The Starkville High School boys soccer players want a do-over, while the Starkville High girls want an encore.
The Jackets and Lady Jackets will be back in action Saturday when they take on Oxford in second-round Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A playoff matchups.
The girls will play at noon, while the boys will follow at a 2 p.m. at the Oxford High football stadium.
“We felt like we let one slip away the last time we played Oxford,” Starkville senior center midfielder Kase Kingery said. “It is definitely a revenge game for us. We are playing a lot better now so we like our chances to go up there and play well.”
On Jan. 14, the teams met in a regular-season doubleheader in Oxford. The Starkville girls won 1-0, while the boys dropped a 2-0 decision.
Now, the stakes are higher. Saturday’s winners will move to the Final Four of the playoff chase.
“We were really flat the night before (against Neshoba Central) we played them in the regular season,” Starkville boys soccer coach Brian Bennett said. “I thought that carried over to the match. I expect a much better effort this time around.
“We should go up there and know what to expect. I fully expect us to play harder and with an attitude. The guys should have a chip on their shoulders after losing earlier.”
Division 3 champion Starkville improved to 11-3 Tuesday with a 4-0 first-round home playoff win against Center Hill. Four players scored as the Jackets scored two goals in each half. Starkville dominated the middle third of the match and cruised to victory.
“When we have balance we can be a difficult team to beat,” Starkville senior goalkeeper Addison Watson said. “Our ball movement was really great against Center Hill. It may have been the best it has been all year. When we have different players step up and we are able to do a good job with possession, then we can be tough to beat.
“Hopefully, we can go up to Oxford and have this type of effort again. Since we have already faced them once, we know that challenge that is ahead.”
District 2 champion Oxford is 13-2-3. The Chargers were tested in their playoff opener, a 3-1 triumph against Jackson Callaway.
Starkville plans to test Oxford some more. Bennett feels his squad is playing its best soccer at the right time. Some injuries slowed the process early, but now everybody is back, healthy, hungry, and playing better as a team.
“We had to deal with some setbacks,” Bennett said. “The team is finally beginning to jell. The more opportunities we have to play together, the better they play. We have to go up there and stay within ourselves. We have to compete and play our style of soccer. If we do that, we can be successful.”
The winner of Saturday’s match will face Hernando or Ridgeland on Tuesday night in a third-round match.
In Saturday’s opener, the Starkville High girls will look for an encore performance of their regular-season victory against Oxford and their first-round playoff victory against Center Hill.
The Lady Jackets maintained possession for almost the entire match in a 3-0 home win against the Lady Mustangs on Tuesday. Junior Carolina Berryhill scored all three goals as Starkville won a home playoff match for the first time.
“We didn’t play as well as we would have liked, but we played as well as we needed to,” Starkville girls coach Anna Albritton said. “There was some fatigue after playing three matches the week before. We have rested up some and are now looking forward to going on the road and trying to continue our season.”
Division 2 champion Oxford improved to 9-8 Tuesday with an 8-0 victory against Jackson Callaway. The Lady Chargers scored seven goals in the first half and didn’t allow a shot on goal.
“They are a physical team. It will be quite a challenge for us,” Berryhill said. “However, right now, this team is playing with a lot of confidence.”
Three straight shutouts can build confidence. The Lady Jackets ended the regular season with back-to-back shutouts against Neshoba Central and New Hope.
District 3 champion Starkville has prided itself on great defense en route to a record of 11-4-1. The Lady Jackets will try to win two postseason matches for the first time. Starkville last made the second round in 2008.
“Defensively, we have been really good this year,” Albritton said. “It is hard for other teams to penetrate the ball on their offensive end. Each night, we know our defensive unit is going to be ready to play. As long as we are good with possession, it usually allows us to wear the other team down.”
Oxford may be the surprise team of the postseason. The Lady Chargers battled back from a 3-6 record with three straight road wins to make the postseason.
The Starkville-Oxford girls winner will face New Hope or Ridgeland on Tuesday in the third round.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.