Tiger soccer 'run rules' Coffeyville

Fort Scott High's soccer team posted its highest goal total in five years Thursday in 'run ruling' Coffeyville 10-0 in Southeast Kansas League play at Ellis Park.

The Tigers clinched no worse than second place in the Southeast Kansas League with the victory as this completed the league schedule. There was still an outside chance to either win the crown or tie for it with Independence (5-0, 9-4) for the league title but the Bulldogs would have to lose all three of their remaining league games for the Tigers to win the SEK or two of their last three to create a tie. Independence has won at least a share of every SEK title that's ever been offered in soccer.

The 10 goals were the most scored by the Tigers (6-2 SEK, 8-5 overall) since beating Columbus by the same score on Sept. 15, 2005. It is just the second time in the program's 10-year history that Fort Scott has either scored 10 goals or caused a game to be stopped early.

Much like baseball or softball -- and where the term 'run rule' comes from -- a soccer game is stopped after one team gains a 10-goal advantage. In the case of soccer, the point the rule comes into effect is halftime or any time after that. This game was stopped after Josh Buller's third goal of the day in the 67th minute of play.

The main reason for the rout was Fort Scott's dominance in possession. Coffeyville (3-3, 4-5) couldn't clear the ball out of its own half and on the rare occasions when it did, the Tigers had the ball back on their offensive half very quickly. To be fair, only one of the six goals Coffeyville's Paige Porter allowed in the first half could really be blamed on her. The first five were the result of the Tigers' pressure and the Golden Tornado's inability to help her out.

On the other end of the pitch, Brett Allen posted his sixth shutout of the season and needed to make just two saves. In the previous nine seasons of Tiger soccer, Fort Scott goalies had combined for 14 shutouts -- an average of about 1 1/2 per season.

Garret Baugher got the Tigers on the board in the ninth minute of play with his third goal in the last two games. Chris Herman was next with a goal in the 17th minute.

Buller scored the first of his goals in a five-minute stretch when he converted a Max McAllister pass in the 24th minute. McAllister also assisted on the next goal by Jason Trejo in the 27th minute before scoring himself on a pass from Kholton Dwyer in the 29th.

Andy Cowlishaw scored the final goal of the half in the 38th minute. McAllister scored his second goal of the contest less than 30 seconds into the second half.

Buller scored goal No. 2 on a Dwyer assist in the 47th minute. Chris McAllister made it 9-0 when he converted a pass from Matt Scharenberg in the 66th minute.

Fort Scott shot at the Coffeyville goal 40 times in the contest.

Goalkeepers

C -- Paige Porter (9 shots, 6 goals, 3 saves), Ben Wright (41st min., 6 shots, 4 goals, 2 saves. FS -- Brett Allen (2 saves).

Scoring

FS -- Baugher (unassisted), 9th min.

FS -- Herman (unassisted), 17th min.

FS -- Buller (M. McAllister), 24th min.

FS -- J. Trejo (M. McAllister), 27th min.

FS -- M. McAllister (Dwyer), 29th min.

FS -- An. Cowlishaw (unassisted), 38th min.

FS -- M. McAllister 2 (unassisted), 41st min.

FS -- Buller 2 (Dwyer), 47th min.

FS -- C. McAllister (Scharenberg), 66th min.

FS -- Buller 3 (M. McAllister), 67th min.