Season ends early for two-time defending state champion Arrows

By Danny C. Davis

Senior Price Farrar, pictured at a playoff game

In one of the toughest upsets in a long time, the #1-ranked Clinton Arrows soccer team fell to Hernando 2-1 in the second round of the Class 7A boys north playoffs.

The loss denied the Arrows a third state championship, after winning the overall title in 2022 and 2023.

With eight starters back, Clinton was the odds-on favorite to win another state title this year. Over the past three seasons, the Arrows won 54 games and had a nine-game playoff winning streak before the upset loss to Hernando.

Over the record three-year run, CHS scored 205 goals and only allowed 67 goals. CHS finished 18-3-3 this past season. Two of the losses were to top-ranked Florida teams in a tournament in January. Hernando was the only Mississippi team to beat Clinton over the past two seasons.

Hernando scored first at the 16-minute mark and went up 2-0 with a goal at the 58-minute mark. Clinton’s lone goal came at the 62nd minute by Logan Cole on a penalty kick to make it 2-1.

Clinton had chances to tie the game in the final 18 minutes with several good shots but could not find the back of the net.

Against Hernando, the Arrows had ten shots and only three shots on target. Hernando had seven shots and six shots on target.

“I think Hernando played like we did two years ago, when we were trying to win our first state championship in years, and [they] gave it all they had tonight,” said Arrow head coach Tyler Wade. “It was just one of those nights that things didn’t go our way. Their first shot hit inside, and the second came off the corner.”

“We were the far superior talent, with eight starters back this year; but, towards the end of the season, we just could not find a way to play at the level we played at the last two years,” said Wade. “But I am proud of what our seniors accomplished at Clinton. Hopefully, the younger players coming back will learn from what happened tonight.”

“The first season, two years ago, we were unexpected to win the state championship, but we pulled it out. But last year, we blew it out of the water and were perfect in every aspect of the game,” said senior Brady Torrence. “This season, we were undefeated and had scored a lot of goals and expected to win it all again, and people were afraid of us. But Hernando came out like we played two years ago and played hard and found a way to win.”

Senior Hayden Wolfe agreed.

“Hernando was the underdog, and no one expected them to win,” said Wolfe. “And, in the end, they seemed to want it more. We out shot them and had countless chances, but it just didn’t go our way.”