Region 1-4A boys: Choctaw shuts out Rutherford (See Photos)

SPRINGFIELD — For most soccer players, a hat trick is a game to remember.

For Choctawhatchee’s Ricky Hoegg, it served as a warm-up.

The Indians kept building from there and advanced to the Region 1-4A semifinals with a 6-0 win over host Rutherford Friday night at the Vera Shamplain Sports Complex.

Hoegg scored three goals in the first 14 minutes and added two more to finish with one of the more impressive performances of the season.

“He’s quite talented,” Rutherford coach Mike Brown said. “Sometimes you got to tip your hat and say you got beat by a talented team.

“We knew what he was going to do.”

Friday’s game was rescheduled from Thursday because of a severe weather pattern moving into the area. The storm, however, didn’t reach Panama City until the early morning hours, and the extra day seemed to affect the teams in opposite ways.

Hoegg’s first goal came 5 minutes into the game on a swift move as he was double-teamed. He dribbled left and maneuvered himself through two Rutherford defenders for a blast with his left foot that zipped by Rams’ freshman keeper Andrew Mask.

Seven minutes later he scored from 25 yards straight in front to give Choctaw a 2-0 lead. Hoegg’s hat trick was completed in the 14th minute when he tipped a rebound over a diving Mask into an open net.

Choctaw finished a dominating first half up 4-0 on Hoegg’s fourth score of the game. The Indians outshot the Rams 16-3 in the first half.

“It was huge to get the (goals) quick,” Choctaw coach Chris McDaniel said. “We knew they had a couple of good players and a freshman keeper. We wanted to (start) fast and they did it.”

The Indians went ahead 5-0 on a header by JR Rynearson in the 52nd minute and Hoegg capped the scoring with his fifth goal in the 78th minute.

“Minus the first 14 minutes, I thought we had a chance,” Brown said. “After the first 14 minutes when they scored three quick ones, (we) started playing too defensive. Our forwards were staying back to help with the midfield.”

Rutherford finished its most successful boys soccer season 10-9-0 and Choctaw improved to 17-2-2.

Choctaw had 22 shots on goal to Rutherford’s five.

“I just think we had our legs,” McDaniel said. “We cut back on practice; we were ready. And we didn’t look ahead. That extra day (off) actually helped us.”