If there was one thing that the Perryville boys soccer team learned about themselves this past weekend, it was that they could play with just about anybody.
Perryville claimed third place at the Hannibal Tournament on Saturday and coach Jerry Fulton couldn’t be any happier with his team’s performance.
“We controlled every game we played and we learned a lot about our team,” Perryville coach Jerry Fulton said. We learned that no matter who we play, we can be confident that we have a chance to win.”
The Pirates defeated Southern Boone 3-0 on Friday with goals by Treyton Barnett, Eli Angle, and Adam Green. The Pirates went on to play Hickman, a Class 4 team, on Saturday and gave up two goals before halftime.
“We settled them down and came out of the half and put pressure on them,” Fulton said.
Perryville scored a goal within the first 10 minutes and nearly put the tying goal in the net on several occasions.
“Hickman was doing everything they could to slow the game down,” Fulton said. “Their coach was very impressed with our team and our ability. They were shocked that we were a Class 2 team. I feel like we left this tournament with the belief in ourselves to play with anybody. Will we beat the big Class 4 teams on our schedule? Maybe not all of them, but we should be able to play with them.”
Perryville finished the tournament claimed third place in convincing fashion, defeating Sikeston 8-2. Barnett earned a hat trick, while Carter Blechle had two goals himself. Kade Baudendistel, Vincent Schaaf, and Andrew Welk each secured a goal in the victory.
Garris, Brevon Nuyt and Kaden Laurentius were each named to the all-tournament team for their performances. Laurentius was the stalwart in the back of the defense. Garris had a goal and an assist in the tournament to claim the honor.
Garris has shown himself to be a proficient goalscorer early on this season for the Pirates with a goal of eight goals and two assists in six games in 2023. Garris mustered only two goals as a junior, but has seen increased playing time with his stellar play so far.
“He’s come into the season with a purpose and played very well,” Fulton said of Garris. “Hopefully he continues to play well for us going forward.”
Fulton was happy with the team’s offense so far this season that had 12 goals in three games in the Hannibal, and scored 29 goals in the first six games.
“We have four or five capable goalscorers on this team,” he said. “You can look at Aden, but Treyton had a hat trick during the tournament as well. So the thing with us is you can’t focus on just one guy. You have to be concerned with everyone.”
Fulton is excited to see how the momentum the team has gained during this tournament propels them for the rest of the season.
“I think we are right where we need to be,” Fulton said. “We’ve lost tp a good Hickman team and Notre Dame, and handled everyone else. Hopefully that continues for the rest of the season so we can achieve that ultimate goal.”
