​Hackworth continues to improve in new role, leads Eagles to 2-1 win

by Michael Smith

 
Grain Valley sophomore Cohen Hackworth has had to make some major adjustments midway through the season.

That’s because starting striker Ethan Galvan is out with a season-ending injury to his shoulder, so head boys soccer coach Brett Lewis needed someone to step into that role.

He choose Hackworth, who converted from a defender to a forward, which are two completely different roles on the pitch.

The sophomore is starting to get more and more comfortable up top and it showed in Monday’s Suburban White Conference matchup with Raytown. He scored both of Grain Valley’s goals, leading the team to a 2-1 win at Ted Chitwood Stadium in Raytown, helping his team snap a four-game losing streak.

“He’s been a utility guy,” Lewis said of Hackworth. “We have used him at center back, we have used him as a winger and now a striker. I feel like the last several weeks I have tried to work with him to be that really strong target we can play off of in the final third.”

“He’s really responded well to what we were able to do in practice. When we were able to find his feet, we were dangerous in the final third.”

Hackworth didn’t waste any time getting the Eagles (5-12, 3-4) on the scoreboard as he got a through ball from junior Alexander Luna and blasted on inside the left post for a 1-0 lead.

Just three minutes later, Raytown got the equalizer when senior Freanchesko Usuriaga Castro scored off an assist from Owen Pacheco.

Hackworth then scored the would-be game winner in the seventh minute when he fired an unassisted near the top of the box and put a perfectly-placed ball into the net.

Playing the new position was a steep learning curve for the sophomore but he is starting to grow into it. It also helped that Galvan gave him some good pointers.

“I look at how defenders beat me in the back and I take that with me when I went up top,” Hackworth said. “It’s been hard for me, but I have adapted to it.

“Ethan told me how to press, when to press and how to dribble. He has helped a lot.”

Lewis said that Hackworth’s physical attributes made him a perfect fit at forward.

“His touch and strength is really good and he has the ability to turn and hold off defenders,” Lewis said. “I think he’s gotten better at turning and using the inside and outside of his foot to get around defenders on his back.”

While Hackworth powered the offense, the Eagles controlled possession as a team. In the second half, Grain Valley limited Raytown to just one shot for the final 40 minutes.

“We were able to control the game and we were able to stop any counter attacks in the mid field,” Lewis said. “Our back four was organized and made sure their player who was at (striker) was marked.”

​Grain Valley will play its final regular season game at Belton Thursday before taking on Blue Springs in the first round of the Class 4 District 7 Tournament at noon Saturday at Columbia Hickman High School.

Grain Valley sophomore Cohen Hackworth scored both of Grain Valley's goals in his team's 2-1 win over Raytown Monday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith