The Kokomo Wildkats visited non conference foe Hamilton Heights and defeated the hosts 3-1 Thursday night to extend their win streak to five games. In a match that turned physical, the Kats struck first and held on to defeat the Huskies for the first time in several seasons thanks to some timely finishing. The Wildkats controlled the play from the first whistle, possessing the ball in the Husky half of the field. The Huskies struggled with the Kats’ press, and in the 18th minute of play, a nice combination between senior captain Ben Herrera and junior striker Arthur Barbosa led to senior Javier Carrera’s goal and 1-0 lead. The Wildkats effectively broke down the central defense of Huskies for the score. Seven minutes later, junior midfielder Adrian Reyes won the ball against his mark on the left flank and served the ball into the box. After the Husky keeper mishandled the ball, Herrera darted into the area and knocked home his first goal of the game for a 2-0 Wildkat lead. In the second half of play, the Huskies pounced on the Wildkats during the first 20 minutes with much more direct play which resulted in a goal twelve minutes into the half, but the Wildkats responded with just under 11 minutes to play in the match when Reyes tracked the ball to the right corner flag, beat his mark, and slotted the ball to Herrera who was ready at the top of the box. After a quick cut, Herrera fired his shot into the left corner of the goal for a 3-1 lead and the final margin of victory. The Wildkats (6-1-0, 1-0-0) have extended their winning streak to five matches, the longest winning streak since 2015. This is also the best start to a season since 2015, the last time the Kats won sectionals. Your man of the match is senior captain Ben Herrera. The Wildkats return to conference play this Saturday when they host the Richmond Red Devils. This Saturday’s match begins a stretch where five of the final eight opponents have winning records coming into their match with the Kats. Junior Varsity Kats Crush Huskies 2-0 The junior varsity team earned a shutout in defeating the hosts by a score of 2-0 Thursday night. The Wildkats (2-1-2, 1-0-0) were solid and created several opportunities while limiting the hosts to few shots. Sophomore Ethan Landrum now has two consecutive clean sheets this week as they head back into conference play Saturday. Thursday night was the Jedaiah Beard show, however, as the senior center back was solid in defense and distribution. In the fourteenth minute of the first half, freshman Andy McConnell delivered an outstanding corner kick which Beard headed home from the back post. It was a fantastic finish! In the second half, freshman Darious Easton won the ball at the top of the box and finished for the final margin of victory.