SEYMOUR, Ind. – Freshman Aidan Whitley produced a hat trick Tuesday evening (Sept. 29), keying the Columbus North boys soccer team to a 5-1 victory at Seymour.

                Junior Nathan White added two goals and an assist for the Bull Dogs, who completed their regular season with a 6-5-4 record. Senior Sam Larken and freshman Ian Jackson also each tallied an assist for the visitors.

                Senior Colvin Iorio played the full 80 minutes in the nets, making two saves.

                Junior Donovyn Thomas scored for the host Owls, who dropped to 5-7-2.

                White gave Columbus North an early lead when he converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute after sophomore teammate Mateo Mendez was fouled in the penalty area.

                Whitley scored was proved to be the decisive goal in the 20th minute, bending a free kick from 23 yards out over a Seymour four-player and into the upper left corner of the net.

                White made it 3-1 in the 22nd minute when he finished a play that Larken began. Larken floated a pass from 35 yards out, and White one-touched it into the net from 8 yards away.

                Thomas gave the Owls some life just before intermission, gathering a free kick and scoring from close range in the 38th minute.

                Whitley completed his hat trick in the second half. First, he scored on a 33-yard floater in the 49th minute. Not long after, Jackson served up a corner kick, which White headed across and Whitley then finished into the net.

                For the game, Columbus North totaled 28 shots and 16 shots on goal. Seymour countered with six shots and three shots on goal.

                At the JV level, sophomore Trent Liggett scored a first-half unassisted goal to lift the Bull Dogs to a 1-0 triumph. Sophomore Lukas Iorio and freshman Christopher Perez each played one half in goal as the Columbus North JV completed its season with a 7-5-3 record. Both goalkeepers made two saves in sharing the shutout.

                Columbus North returns to action next Tuesday (Oct. 6) when it faces Jennings County in the first round of the Seymour Sectional. Floyd Central meets Seymour in a first-round game on Monday (Oct. 5), while New Albany plays Columbus East in the second game on Tuesday. The sectional semifinals are Wednesday (Oct. 7) – Jeffersonville against Monday’s winner in Game 1 and the Tuesday winners in Game 2.

AT SEYMOUR

Columbus North …….…. 3   2 – 5

Seymour …………………… 1   0 – 1

                CN – Nathan White (unassisted), 4th minute

                CN – Aidan Whitley (unassisted), 20th minute

                CN – Nathan White (Sam Larken), 22nd minute

                S – Donovyn Thomas (assist NA), 38th minute

                CN – Aidan Whitley (unassisted), 49th minute

                CN – Aidan Whitley (Nathan White, Ian Jackson), 52nd minute

                PHOTO: Freshman Aidan Whitley (21) challenges a Seymour player for the ball on Sept. 29, 2020. Whitley scored three goals as the Bull Dogs won 5-1.