Lady Arrows soccer team advances to state championship

By Danny C. Davis

After a long weather delay, the Clinton Arrow Lady Arrows soccer team finally were able to play in the North Class 6A championship game Saturday, February 4, at Lewisburg High School near Memphis. The game was originally scheduled for January 31, but was delayed four days because of an ice storm in north Mississippi.

The Lady Arrows, now 14-6-1, had to overcome the long delay, cold temperatures, and a muddy field, but they defeated the Lewisburg Lady Patriots 3-1 to advance to the Class 6A girls championship game against Gulfport, now 19-1-2. At press time, that game was scheduled for Monday, February 6, at Ridgeland High School stadium at 6 p.m.

“The hardest thing was trying to keep the girls focused during the four-day layover,” said Arrow head coach Elliot Rimmer. “I am proud of the way we went up there and played good enough to win on a muddy field after not playing for a week.”

The Clinton girls will be trying to win their first state championship since 1997.

The Lady Arrows played Gulfport earlier in the season, and the two teams battled to a 0-0 tie.

Clinton advanced to the girls Class 6A championship game last year, but fell 3-1 to Northwest Rankin.

At Lewisburg, the Lady Arrows went ahead 1-0 on a goal by sophomore Cooper Pletzke, following a cross, with about fifteen minutes remaining in the half. That is the way things remained until sophomore McKenzie Price scored off a penalty kick that made it 2-0 about five minutes into the second half.

The Lewisburg Lady Patriots scored off a free kick to cut it to 2-1. But Clinton sealed the game 3-1 on junior Kate Crisler’s goal with about fifteen minutes left.

“It was hard every day, not knowing when or where we were going to play,” said Crisler. “We needed to score again, and I was wide open and a cross came to me. I got a shot at the goal, and it went off the goalie’s hands into the goal.”