By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor

EAST BEND -- Polk soccer coach Lennox Charles believed if his team could stay within a goal of undefeated Forbush in the first half Wednesday night, the Wolverines stood a chance at knocking off the top-ranked Falcons.

Things went according to plan for awhile, and Polk trailed just 1-0 as the clock ticked under a minute to go before intermission.

But then Forbush got an attack together and junior forward Jessica Baity collected a pass in front of the Polk goal. She made one nice juke and rifled an uncontested shot into the net with 48 seconds showing on the clock.

Polk never could recover from that back-breaking score, and Forbush went on to win the third-round state playoff contest 5-0.

The Falcons, the state runners-up the last two years, improved to 24-0 and advanced to the 2A quarterfinals. Forbush will play at West Stokes at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Polk County, which won a 1A state title a year ago before moving into the 2A classification, saw its season end at 15-9.

"I felt like we could probably hang in there and that we had enough speed to at least make them have to think about us," Charles said. "They are really wanting to get back (to the state title game) and change the results, so I felt like the longer we could keep the game close, maybe they would feel a little bit of pressure.

"But that second goal allowed them to breath and relax. From there, we were in trouble."

Baity, who has already verbally committed to NC State, scored Forbush's first three goals Wednesday. Her first came off a corner kick with just under 24 minutes left in the first half. Polk's defense had been solid to that point, but a mistake in not clearing the ball wide gave Baity a pretty wide open look.

"A team like this, every time we made a mistake, boy they made us pay for it, whether it was playing a ball into the middle or not tracking with Baity or not moving our feet," Charles said. "Any time they broke us down, they were putting the ball in the goal."

Senior Leticia Patino set up Forbush's second goal with a break down the right sideline. She played the ball in the middle to freshman Jennifer Baity, who then touched it to older sister Jessica Baity for the goal.

"That second goal really, for all practical purposes, sealed the game," Charles said. "It allowed them to relax a little more and it put more pressure on us to come from behind, against a team like this that has already scored over 100 goals."

Jessica Baity's hat trick goal came with 32:39 left in the second half. Jessica Baity has recorded more than 40 of the Falcons' goals this season.

Lindsey Lineberry and Jennifer Baity added the other Forbush scores within a couple minutes of each other midway through the second half. Patino, another top scorer, finished with three assists on Wednesday.

"We scored as a team. People stepped up for us," Forbush coach Kenan James said. "I think you can see it in different players, different levels of play. They want to win."

Polk County attacks were minimal against a stingy Falcon defense that has only surrendered seven goals all season. The Wolverines were able to earn several free kicks in the midfield in the first half but couldn't convert any of those chances into serious shots on goal.

Polk's best chance to score came with 29 minutes to play in the game and the Wolverines down 3-0.

Senior Anna Trakas served up a corner kick from the left side that sailed all the way across the mouth of the goal. Senior Katie Wilson and junior Peyton Habenicht both got a head on the ball in the penalty box, but Habenicht's header went right to Forbush keeper Kristian Russell.

Trakas had another shot sail well wide late in the game. A free kick by Habenicht with 4:30 to play went over the goal by several feet.

"Other than the header on the corner, I don't think we gave up another legit shot," James said. "Kristian was good in goal. Our defense was solid."

Forbush has been ranked No. 1 in a statewide Class 2A coaches poll most of the season. The Falcons' last loss came in the 2009 state championship game, a heartbreaking sudden death 2-1 overtime defeat to Swansboro.