{1/19/03}Vicksburg High coach Kevin Manton said the difference between Friday and Saturday’s games was like night and day.

He wasn’t just talking about game times, either.

Coming off its worst loss of the season, a lackluster 3-0 decision to Madison Central on Friday night, the Missy Gators slammed rival Clinton, 4-1, for the Division 6-5A championship and a guaranteed home playoff game.

“I wasn’t expecting us to play that bad,” Manton said of the Madison loss. “Madison was good and they took it to us. … I’m very pleased to bounce back after last night.

“I told them after the game, the Gators showed up today.'”

Brandi Parker and Holly Head each scored two goals one apiece in each half and goalie Megan Humphries made nine saves in the victory.

VHS will host a first-round playoff game on Jan. 28 against a team from the Gulf Coast.

Clinton can earn the second seed in the playoffs with a win over Warren Central on Tuesday. Should the Lady Vikes win, WC will travel to the Coast.

“We’re very young and sometimes young means inconsistent,” said Clinton coach Thomas Bobo, whose team dropped to 14-5-2 (1-1 division). “Sometimes we play really well and sometimes we don’t and today we didn’t.”

VHS opened the scoring 12 minutes into the game on an assist from Brandi Head and Parker.

Two minutes later, Parker took a shot from along the sidelines. With plenty of backspin, the ball bounced twice, the second time over Clinton’s goalie’s head for a 2-0 lead.

With less than a minute to play in the first half, Lesly Melo scored to get Clinton within 2-1 at the break.

Parker assisted Vicksburg’s third goal 10 minutes into the second half after her throw-in hit Clinton’s goalie in the chest, bounced off and Holly Head found the back of the net for a 3-1 lead.

Parker added the final goal 21 minutes into the second half on a penalty kick and a 4-1 lead.

Vicksburg is scheduled to play at Brandon on Tuesday.