STARKVILLE — The Starkville Academy boys’ soccer team improved to 3-1 on the season with a 1-0 win over local rivals Heritage Academy on Thursday. Senior Hayden Parrish scored the only goal of the game, leading a counter-attack in the 20th minute to beat the defense and the goalkeeper.
It was a largely defensive performance for the Volunteers, showing the experience of the older group of players as the team dealt with wave after wave of pressure to secure a clean sheet against high-scoring rivals.
“I think we’re doing good, we’re finally coming together,” Parrish said. “We were a little rough at the start playing Pillow as our first game but we beat them, we played tough and we’re getting there.”
The Patriots (5-1) suffered their first loss of the season to the Volunteers in the first district matchup for either team.
“Definitely could have been a lot more effort, but it’s always an adjustment for our girls and our boys when we come here and adjust to the turf,” Patriots head coach Jacob Hunt said when reflecting on the game. His team dominated the possession but struggled to turn it into chances on target. This was the first match the Patriots had not scored, having scored at least three goals in each of their previous five matches.
“Everything on the ball was good,” he said. “I think it’s more about the defensive aspect of it, we need to do better being aggressive in midfield and putting in tackles when we can. Clean up defensively, clean up the communication.”
The Vols were coming off of a defeat to Jackson Prep last week, but have had good wins against Pillow and Madison-Ridgeland this year. The win on Thursday demonstrated their defensive fortitude and ability to attack teams quickly after creating turnovers.
“The guys really got after it,” Vols head coach William Wells said after the game. “We knew we’d have to play hard and physically and try to cut off their passes, and they did it tonight. I’m proud of them, they worked hard.”
Wells was announced as head coach shortly after the school year began, meaning he had very little time to work with the kids before the games began. He emphasized outworking opponents and maintaining a high intensity throughout games.
It’s still early in the season, but a low block on defense paired nicely with fast-break chance creation.
“When I first got them, I started late, and we couldn’t even run a mile without people stopping,” Wells said. “So we’ve been working hard getting in shape, we’re a little behind on some other things but I’m proud and they played good.”
“Our defense is definitely our strong suit, we have those guys who can make runs up the field and combine with us and it’s really helpful,” Parrish said of the defensive setup. “That’s where we thrive and get our goals from.”
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