Hardaway soccer: Evan Scott is scoring machine for Hawks

Hardaway soccer player Evan Scott has yet to meet a defense that could do much to slow him in his march to the record books.

He has 21 goals in seven games this season and a career total of 151, according to his coach’s records. With his sights set on 200 career goals, Scott could reach the plateau if he keeps up the pace and the Hawks make a deep postseason run.

Scott, a three-time Ledger-Enquirer All-Bi-City player and four-year starter at Hardaway, said he was sure he would be able to score at the high school level but did not expect to have such a prolific career. “I didn’t think I’d be able to score 200,” Scott, a four-year starting forward, said. “I knew I’d be able to score, just nothing even close to 200.”

According to Hardaway coach Rick Iden’s records, Scott scored 30 goals as a freshman, 58 as a sophomore and 42 as a junior.

Scott’s teammates, particularly the midfielders, have based their strategy on passing to Scott, and he has been feeding off of them since his freshman season.

“My midfield looks for me every time,” Scott said. “Every time we have possession, they’re looking for me.”

Scott excels at turning diagonal passes into quick goals, Hardaway midfielder Alex Pablon said, and few defenders in the area have proven fast enough to catch him, even when they know the pass is coming. “It’s definitely his speed that makes him that good,” Pablon said. “People just can’t keep up with him. He’s too fast for most defenses.”

While Scott’s scoring abilities have been evident since his first year with the Hawks, his leadership capabilities are only now peaking, Iden said. While Scott has not been a “rah-rah” leader, his on-field performance has been just what the Hawks needed this season, and the team is off to a 5-1-1 start.

“I think it’s his maturity that’s been a big part of it this season,” Iden said. “Before, he was always around other great athletes, so he hasn’t had to worry too much about leadership. But this year, he’s taken to that and stepped up into that leadership role to help the team as much as he can.”

If Scott reaches 200 goals, it would rank him among the nation’s elite. His 151 goals are just 22 shy of cracking the top 10 in career goals on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s list of records. Sean Shapert of Moon High in Coraopolis, Penn., scored a nation-best 213 career goals from 1981-84, according to the NSCAA records.