Miller scores four in 7-1 win over Tipton

By Jeff Yoder
Posted 5/12/21

A move from midfield to forward helped both Noah Miller and the Hillcrest offense as Miller tied a school record with four goals during a 7-1 win over Tipton in a steady rain on Saturday.  

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Miller scores four in 7-1 win over Tipton

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A move from midfield to forward helped both Noah Miller and the Hillcrest offense as Miller tied a school record with four goals during a 7-1 win over Tipton in a steady rain on Saturday. 

John Hughes scored a goal and had two assists on Saturday and scored a goal during a 2-0 win over Wapello on Friday as the Ravens (4-3) doubled their win total over the weekend. 

“It helps to have Jorge Canchola back as we put Jorge in the center mid spot, allowing us to move Noah up top,” Hillcrest coach Marcus Miller explained. 

“They are both skilled players and they have the freedom to switch spots as they see fit. It also allows us to move John Hughes to a wide position where he creates problems for defenses.”

Hughes assisted Miller to give the Ravens an early 1-0 lead, while Miller found Hughes for the first goal of the second half, which made it 4-0. 

Andrew Starr scored the second goal of the game with a shot that was deflected by a Tipton defender, but found the net anyway. The freshman also added an assist in the second half. 

Tipton scored off a corner kick in the second half, but Miller restored the three-goal lead with his third score of the day. Miller’s final goal came on a shot from outside the 18-yard box that beat the Tiger goalkeeper. 

 “Noah is becoming a skilled soccer player and is building a knowledge base, which helps,” Miller said. 

“I don’t think he played soccer until he was at Hillcrest, so it’s a testament to his work on and off the practice field. 

“It helps that he is also one of the more competitive guys I’ve had play for me, something that comes across when he’s playing basketball and baseball.”

Eli Ours scored the final goal of Saturday’s game, assisted by Hughes. 

“We’re trying to push Eli Ours forward to get him more involved in the offense,” Miller said “When the ball pops out he’s right there to either take a shot or get a pass to one of his teammates.

“Moving Noah to a forward spot, and pushing Eli up, wouldn’t be possible without the play of Grant Bender, Aaron Hershberger, and Aidan Yoder on defense. It’s the first year of high school soccer for all three guys and I’m really happy with their play. It also helps to have a great goalie in Aiden Krabill.”

Krabill had four saves in the win, and Miller was particularly impressed with his play in the wet conditions on Saturday. 

 

Hillcrest 2, Wapello 0

On Friday, Aiden Krabill and the Hillcrest defense stepped up in a 2-0 shutout of Wapello, as the offense struggled early in the match. 

It was a battle for third place in the SEISC North as each team had just one conference win over Highland entering the game. While Wapello had a record of just 1-8, senior Hector Zepeda is the conference’s second leading scorer with 14 goals this season. 

“The back line of Grant Bender, Aaron Hershberger, Aidan Yoder, and Eli Ours shut down (Zepeda) limiting his chances to shots from outside the goalie box,” Hillcrest coach Marcus Miller said. 

John Hughes finally put the Ravens on the scoreboard with just four minutes left in the first half. Will Kolck assisted the first half goal and scored the second himself on a cross from Dominic Bouse. 

Aiden Krabill stopped all 11 shots on goal to preserve the shutout. 

The Ravens dropped to 4-4 for the season with a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Central Lee on Monday. Hillcrest took 28 shots, but the Hawks scored the game winner with 1:08 left in the second overtime period.