The Waverly boys soccer team scored four second-half goals at Krantz Field on Tuesday, breaking a 1-all tie and sending top-seeded Blair into the Eastern Midlands Conference (EMC) third-place game.
The 5-1 tournament victory pushed the fifth-seeded Vikings into the title game and to 6-4 overall, while the Bears fell to 7-2 this season with their second-straight defeat.
BHS' Gabe Zurek scored the match's first goal, nailing a long shot over the Waverly goalkeeper's head during the fourth minute.
From there, though, the Vikings scored five straight. They evened the score during the 24th minute on Anthony Ruelas' shot, which found his feet after clanging off of the post.
The go-ahead Waverly goal then came 29 minutes later when Johnny Martin's free kick just snuck under Blair goalkeeper Mark Donner's reach. The Bears' visitor then scored during the 61st, 70th and 73rd minutes to upset the home team by four goals.
Coach Curt Scott's team had multiple opportunities to take its own lead during the early minutes of the second half. Just 6 minutes in, Zurek raced down the field with the ball at his feet, taking on two Waverly defenders. When his shot was deflected, Elias Cortez found the ball and unleashed a close shot that sailed over the goal. The last BHS player to touch it collapsed to the ground in disappointment after the near miss.
Both Zurek and Cortez added shots on goal over the next six minutes, but came up empty again before the Vikings ripped the win from their team's grasp.
Blair was scheduled to play an EMC third-place match Thursday. Results will be in Tuesday's Washington County Pilot-Tribune.
