Staff photo / Brian Yauger Badger freshman Henry Flowers, right, tries to wrangle possession of the ball while being tailed by Columbiana’s Oliver Cuff during a game on Wednesday in Vernon.

VERNON — Badger’s aggressive attack proved too much for Columbiana on Wednesday, taking down the Clippers, 9-0, in a non-league battle.

Senior midfielder Dax Harnett scored the game’s first three goals, the first of which came in the first two minutes. Harnett finished with four goals.

“That kid can play anywhere,” Braves coach Scott Smith said. “He’s really, really good.”

Silas Harnett, Jack Harnett, Tristan Sawtelle and Lewis Flowers each also found the back of the net on Wednesday. Flowers scored twice in the second half.

They’ve helped guide an aggressive and overwhelming Badger attack.

“I have a lot of speed, a lot of height, they can take advantage of the balls in the air, they can distribute, they can move,” Smith said. “This team has just about everything I can ask for.”

Teams across the NAC have talked about the Braves as the “final boss” of the league, and it’s not hard to see why. Badger boasts a 9-4 mark on the year and a 6-1 league record. The team’s only blemish in NAC play is a since-avenged loss to Bristol. If anyone else wants to win the conference, the Braves stand in the way.

That’s what makes these last few games so important. With Bristol and Grand Valley nipping at their heels, the Braves need to close the year strong to retain their crown.

“It’s just about finding our shape, finding our formation, and trusting ourselves,” Smith said.

For small public schools in the Mahoning Valley over the last few years, Badger has been a great measuring stick for teams looking to build up their program. Going against the Braves is always a solid test for a team that schedules them and shows where they need to improve.

Columbiana is in the midst of a rebuilding year, and Wednesday’s game was certainly a test. With just 11 players on the roster, and few with varsity soccer experience, by the end of the game, Badger was just overwhelming them.

“We had a good core last year. Six seniors, a pretty good team. We made a little bit of an effort in the postseason, but this year we lost them all and we brought in zero new freshmen,” Clippers coach Anthony Grenga said. “We had to recruit from the school. We had cross-country kids, band kids, first time soccer players all across-the-board. It’s relatively noticeable, but we have a good group of juniors for next year, and we have about six or seven upcoming freshmen, so we’re hoping next year we’ll get the wheels moving, but this year is a little bit of a rebuilding year for us.

“That’s a tough, tough team to go against, and this is also one of the widest fields in the tri-county area. It’s a good soccer field, but with 11 players, no subs, it burned them out and things just went downhill after 30 minutes of the first half.”

Up next for the Clippers is a road showdown with Campbell on Oct. 6.

Badger hits the road to face Lakeview on Monday. As the homestretch of the season picks up, the Braves want to focus on themselves.

“We just have to play our game,” Smith said. “Too many times we get forced into playing the way other teams want to play. If we focus on the way that we want to play and our ideas, then we’re fine.”