Starkville High School soccer players Alex and Christine Mazzola are playing together for the final time this season.
The sisters really want to go out with bang, too.
The Mazzolas spearheaded a solid defensive effort Monday night to help Starkville beat Columbus 6-0 in a non-region match at Columbus High’s Falcon Field.
In the nightcap, the Starkville boys completed the sweep with a 3-0 win.
“This should be one of the best teams Starkville has had in a long time,” Christine Mazzola said. “We have played together as a group for a while now. Our goal is to work on finishing more shots and getting better as a team. We think we have a chance to be a special team.”
The Lady Jackets held a 19-3 advantage in shots on goal in the opening half, and built a 4-0 halftime lead thanks to two different three-minute stretches of back-to-back goals. The Lady Jackets scored twice in the final 13 minutes.
“Columbus has always been a big rival,” Christine Mazzola said. “Even though it is called a friendly, we laugh at that because it is a very intense rivalry. We have a lot of respect for them. It is fun to play in these matches.”
For Starkville (3-0-1) to continue to improve, the focus is on networking the ball better and doing a better job of finishing shots.
“Finishing is something we have been a little bit snakebit on the last couple of years,” Starkville coach Anna Albritton said. “The team has come along and each year we have progressed a little more. Our emphasis this year has been on being more unselfish and doing a better job of finishing shots.
“For us to be the team we want to be, we have to do a better job of maximizing our scoring chances.”
Seventh-grader Camryn Dawkins recorded the shutout. While Dawkins is already impressing, Albritton also compliments the continued growth of a defensive unit led by Alex Mazzola at stopper and Christine Mazzola at center defender.
“Our defense is really solid,” Albritton said. “A lot of teams try to drop the ball behind us. Alex is a very physical player, but she is also a fair player. She is the catalyst to our defensive success. We need to get better at controlling the center third. If we can do that, we will have the type of defense we need.”
Offensively, junior Carolina Berryhill led Starkville with three first-half goals, including back-to-back goals in less than a three-minute stretch. Freshman Hannah Laird scored a goal in each half. Sophomore Noa Harbin had the other goal.
“Passing is becoming a very big focus for our game,” Alex Mazzola said. “We have to make more passes get to the feet. Coaches tell us all the time that goalies can stop shots in the air, but they can’t stop ground attacks. As a group, we are trying to get more fundamentally sound at our passing.”
The final half was competitive. Columbus (4-2-1) had more scoring chances, including a couple of nice breakaway chances by Kelanie Frazier. Jessika Hayes also failed to find the range on a penalty shot. The Lady Falcons also improved defensively, with most of the play occurring in the midfield section for a large stretch of the final half.
“The match was fun and intense,” Alex Mazzola said. “These are the kinds of matches you enjoy playing in. They give us a good opportunity to see what we need to work on before district play begins.”
Starkville boys coach Brian Bennett wasn’t pleased with his squad’s performance. However, the Jackets improved to 3-0 with the victory.
“This team wants to compete for a state championship,” Bennett said. “However, they will have to play a lot smarter than this to have chance. There were really not a lot of good things to say about our performance tonight.”
Junior Dylan Howard scored at the 10-minute mark, sophomore Justin Gordon scored at the 27-minute mark, and junior Darius Gunn scored in the 41st minute.
“Last year at this time, we were not playing very well,” Columbus coach Ben Moore said. “They beat us badly a year ago. To hold them to three scores, with one of them being on a miscue by us, is a testament to how far we have come as a program.
“Starkville has an excellent team. No. 7 (Justin Gordon) is one of the fastest kids we will face this season. He has great touch, shoots it down the line, and plays it across right where he wants to. They have excellent players throughout the team.”
Senior Addison Watson and sophomore Kolby Howard combined for the shutout in goal. Starkville played well defensively but couldn’t build on a fast start.
“We played Thursday, then Saturday, then tonight,” Bennett said. “Maybe that had something to do with it. Our second match was better than our first. However, we took a step backward today. Maybe we didn’t have the intensity we needed because this is no longer a district match.
“Some of the players said it was the weather. I am not sure how you couldn’t want to play on such a beautiful night. We will keep working hard to keep getting better.”
Columbus (2-1) had limited scoring chances. However, the Falcons have played well defensively in victories against New Hope and West Point.
“We are going to give a lot of teams a run for their money this year,” Moore said. “We are getting to the point where people know about Falcon soccer. We want people who play us to know we are going to bring it for the whole match.”
Columbus will play host to Greenville Weston on Friday night. The Starkville-Caledonia matches set for Friday have been postponed due to the football playoffs. Starkville and Columbus conclude the regular-season series Saturday in Starkville.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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