year, leaving only Juniors and underclassmen to lead the Bulls to victory.

Junior captain Jake Bierhorst has has to adapt to the role faster than most captains.

“It [being named captain] gives you a boost of confidence in some ways, but it required me to mature a lot sooner due to the seriousness thats needed out of a captain,” Bierhorst commented.

This win was big for the Bulls, as Nature Coast had only lost once coming into this game.

“It was great for team confidence. This win will help get us mentally prepared to face Palm Harbor on Friday,” said junior midfielder Noah Leonard.

The Bulls face the Palm Harbor Hurricanes (2-3) on Friday, December 6th, hoping to seek redemption from last year’s playoff loss in the regional semi-finals.