STARKVILLE — The Starkville High School boys soccer team”s first trip to the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A playoffs stalled at home Saturday against a tenacious Madison Central team.
The Jaguars (19-2-3) outhustled the Yellow Jackets (16-2-1) to a goal in each half and weathered Starkville”s attempts to creep back into the game to earn a 2-0 victory.
Madison Central advances to play Tupelo, which defeated Northwest Rankin 3-2 in overtime, on Tuesday in the North State final.
On Saturday, Madison Central was too big and too fast for a scrappy Starkville side to overcome.
Madison Central junior Jaylon Brown broke free on a push through the middle of the defense midway through the first half and beat goalkeeper Addison Watson to give the Jaguars an early lead. People on the Starkville High sideline called for offsides from the officials on the play.
“The first goal, we had a few stabs in the middle, which opened up a chance for them attack down the middle,” Starkville High coach Brian Bennett said. “Our defenders had decide whether to come or go. It was very close on the onsides call. It was a good goal for them.”
The shot was Madison Central”s second on goal. The Jaguars held the Yellow Jackets to just one shot in the first half, and had a 17-5 edge for the game.
Starkville stole Madison Central”s momentum after the goal but failed to muster and dangerous scoring chances, fizzling in its attempt to shoot for an equalizer.
Madison Central finished the half strong, spending several minutes with all its offensive players in Starkville”s 18-yard box.
Madison Central continued to control the action at the start of the second half, and threatened to score several times in the opening minutes.
Alvaro Pichardo, one of two graduating seniors for Starkville, interrupted Madison Central”s control long enough to bounce a shot off the crossbar. The Jaguars controlled the next 10 minutes until they got close enough for senior Chase Rawson to take advantage of miscommunication on Starkville”s part to fire a laser from the right side of the six-yard box that gave Madison Central a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes remaining.
“We were a little out of position,” Bennett said. “J.R. Tomlinson was coming over to take a throw in and Austin Wileman threw the ball in when he wasn”t expecting it. Daniel Fumo got picked, which opened up the middle. Without very many people in the middle they fired a wicked little knuckle-type shot. Addison is pretty good with those type shots, but that one was moving.”
Starkville”s rush to rally led to a number of poor passes, which kept it out of Madison Central”s half. With 15 minutes remaining, several of Starkville”s players were visibly fatigued, which led to more bad touches and lethargic passes.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars still held the ball and worked the clock with crisp passes and aggressive challenges.
“We have a lot of depth. I”m able to play 19-22 guys, and that”s a luxury,” Madison Central Coach Jay Harrison said. “(Bennett) has maybe one or two guys he can bring in when I”ve got almost the entire second squad if I need them. We run midfielders in and out, and that”s a lot if you can control the ball like we did in the second half.”
Said Bennett, “They”re quick, they”ve got speed, and they”ve got strength. That”s probably where they had us. We”ve had games where we”ve been dominated, and I don”t think that was the case today.”
The Yellow Jackets” closest shot at a goal came with less than two minutes remaining when sophomore Taylor Wise”s header pinged off the crossbar.
Losing just two seniors, Bennett said next year”s squad will be loaded with experience and poised to make another run past the first round of the playoffs.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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