BOGUE CHITTO — Aiden Wallace netted a hat trick for the Wesson Cobras to defeat Bogue Chitto 5-2 on senior night Tuesday. It was a crucial win as Wesson secured a playoff spot and is now playing for seeding in the next three district games. 

Wesson took the lead first in the MHSAA Class 1 Region 7 District Match when Gavin Sandifer chipped a ball over Bogue Chitto’s keeper 19 minutes into the first half. Wallace scored his first goal of the evening by steering in a rebound off of a free kick just four minutes later. 

Bogue Chitto senior Andrew Merrell pulled Bogue Chitto back into the game by slotting a penalty shot home in the second half with 29 minutes left to play. The goal gave the Bobcats a lifeline to cling onto. 

Wallace responded by scoring a goal to add to Wesson’s lead just two minutes later. Merrell scored Bogue Chitto’s second goal of the match just four minutes later on a beautiful shot into the bottom left corner. Wallace responded with a goal of his own to complete the hat trick followed by Slade Oberschmidt scoring the fifth and final goal for Wesson. 

“It was fun to score a hat trick. It is hard to judge the ball and I finally got it down. It took hard work and practice to be able to judge the ball better,” Wallace said. “I have gotten a feel for how to time up my shots perfectly. It is fun this year. We want to go deeper into the playoffs than we have before.” 

It was an impressive win for Wesson on the road. Players had to sit through 20 minutes of overtime and a penalty shootout for the girls game before taking the pitch. Wallace said he went out and dribbled on the baseball field to warm up. 

He spent the overtime and penalty shootout under a blanket with a heater to stay warmed up. Wesson ran through a 3 vs 2 before the game to help with goal scoring situations. It helped in the game, he said. 

Wallace began playing soccer in seventh grade and has stuck with it now for four years. Wesson is playing good team soccer right now. 

“Soccer is something I love. I have a passion for it. The relationships, I like being able to be with my buddies and join in and be part of a good team,” Wallace said. “We have grown up together and been through everything. We have close relationships and know everyone well.” 

The win moves Wesson to 3-2 in district play and third place in the district standings. The next three matches will be important for playoff seeding for Wesson. Bogue Chitto has two matches left and sits one game ahead of West Lincoln. A win Friday against the Bears would secure a playoff berth, but a loss would open the door for West Lincoln to sneak into the playoffs.