Heritage Academy’s girls soccer team won its match against Starkville Homeschool on Tuesday evening, leading the game 8-0 in the first half before it had to be called off due to lightning in the area.
Sophomore center forward Caroline Peal led the way with four goals for the Patriots, followed closely by junior left-winger Chloe Boyd, who had two goals and three assists. Freshman Kennedy Perkins and junior Reagan Merchant scored the other two goals.
Boyd and Peal were an unstoppable pair for Starkville to deal with throughout the match. Boyd worked excellently off the dribble by creating chances and carrying the ball into the box. Heritage played well to that strength, using their left back and midfield to overload the area and get options into the box quickly for her to pass to. Peal and Perkins offered her good target options, and both took advantage of the good service from the winger.
“It’s one of our game plans, we’ve got a few things we like to do and options we like to play,” first-year Patriots head coach Jacob Hunt said. “It’s just another good tool in the tool box.”
The strategy has been successful so far this year, and the Patriots have now won their last three games in prolific fashion.
“I have an idea of what I want us to bring into our district games and playoffs, and we’re kind of experimenting in these non-district games to make sure we’re well rounded and ready for whatever teams throw at us,” Hunt said.
The Patriots opened the season with a tough 5-1 loss to Bayou Academy but rebounded quickly with shutout wins against Magnolia Heights and Indianola Academy before Tuesday’s rout.
“Our first game the plan was set, we just didn’t get to execute,” said Hunt, reflecting on the start of the season. “We played a great team in Bayou Academy, who is gonna be a difficult opponent going forward. Second game against Magnolia went how we planned; it went our way. Indianola, another aggressive team, but we executed the game plan and did what we needed to do. And now here we are with this game, and hopefully we can carry the momentum going forward.”
The Patriots will return to district play Thursday with a visit to Lamar School.
Other scores
Prep volleyball
West Lowndes 3, Okolona 1
Prep softball
Calhoun Academy 11, Starkville Academy 1, four innings
CALHOUN CITY — Starkville Academy softball allowed a nine-run fourth inning, leading to a run-rule loss to Calhoun Academy in Tuesday’s road game.
The Volunteers trailed the Cougars 2-1 prior to the big frame, answering a two-run first inning with a run in the second.
Calliope Koiva had three strikeouts for the Vols.
Starkville Academy hosts Heritage Academy at 5 pm Thursday.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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