KARNS CITY — The record fell hard — and could have fallen sooner.

Karns City senior Spenser Myers scored three goals last Saturday in a win over Hickory, snapping the Gremlins' boys soccer career goals mark of 123.

The previous record was set by Ryan Parker 13 years ago.

Myers has since added four more goals and has 129 in his career — with approximately 10 games still to play.

“I held him back his freshman and sophomore years, along with the other guys in that class,” KC coach Jim Grenninger said. “I didn't want them tallying a bunch of easy goals in what were already lopsided games.

“I wanted them to stay within our system and earn what they got. Once they were juniors, I turned them loose. Honestly, Spenser could have around 200 goals right now if I let him go from the start.”

Myers scored 23 goals in both his freshman and sophomore years. He exploded for 54 last season and will likely eclipse the 40-goal mark in his final season.

He's not alone in finding the net, either. The day he broke the record, Noah Pollack scored two goals. Myers, Pollack and Jace Ebbitt all had three-goal hat tricks in the same game this season.

The Gremlins are off to an 8-0 start this season.

Pollack had 25 assists last year. Ebbitt has 19 this season. The pair estimate their assist total to be over 50 for their careers.

“It's cool that we've been a part of what he's done here,” Pollack said of Myers.

“With his speed and skills ... We just get him the ball and he knows how to finish,” Ebbitt said.

Myers has an appreciation for Karns City soccer history.

He knows that Parker ran cross country during those years he was scoring those 123 goals in soccer.

“A two-sport guy ... Phenomenal,” Myers said. “And Leslie Barnhart's total on the girls team was 213. That's just crazy.

“I'm excited about leaving here as a part of Karns City history. In another 10 or 20 years, seeing someone break my record? I'd love it. That's why records exist. I never thought I'd have a shot at this one.”

Grenninger said Myers has everything it takes to be a goal scorer in soccer: the shot, the speed and the instinct.

“He can run away from people and he anticipates plays so well,” the coach said. “The shot is definitely there. Seventy-five percent of his goals have probably come off sets, things like penalty kicks, direct and corner kicks.”

Grenninger uses Myers as a center-midfielder so “he has more field to work with.”

Myers is marked by every team Karns City plays. It doesn't matter much.

“You just have to get creative,” he said. “Try to come up with a move they haven't seen or aren't expecting. That's part of the challenge of playing soccer.”

Myers will accept another soccer challenge once he graduates in the spring. He is an invited walk-on at West Virginia University, where he will try to make a men's soccer team currently ranked 17th in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

The Mountaineers are 6-1-1 — off to their best start in 10 years — and have not allowed a goal in a school-record seven straight games.

“They have an outstanding sport management program down there,” said Myers, who carries a 3.2 grade point average. “It will be a challenge trying to make that team. They bring players in from all over — Brazil, Canada, Mexico, England.

“It's the biggest challenge of my soccer career. I'm going to have to make a name for myself, prove I belong.”

Just like he's proven he belongs at the top in the Karns City soccer record book.

“Nobody does anything in this game by himself,” Myers said. “Without guys like Noah, Jace, all the others, I don't do anything.

“It's been fun scoring. It's even more fun winning. That's what we're all here to do.”