Instead of having a chance to clinch the Western Highlands conference title last (Monday) evening, Polk County’s varsity soccer team must wait until tomorrow, Wednesday evening, when the Wolverines visit Madison.

On Thursday, Oct. 22, Polk defeated Mountain Heritage, 8-1, to advance to 9-1-1 in the WHC. The Wolverines’ nearest WHC rival, Hendersonville, comes into this week at 9-2 in conference matches. If Polk defeats Madison, the Wolverines will clinch the title outright. If not, they can do no worse than tie for first.

On Oct. 22, Nate Smart scored five goals to lead the Wolverine attack, while Will Rimer added two.

“Except for two or three plays, this was not taxing on us,” reported Polk’s head coach Lennox Charles.

With just over two minutes gone in the second half, the Cougars scored their lone goal, to make it 5-1. Less than a minute later, Smart booted one in to give Polk back its five-goal lead. Barely a minute after that, Garrett Weicker headed a ball in, to put the Wolverines up, 7-1.

Charles cautioned that tomorrow’s match at Madison will not be routine.

“They’re going to be at home,” Charles said of the Patriots, who, at 4-7 in the WHC, have little or nothing to lose. “They’re going to do something differently.”

That match will start at 6:30 p.m.

This evening, the Wolverines visit Crest for a non-conference match. Varsity plays at 7 p.m.; JV plays at 5 p.m. Crest is 10-8 overall, and 9-6 in its conference, but Charles noted that the Wolverines will use the match as practice for the Madison contest.