Crockett tops Cyclones behind Silva hat trick
Published 12:47 pm Friday, May 2, 2025
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Cyclone goalkeeper Tucker Taylor (84) slides to block a shot on goal by Crockett’s Diego Silva (7) early in the first half of a match at Crockett on Thursday evening. Elizabethton’s Reece Vernon (10) also defends on the play.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Thomas Lambert (4) fires a shot on goal from 13 yards out that gets by Crockett goalkeeper Bradley Gouge (00) but strikes the crossbar and ricochets up and over the net early in the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Zach Curtis (3) and Crockett’s Carlos Prado (19) get tangled as they wrestle for control of the ball on the far sideline midway through the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Cyclone goalkeeper Tucker Taylor (84) asks the head referee for clarification on a call resulting in a penalty kick for Crockett around the 34-minute mark of the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Crockett’s Diego Silva (7) scores the first of his three goals on a penalty kick that got under a diving Cyclone goalkeeper Tucker Taylor (84) at the 33:13 mark, completing a first-half hat trick.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Thomas Lambert (4) tries to save the ball with a flip kick over his head midway through the first half of Thursday’s match at Crockett. The ball was ruled out of bounds on the play and possession was awarded to the Pioneers.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Crockett goalkeeper Bradley Gouge (00) leaps to bat down a long-range pass from midfield intended for the Cyclones’ Conner Blevins (9) or Drake Teague (17) inside the box midway through the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Drake Teague (17) is called for a foul on his sliding tackle of Crockett’s Oliver Carreno-Valdez (21) late in the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Cyclone goalkeeper Tucker Taylor (84) makes a leaping fingertip save on a chip shot from close range late in the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Zach Curtis (3) just misses a header toward the goal as time expires in the first half.
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Star Correspondent
JONESBOROUGH – In the season finale for the Elizabethton boys soccer squad, in a return visit to Crockett Stadium — where the Cyclones pulled off a 3-1 victory April 12 — the results Thursday were very different.
Pioneers striker Diego Silva scored a four-goal hat trick as David Crockett defeated the Cyclones 5-2.
“We won the second half,” Cyclones head coach Doug Schulz said. “In the first half we tried sending long balls, which was just giving the ball away and giving them scoring chances. In the second half we played much smarter. We just have to play with confidence. I think we are every bit as good as they are; we just have to believe it.”
In the first half, Silva was a one-man wrecking crew as he scored in the seventh minute on a shot that beat Cyclones goalkeeper Tucker Taylor low and to his left. In the 22nd minute, Silva fired a left-footed blast from a severe angle deep in the penalty area that found the net and gave Crockett a 2-nil advantage.
Silva was not finished, however, as he captured his hat trick in the 24th minute when the Cyclones’ backline failed to clear the ball in the penalty area and Silva pounced on the loose ball for a 3-nil Pioneers lead.
Noah Eaves scored on a penalty kick in the 36th minute to stake the Pioneers to a 4-nil halftime advantage.
The Cyclones (6-6-3, 2-3-2 conference) opened the second half strong as they moved the ball quickly upfield, delivering short, crisp passes to where junior Drake Teague got EHS on the board with a strike that caught Crockett keeper Bradley Gouge flat-footed and made it a 4-1 contest.
Silva struck again in the 53rd minute on a breakaway that looked offside, and his initial shot was turned away on a nice save by Taylor, who failed to corral the rebound, and Silva drove it home for a 5-1 advantage.
“We should never let him be that open,” Schulz said. “But we make no excuses. He is a real good player. I think we played a little scared in the first half. We will be back here or at Tennessee High to open the district, and we look for a different result.”
Junior Reece Vernon scored on a penalty kick in the 78th minute to close out the scoring in this match.
David Crockett 5, Elizabethton 2
Elizabethton 0 2 — 2
David Crockett 4 1 — 5
Scoring summary
DC – Silva (unassisted) 7:00
DC – Silva (unassisted) 22:00
DC – Silva (unassisted) 24:00
DC – Eaves (PK) 36:00
Second half
E – Teague (unassisted) 41:00
DC – Silva (unassisted) 53:00
E – Vernon (PK) 78:00
