By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
HATTIESBURG – It may not have mattered in the standings, but don’t tell Oak Grove’s girls that a season-ending victory over their fiercest rival wasn’t insignificant.
The Lady Warriors got a goal on a fluky bounce of the ball early in the game and made the score stand up in a 1-0 win over Brandon in Region 6-6A girls soccer action Tuesday night at Warrior Field.
Oak Grove (12-5-2 overall) finished second in the region despite finishing tied with the Lady Bulldogs (11-2-3 overall) at 5-1 in region play. The Lady Warriors will open the Class 6A playoffs this Saturday at home against the third-seeded team from Region 8-6A.
Oak Grove may not have achieved its goal of winning the region, but closing the season with a win over Brandon will do nicely as a consolation prize for Lady Warrior coach Clay Smith.
“This rivalry with Brandon goes back 20 years at least,” said Smith. “It is always fun to beat your archrival.
“I told the girls that there was no pressure, to just go for it. We’ve been on a win streak, and we wanted to carry that into the playoffs. We always have a hard-fought battle with them, so I’m proud to get the win.”
Junior Anushka Singh was the beneficiary of a fortuitous bounce in the 14th minute of play, after several minutes of sustained pressure on Brandon goalkeeper Ashlynn Stringer.
A shot into a crowded box in front of the net bounced off a Brandon defender and Singh was in the right place at point-blank range to push the shot into the net. Stringer got a hand on the ball, but couldn’t make the stop.
“It seemed like I saw it in slow motion,” said Singh. “Bailee (Bennett) shot it from the side, and it looked like a cross into the middle. Thanks to a lucky deflection, it came to me, and I just shot it.
“At first I didn’t think I’d made it, and that I had drawn a (penalty kick), then everybody came rushing in and I was, like, ‘I made it!’”
The Lady Bulldogs had the early momentum, getting four shots in the first 10 minutes, including the first two on goal.
But in the 11th minute, Oak Grove junior Bailee Bennett sent the Lady Warriors’ first corner kick of the game into the box, where sophomore Maggie Boucher got her head on a shot that bounced off the crossbar.
Oak Grove kept the pressure on, didn’t allow Brandon to clear the ball, and the result was the score, Singh’s first career goal for the Lady Warriors.
“Without the goal, we’d be going into overtime and PKs, and that puts so much stress on the team,” said Singh. “I’m so proud of the way we played tonight.”
The Lady Warriors employed a risky strategy, playing with just three players on the back line, putting a load of responsibility on senior Ally Stiglets in the center back position.
“We practiced it a couple of times and saw that it worked really well,” said Stiglets. “We all just communicate better that way. And if there is one thing I always do is yell. They all listen to me when I’m back there.”
Oak Grove started out the season using a more conventional 4-3-4 setup, with Stiglets playing in the midfield. But in the last few games, Smith moved her to center back, with positive results.
“We were in a tournament last weekend, and we had to make a switch,” Smith said. “We put her back there, and she’s so athletic, fast and good in the air. I’m just so proud of her and all the girls. They played their hearts out.”
Neither team mounted much of a threat the rest of the first half, but both teams had good chances to score in the opening minutes of the second half.
In the 43rd minute, sophomore Olivia Cassell took a crossing pass for an open shot that banged off the right post.
Four minutes later, Brandon got a clear shot at Oak Grove senior goalkeeper Grace Maxwell for one of the few times all night, but Maxwell was good for the save.
In the 56th minute, Lady Warrior sophomore Zion Causey got a breakaway for a one-on-one shot at goal, but Stringer made the save, and six minutes later, Causey had another wide-open, one-on-one look at the goal but pushed the shot wide right.
For the game, both teams had 11 shots. Oak Grove had six on goal, while Brandon finished with five on frame.
Oak Grove heads into the postseason with a ton of momentum after completing the regular season with an eight-game winning streak.
“If we can keep this momentum, with the way we’re playing offensively and defensively, I think we can keep this win streak going,” said Smith. “I’ve told the girls, ‘all you have to do is be the better team that night.’
“The key is to get into the playoffs, then everybody’s record is wiped out and you just have to be the better team that night. I feel great about (postseason). I’m super-proud of these kids. They’ve worked their tails off.”
