By Staff
ON THE RUN Clarkdale's David Prewitt (9) tries to steal the ball away from West Lauderdale's C.J. Fountain (10). Photo by Carisa McCain/The Meridian Star
By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
Feb. 8, 2002
For the fourth straight year the Knights of West Lauderdale will be playing for a boys' state soccer championship.
The visiting Knights defeated Clarkdale 5-0 in Thursday night soccer action to earn the right to play for the Class 3A-2A-1A title against Madison St. Joseph Saturday at 11 a.m. in Pearl.
West Lauderdale won the state championship two seasons ago.
The Knights scored in the 17th minute of the game on Thursday as they got a free kick just outside the box. Will Moseley took the kick and shot the ball low and into the right side of the goal to make the score 1-0.
The Clarkdale defense played well and kept West Lauderdale from scoring any more goals in the first half, but the Bulldogs were unable to make any runs on the Knight goal.
One of the best scoring chances for the Knights came when C.J. Fountain threw the ball in to Anthony Thomas. The shot by Thomas went just over the goal.
West Lauderdale scored early in the second half when the throw-in by Fountain was headed into the left corner of the goal by John Hime to make the score 2-0.
Nearly five minutes later the Knights struck again when Brandon Rodgers was taken down in the box. Rodgers took the penalty kick and beat the keeper with a shot into the right side of the goal to make the score 3-0.
Clarkdale had its best chance to score later in the half when Justin Culpepper broke free. Culpepper, Daniel Warren and Knight keeper Tyler Skelton converged on the ball and the shot went just over the goal.
West Lauderdale kept the pressure on the Bulldogs. Fountain took a great shot that went just wide of the goal and Rodgers got off a good shot that was saved nicely by Clarkdale keeper Adam Box.
About 31 minutes into the second half the Knights finally struck again. Rodgers was tripped in the box and put the penalty kick into the right side of the goal to give West Lauderdale a 4-0 lead.
Hime just missed another goal later in the half when his header went just high and skipped off of the crossbar and over the goal. Then Fountain got in on the scoring as he took the ball from a Clarkdale defender and shot the ball into the right side of the goal to make the game 5-0.
The West Lauderdale defense kept the Bulldogs from getting any chances to score the rest of the game and the Knights held on for the 5-0 victory.
The loss ends the season for the Bulldogs. Clarkdale finishes the year with an impressive 14-3 record.
The Knights improve to 18-4 on the year with the win, going into Saturday's title match with the 15-6 Bruins.