OLIVESBURG — When you spend four years working at every part of your soccer game, it is easy to take even the most difficult of shots with confidence.

In Mansfield Christian’s 5-3 Mid-Buckeye Conference win over the Crestview Cougars, Flames’ sophomore Jacoby Dickinson found himself with a golden opportunity to showcase his skills. With the Flames deadlocked in a 2-2 tie, Dickinson saw the ball traveling his way off of a ricochet about 40 yards from the goal. He followed the ball, cocked his right leg back and unleashed a magical shot that found the back of the net and gave the Flames a 3-2 lead with 23:35 remaining in the game.

FLAMES WIN! Mansfield Christian Flames win wild goal fest over Crestview Cougars

The confidence for a sophomore to take that shot is unheard of.

“Honestly, it is the work I have put in,” Dickinson said. “I have dedicated myself to soccer over the last four years. I saw the gap and envisioned the shot and knew I had to take it. But honestly, I couldn’t do it without my teammates. Them moving around and giving me the ball with a gap is why I was able to take and make the shot. Credit them.”

Mansfield Christian coach Kaedon Anderson echoed Dickinson’s praise for his teammates.

“The other 10 around him,” Anderson said. “Jacoby knows he is an incredible player and it has been so fun to coach him and see him take his game to new heights. What made him better than the rest was the defensive performance that freed him up where all he needed was a few touches to create magic.”

The Cougars took the lead early in the game with a Braden Smith goal before Mansfield Christian’s Owen Neal tied things up and Dickinson’s first goal made it 2-1 Flames with 26:27 left in the first half. Smith added his second goal of the night to tie things up right before halftime setting the stage for Dickinson’s incredible shot.

“I wish what could be seen is the person he is outside of these highlight moments,” Anderson said. “He has stepped up in more ways that just on the pitch that gives him the right to be heard and seen. He does everything right in training and encourages his teammates. He is an incredible leader along with Dawson (Loose) and Owen (Neal).”

Anderson Hoovler gave the Flames a 4-2 cushion before Smith got the Cougars to within one on his third goal of the evening. Dickinson then added his third on a penalty kick with 1:06 left to deliver the dagger.

“We knew they would be a really good team and give us a battle,” Dickinson said. “We also know our capabilities and that we could come in and make a statement. We had confidence going in and trusted our training.”

Crestview coach Mike Pond saw growth in the Cougars, who would have let a two-goal deficit with 20:39 left in the game derail them in years past. This year’s team is different.

“Last year, we were a little down and got hit early in the year with inexperience,” Pond said. “Two years ago, we had the fight that we have this year and it is the pride of our team. I love the way the kids play. They play with a commendable amount of effort that I am proud of every single time. They are sportsmanly and play with a high level of class and a workman-type effort that I love to see and represents the community well.

The Flames improved to 5-4 and host Highland on Sept. 19 while Crestview falls to 7-2 and travels to Edison on the same day.

“It is unique being on the road and on turf, so we had some adjusting to do early on,” Anderson said. “I was really proud of how the guys settled into the game and played our style of soccer.”

Smith breaks single-season goals record at Crestview

With a hat trick in the game, Smith became the single-season goals record holder for the Crestview boys soccer program when he netted his 20th goal just nine games into the season.

He broke his head coach’s record that has stood since 1998.

“He has been bugging me about it all year,” Pond said. “He has been giving me a hard time because it is my record that he broke and it has been on the books for a while. He has been telling me he was going to do it and I am so happy for him. He is a great kid on and off the field and is a leader and captain as a junior.

“He is a great kid all the way around and I cannot say enough great things about him as a player and person. He has stepped up this year and taken on a huge role for our team. He gives so much effort and his teammates rally around him. I love watching him play and I am so happy he got the record.”

Smith has tied Pond’s single-game record twice this season with two four-goal performances. He wants to break that and now that he has achieved his goal of the single-season record, he is aiming for more.

“It feels so good to take that one since I can’t seem to get past his single-game record,” Smith said. “It is tough to get it in a loss on our home field against a rival, but I am proud of myself. Now, I want 30. With my teammates continuing to trust me and getting me the ball, I think that is within reach.”

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Dickinson's magical shot, hat trick leads Flames to win over Crestview