Playoff soccer, hoops highlight prep landscape|[1/31/06]

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 31, 2006

The Vicksburg Gators enter the Class 5A state playoffs tonight against Horn Lake trying to repeat the magic that grabbed the county soccer community by storm last season.

The upstart Gators reached the state championship match, a 2-0 loss to Clinton, a season ago. The Gators would like nothing better than a shot at beating the team that ended last year’s magic, but Horn Lake and Tupelo stand in the way of a possible rematch.

The Gators (14-8-1) will kick off against Horn Lake (11-5) today at Memorial Stadium at 5:30 p.m. &#8220We’re in the North now and it’s a lot more difficult,” Gators’ senior Coleman Morrison said. &#8220But we plan on going as far as we did last year and further.”

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The Arrows (18-3-1) are ranked third in the state and are one of two teams to have beaten No. 4 Tupelo this season. Those two will square off tonight in Tupelo.

The Warren Central Vikings (9-9-1) will travel to Southaven for a 7 p.m. start. That game will follow Vicksburg High’s (11-11) girls matchup against the Lady Chargers at 5 p.m.

The St. Aloysius Flashes (15-5-1) are scheduled to play at Corinth at 3 p.m.

Second-round matches are scheduled for Saturday, not a given if you ask the Gators.

&#8220We have to treat (Horn Lake) like any other team we’ve played this season,” said Michael Cooper, the Gators leading scorer. &#8220We aren’t expecting anything less from them when they come down here.”

The Gators are coming off a pair of losses in their final two games. The team allowed a pair of late goals in falling 2-1 to second-ranked Northwest Rankin and a 3-0 setback to top-ranked Pearl on Saturday.

Coach Jason Bennett said he doesn’t believe the two late losses will affect his team.

&#8220The way we lost Friday night, I think our guys have a little bit of anger built up inside them,” Bennett said. &#8220I think they are ready to unleash that anger in the playoffs.”

Bennett said getting through the North will be a challenge, but one his team is capable of tackling.

&#8220It would be a lot easier to come out of the South this year,” said Bennett, whose team was shifted North in the latest redistricting. &#8220I think we can do it.”

Prep soccer will not be the only playoff event in Vicksburg today. The Academy-A District 4 Tournament will last all week at Porters Chapel Academy. Sharkey-Issaquena, Porters Chapel, Rebul and Campus Prep will all be participating.