Vikings blunt Arrows|Prep soccer

Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 17, 2010

CLINTON — Not even a driving rainstorm could stop Warren Central from taking a step toward its first divisional title in soccer since 2004.

The Vikings got a goal and an assist off a direct kick from German transfer student Tim Hoeptner to beat Clinton 2-0 on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Arrow Field. This was the Vikings’ first win over Clinton since 2004.

The Vikings (13-3, 5-0 in division play) will have a two-goal lead in the differential when they face Clinton (11-6, 3-1) in a rematch on Monday at Viking Stadium.

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“To be plus-two is big for us,” WC coach Greg Head said. “This is the first time I can recall Warren Central beating both Vicksburg and Clinton in the same year.”

Because of the steady rain, this game could not have been played on a grass field. Arrow Field has Field Turf, so the game went on as scheduled.

“We haven’t played much on Field Turf this season and I don’t think we’ve ever played on a wet turf field. We weren’t used to the bounces,” Head said.

The rain, though, didn’t bother Hoeptner all that much.

“I’m used to playing in rain like this back in Germany,” Hoeptner said. “It was okay.”

What was superb was his direct kick from his own 40-yard line just 10 minutes into the match. Hoeptner ripped a high-arching 60-yard bomb that appeared on its way to the goal. WC’s Eric Chappell made sure it went in by nudging it into the net. Clinton’s keeper, Jake Bowels, had misjudged the trajectory and was out of the box, leaving Chappell alone for the score at the 29:47 mark in the first half.

Hoeptner had a 36-yard direct kick later in the half, but Bowels made a quick hand save to keep the game at 1-0.

Clinton got its best chance to score at the 28:18 mark of the second half when Will Nation’s header missed the high bar by less than a foot. Eight minutes later, Hoeptner gave the Vikings some breathing room.

Taking another direct kick from 50 yards out, Hoeptner powered a line drive that found nothing but the net for a 2-0 lead with 20:22 to play.

“I practice direct kicks some 20,000 times. There nothing special to me. The first one I hit up high in the air. The second one I just shot hard. Usually those hit someone, but they missed it,” Hoeptner said.

Clinton would have six shots at getting at least one goal but was turned away each time by WC keeper Jamal Brinnon or bad luck. Clinton’s Jonathan Brown had a wide open shot at the corner of the Clinton endzone but missed wide. Brinnon made the last of his eight saves in the final two minutes to keep the Arrows off the board and give the Vikings a key two-goal leg up into Monday.

(G) Clinton 3, WC 0

Samantha Jordan scored two goals and Caroline Mentz had one to key the Lady Arrows. The Lady Arrows (10-5-2, 3-0) can win the division title Tuesday night at home against the Vicksburg Missy Gators. The Lady Vikes fall to 7-6-3.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com