A couple of defensive breakdowns were all it took to send St. Aloysius home in the MAIS Division II boys soccer playoffs.

Starkville Academy scored three goals in the first half, including two in the last 10 minutes, and went on to beat the Flashes 4-1 in a first-round game on Thursday.

Eli Shiers had St. Al’s only goal, early in the second half, but it couldn’t get any more. Starkville added a clincher later in the second half.

“We played well. We just made a few mistakes. To go on the road against a good team and win, you can’t make mistakes,” St. Al coach Jay Madison said. “I couldn’t be more proud of them. They gave it their all. Win, lose or draw, that’s all you can give.”

Starkville Academy (9-4) advanced to face Heritage Academy in the semifinals on Monday. St. Al finished its season with an 11-4-1 record. Starkville eliminated the Flashes from the playoffs for the second time in four seasons.

Madison said more disappointing than even the loss was the end of an era for nine senior starters on his roster. They’d been with him at St. Al since he took over as coach in 2019.

“It was one of those emotional deals because I had nine seniors that had been with me from the start. They were my guys and I wanted better for them,” Madison said. “They were good leaders, good kids and a fantastic group. Really, a good team by the end of the year.”