Boys soccer: Dixon scores six unanswered to knock off Streator in regional opener

STREATOR – The Dixon boys soccer team spotted Streator a 1-0 lead in the first minute of their Class 2A Sterling Regional play-in game before the Dukes ran off six straight goals to win 6-1 and end the Bulldogs’ season at the James Street Athletic Complex on Friday night.

“The guys had a good last couple of weeks and a good season,” SHS coach J.T. Huey said. “We played much stronger competition than we have in previous seasons, and all that is doing is building us up for next year.”

The seventh-seeded Dukes take a 6-11 record to Sterling on Tuesday to face top-seeded Dunlap. Streator ends the season 8-11-1.

Trailing 1-0 after a Bulldogs goal by Noah Russow assisted by Landon Muntz off of a throw-in by Moe Bacon in the first minute, Dixon senior Kristian Prather was able to latch onto a long ball and able to bury the ball in the back of the net.

“[Streator) came out with a lot of energy and caught us flat-footed,” Dukes coach Josh Brigl said. “Kristian scored three goals the game before this, and once he got rolling, that gave us some confidence and a spark.”

Dixon then got what would become the game-winner off a free kick that struck the post and went off of the waiting head of Prather to make it 2-1.

Dixon put the game away in the second half, with Prather adding another score for the hat trick to make it 3-1. Quade Richards bagged two goals in a five-minute span to make it 5-1. Prather then notched his final goal of the night to end the scoring.