By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Ian Bryan torched the Lamar County defense for three goals to help the Callaway Cavaliers capture a 4-2 victory in a Region 5-AA soccer showdown on Tuesday night.

The Cavaliers improved to 6-1 in the region, and if they beat the Temple Tigers today at home, they’ll finish tied for first place.

Lamar County will be the region’s top seed for the state playoffs because it has the goal-differential advantage in the two games with Callaway.

Callaway will be the region’s number two seed, and it will be at home for the opening round of the state playoffs.

The Cavaliers came into Tuesday’s game knowing they needed to win by at least four goals to earn the top seed.

Callaway got the four goals it needed, but Lamar County scored two goals of its own to make sure it locked down the region’s top spot.

“We were going to be the aggressors,” Callaway head coach Mike Petite said. “We were going to be on the attack. Because a loss doesn’t hurt us. We can’t be hurt by losing, we can only be helped by winning.”

Still, it was an impressive showing for Callaway, which lost 4-0 at Lamar County on March 2.

“I couldn’t be prouder of how we played,” Petite said. “We made a couple of mistakes, and they capitalized on them, but we scored goals, we were on the attack. That’s how we have to play all the time.”

Lamar County got a goal with 29:41 remaining in the game to tie it at 2-2, but Tavian Smiley scored five minutes later to give Callaway the lead.

Two minutes later, Bryan scored his third and final goal to cap the scoring, and goal keeper Josh Cooprider made some nice saves down the stretch.

Lamar County scored the first goal a little more than 10 minutes into the game, and it remained 1-0 until late in the half.

After Lamar County was called for a foul in the box, Callaway was awarded a penalty kick.

Bryan successfully converted the penalty kick, and the game was tied 1-1, which was the score at the half.

Less than five minutes into the second half, Bryan scored on an assist from Hunter Lee, and Callaway led 2-1.

With 29:41 left, Lamar County came through with the tying goal, but Callaway hung tough and scored the final two goals.

In Tuesday’s girls’ game, Lamar County scored three goals in the first half, and it added another goal in the second half on the way to a 4-0 victory.

Madison Fortner scored three goals to lead Callaway.

Callaway fell to 5-2 in the region, and it will finish second no matter what happens with today’s region finale against visiting Temple.

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