After the contest was moved up to the afternoon and a brief delay because of rain affected the start, the Spartans came out firing at Spartan Field, rolling past Hayden 8-0 on Tuesday.
Emporia High scored three times in the opening six minutes. Brayden Sailer found the back of the net twice, while Braxton Pugh added another as the Spartans quickly built a 3-0 advantage.
Sailer completed his hat trick before halftime, sending EHS into the break with a 4-0 lead.
The scoring continued after halftime, with Sailer converting a penalty kick for his fourth goal of the match. Thiago Esquivel, Ricky Ramos and Angel Ortiz also scored for the Spartans.
The victory was particularly notable for Sailer, who recorded the first three-goal game of his career — and then added a fourth.
Emporia head coach Victor Ibarra said the Spartans brought the necessary intensity from the opening whistle.
The Spartans’ eighth goal triggered the mercy rule in the 74th minute, bringing the match to an early conclusion.
With the win, Emporia earns its first Centennial League victory of the season and improves to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
The Black and Red return to action Thursday, hosting Highland Park.
