The ninth-ranked Whitewater Wildcats and unranked Fayette County Tigers both faced a do-or-die situation Thursday — win and secure a spot in the state playoffs or lose and miss the postseason.

Ryan Pugh, who recorded a hat trick, was one of five players who scored for Whitewater, which came from behind to win its third consecutive game, 7-1 over Fayette, finish in fourth place in Region 2-AAAA and, subsequently, earn a trip to the state playoffs.

It was a sweet ending to a region schedule that has featured plenty of frustrating losses for Whitewater (8-6, 4-3 region), including three — against Starr’s Mill, McIntosh and Woodward Academy — that were by one goal. Two of those region losses — to McIntosh and Woodward — came in penalty kicks.

“This season hasn’t been easy,” Whitewater coach Shane Pulliam said. “As I have said before, it has been a test of character. We’re bouncing back and showing up strong when we needed to.”

The fourth-ranked Whitewater girls also scored seven goals to win their fourth straight game, 7-0 over Fayette, securing second place in the region in the early game.

In the late game, Okurin Aiyankhebor gave Fayette (7-7-1, 3-4 region) a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, blasting the ball from inside the box past Whitewater goalkeeper Vincent Easterbrook.

Aiyankhebor left the game with an apparent right quad injury shortly thereafter and didn’t return.

It was all downhill from there for Fayette.

Whitewater tied the game less than three minutes later on a goal by Victor Murray.

Zach Taylor raced into the goal box with the ball and dribbled toward the right post, drawing attention from multiple Fayette defenders, before sending a cross to the left post to a wide-open Murray, who banged the ball into the back of the net.

Whitewater’s Kyle Adams broke the tie with 2:07 left in the first half, reaching the loose ball in the goal box after his teammate Taylor Ruby kicked it off a Fayette defender and easily beating Fayette goalkeeper Kenyatta Kelechi with a slow, rolling shot.

Fayette, though, was still down by only one goal.

Then Pugh took over, scoring back-to-back goals in 10 seconds, a rare feat at any level of soccer.

Pugh took the ball on the run and fought off Fayette defender Brian Washington before slipping the ball past a diving Kelechi for his first goal at the 37:41 mark of the second half.

Pugh struck again on a breakaway 10 seconds later to hand Whitewater a commanding lead, 4-1.

He added one more goal, on a header off one bounce of a Adams throw-in, to complete a hat trick with 25:12 remaining.

It was exactly what Pugh, who was desperately looking to regain his scoring touch, needed. Pugh had 29 goals last year, but only 10 coming into Whitewater’s game against Fayette, with seven of those goals coming against the two worst teams in the region, Westlake and Creekside.

“He came alive with his first goal and again almost immediately right after the kick-off,” Pulliam said. “I just hope he can keep it going after spring break.”

Whitewater went on to add two more goals in the half; Chase Sullivan and Matt Herget each had one.

Pulliam felt it was the best second half his team has played all season.

“Oh, yeah,” Pulliam said. “We played this well the last 10 minutes of the Walton game [won by Whitewater, 2-1]. This was similar stuff. We worked hard on being a goal down and coming back to score in pressure situations and trying to keep the lead in pressure situations. We worked on box organization and finishing.

“I guess it paid off because there were a whole lot of people who scored.”

Whitewater (9-3, 6-1 region) was dominant from start to finish in the girls game, scoring three goals in the first half and four in the second.

Brittany Vining, Brittany Rampy and Jade Ah-low scored Whitewater’s first half goals.

Vining added another goal early in the second half, before Erin Emerson took over, scoring three consecutive goals for a natural hat trick.

Vining, Rampy, Ah-Low and Feagan Hunt each had an assist for Whitewater.

Neither of Whitewater’s goalkeepers, Ali Young, who played the entire first half, and Caitlin Barth, who played the entire second half, was tested often; Fayette (5-8, 2-5 region) finished with only three shots on goal.

“We started out real slow,” Whitewater coach Heather Allen said. “It’s hard to play a team that is on a lower level than you. You tend to play down to their level. We were doing all the right things, but we were playing too slow.”

Allen is pleased with the way her team is playing approaching the end of the regular reason.

“I think we’re playing fine,” Allen said. “We’re starting to come together as a team.”

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