By By Austin Bishop/EMG regional sports director
Jan. 29, 2002
St. Louis Rams head football coach Mike Martz and Clarkdale boys soccer coach Mark Taylor had something in common on Monday afternoon. Both were busy trying to convince their teams that the next game on the schedule was not going to be as easy as it appears.
While the Rams will be a two-touchdown favorite going into Sunday's Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, the Bulldogs will be making the trip over to Richland today for the first round of the MHSAA 3A-2A-1A playoffs.
While Clarkdale is the runner-up in its division to West Lauderdale, the Bulldogs will be taking on a Richland team it has beaten twice.
Clarkdale beat Richland on the road 7-1 early in the season, then took a 5-3 win at home this month. Today's game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Other first-round boys' playoff games scheduled for today have Neshoba Central visiting Oxford at 7 p.m. and West Lauderdale hosting North Forrest at 7 p.m.
Girls games have Northeast Lauderdale hosting Brookhaven at 6 p.m. Newton County entertaining Forest AHS at 6 p.m. and Clarkdale visiting Our Lady Academy at 5:30 p.m.
Taylor said the thing that concerned him the most about Richland was its team speed.
The Bulldogs go into the game with a 12-2 record with the only losses coming to league foes West Lauderdale and Philadelphia.
West Lauderdale is looking to return to the state championship game, but first must take on North Forrest.
The Lady Bulldogs of Clarkdale are facing quite a challenge when they travel to the Coast to take on Our Lady Academy.
OLA is 16-2, while the Lady Bulldogs are 4-3-3.