Kokomo prevails 4-1 at home over Western High School Aug. 17

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Photos by Adam Hartsough

The 2024 boys’ soccer season opened on Saturday with a contest between the Western Panthers and the Kokomo Wildkats. The Kats won in convincing fashion, 5-1.

The game stayed close throughout the first half, with the Kats only managing a single goal against a surprisingly stingy Western defense. But the second half was a much different story.

Whether it was early-season conditioning or the boys simply finding a rhythm working together on the pitch, Kokomo peppered the Panthers' goal four times to walk away with the victory.

The first score came with less than 20 minutes left in the first half, as Esteban Diaz made a long kick through traffic to find the lower right corner of the net. By comparison, Western managed just a single shot on goal for the half.

The second half turned out to be much more fruitful for the Kats. Kokomo’s first score came on a penalty kick by Ben Herrera, who was knocked down by the goalie near the net while trying to score.

Kokomo didn’t wait to score again. Minutes later, midfielder Henrique Alvarenga de Oliveira drove most of the field after intercepting the ball, evading Panthers repeatedly to find the net.

Down 3-0, Western’s offense finally awakened. Less than a minute after Kokomo’s third score, Panthers midfielder Brett Callio drove to the Wildkats’ goal and knocked in a rebound shot after goalie North Muannara deflected his first attempt.

The Wildkats continued scoring late into the contest. With 14:29 remaining in regulation, forward Javier Carrera lined up and buried a penalty kick to make it 4-1 after Western placed hands on the ball.

The Wildkats (1-0) continue their season on the road at Maconaquah this evening, Tue., Aug. 20. Western (0-1) hosts Carroll tonight, hoping to find the win column.

Visit the Kokomo Lantern’s Facebook page or group for additional photos from this game, courtesy of photographer Adam Hartsough.