PINETOWN — Fabian Ramirez scored his second hat trick in as many games Wednesday at Northside. An offensive explosion in the second half helped lead Southside to a 7-1 road win.

Luke Matthews, Keegan Wiggins and Caleb Petty all chipped in with goals, too. Matthews found twine twice in the second half. He netted his first goal when the Panthers struggled to clear a corner kick. He followed up with his second goal shortly thereafter.

Petty added onto the lead when he buried a goal thanks to a mishandled ball by the Panther goalkeeper. Poor judgment by the home keeper cost Northside another second-half goal. David Romero fed Ramirez in the left side of the box, who beat out an aggressive keeper trying to play the ball.

A dangerous high kick yielded an indirect free kick for the Seahawks. Wiggins capped off the evening’s scoring by converting on the point-blank opportunity.

The difference between the first half was night and day for the Seahawks.

“We just finally made some athletic moves,” said Southside coach John Lohman. “We decided that we wanted to get the ball more than they did. That was the difference. We got the second goal kind of quick and then the third goal … I think we underestimated them and played soft. That’s what happens.”

The rainy conditions made for an even smaller margin of error and hindered Northside’s offense. The Panthers’ counter attack produced some quality chances, but some of their passes simply couldn’t make it through.

Northside coach Bogy Patton wasn’t too concerned with the result. The school’s soccer program is in its first year back after a one-year hiatus. His measuring stick for the squad is its improvement this season. The Panthers were shutout 9-0 by the Seahawks when the two last met on Oct. 12. Playing evenly through the first half was a sort of milestone for the Panthers.

“This is the first time we’ve had a team in two years,” Patton said. “I’m extremely pleased with what we’re doing. To play the second-seeded team in the conference and to hold them to 1-1 at half, I’m extremely pleased. We have a great bunch of kids … We’re 1,000 percent better than what we started out with.”

Teaching the game has been a process. The team is getting a hold of different strategies and formations. Patton compares his team’s progress to going from playing kickball to playing soccer.

“The biggest thing is that they’re all falling in love with the game,” he said. “That’s the main thing.”

The excitement and passion of the Northside players is tangible. The Panthers, despite being down by a handful of goals, were all smiles on the bench and on the field.

“I’ve always told the players that we might not be the most talented team in our conference, but we play with more heart than any team out there,” Patton said.

The Panthers were also able to score on top-ranked East Carteret on Oct. 21. The team is making gradual steps toward becoming the contender Patton expects to be this time next year.