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A two-goal second-half deficit did not prove a mountain too high to climb Monday for Polk County’s boys soccer team.

The Wolverines faced that 2-0 margin with 25 minutes remaining in their Mountain Foothills 7 Conference matchup at Hendersonville. Undeterred, Polk responded with a pair of scores to force overtime, then struck in the first extra session to secure a 3-2 win over the Bearcats at Dietz Field.

The win marked Polk County’s first triumph in the series between the two programs since 2019.

The teams battled to a scoreless tie at the end of the first half. But Hendersonville (3-3-2, 1-1) tallied twice in the first 15 minutes of the second half to build its two-goal advantage.

Polk County (6-2-2, 1-1) began to rally not long after that. Deep in the Bearcats’ end of the field, Nate Martinez slipped a pass through the right side of the Hendersonville defense to Cooper Meyer, who dribbled almost to the end line before drilling a shot into the left side of the net, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with 16:09 remaining.

Time, though, seemed to be running out on the Wolverines’ chances until James Purtill played a long pass deep into the Bearcat penalty area. Meyer outraced a defender to the loose ball, was tackled from behind, and drew a foul in the process. That earned Polk a penalty kick, which Martinez calmly converted with 2:49 remaining to even the match.

Late in the first of the two 10-minute overtime periods, Tommy Jackson drew a foul near the sideline well into Hendersonville’s half of the field. Martinez took the free kick and dropped a perfect pass near the back post, just out of the grasp of Hendersonville’s goalkeeper but well within reach of Meyer, who redirected the feed into the net for the game-winning goal.

Polk’s defense made that lead hold throughout the second 10-minute overtime, allowing the Wolverines to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play.

Polk County will return to the pitch on Wednesday, traveling to R-S Central for a 6 p.m match.