Making a statement

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Clarkdale coach Lea Castleberry is covered in silly string by Breanna Ivey after the Bulldogs defeated McLaurin for the MHSAA Class 1A/2A/3A girls soccer North State championship Tuesday night. Paula Merritt
Clarkdale's Bailey McElroy fights for the ball against McLaurin Tuesday night as the Bulldogs win the Class 1A/2A/3A North State championship. Paula Merritt
Clarkdale celebrates at midfield after defeating McLaurin to advance to the Class 1A/2A/3A state championship to be held Friday in Clinton. Paula Merritt
Clarkdale celebrates at midfield after defeating McLaurin to advance to the Class 1A/2A/3A state championship to be held Friday in Clinton. Paula Merritt

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February 1, 2012

Clarkdale girls rout McLaurin to reach first title game

By Jamie Wachter / Sports Editor The Meridian Star The Meridian Star Wed Feb 01, 2012, 06:00 AM CST

MERIDIAN —     Clarkdale girls soccer coach Lea Castleberry wanted to send a message Tuesday night in the MHSAA Class 1A/2A/3A North State championship.

   Statement made.

   The Bulldogs controlled play throughout, blasting McLaurin 5-1 while rolling up 26 shots on goal at Chris Mabry Field. With the win, the Bulldogs advanced to Friday's state championship game at 4 p.m. at Clinton High School. Clarkdale will face Our Lady Academy, a 3-1 winner against Sacred Heart in the South State title game.

   "It's pretty awesome," Castleberry said.

   To get there, the Bulldogs came out as the aggressors Tuesday, much to their coach's orders.

   "We wanted to come out strong and stay strong all the way through," Castleberry said. "We wanted to let people know Clarkdale is for real this year."

   Clarkdale was for real Tuesday, as the Bulldogs got off 17 shots in the first half, while allowing the Tigers just two (three total).The Bulldogs missed a golden opportunity just five minutes in when Jordan Lowe came up with a loose ball in front of the McLaurin goal but was denied and then Lowe pushed the rebound over the goal.

   Just four minutes later, though, Clarkdale broke through. On its sixth shot of the game, a Kennedy Castleberry throw-in cleared through the front of the box to Kayla Phillips, who deposited it in the net.

   The Bulldogs didn't let up with the early lead, either, However, they were unable to add to it as scoring chance after scoring chance went awry. The Tigers, though, didn't miss on their first shot with 13:30 left in the half when they struck on a free kick to tie the game at 1.

   "My philosophy is to keep shooting and eventually it will fall," Castleberry added. "So that's what I tell them, is to keep shooting and we'll get one to fall in. They work hard every day, and it fell. It eventually fell for them."

   Six minutes later, the Bulldogs regained the lead, this time for good.

   Paige Gower sent a shot soaring toward the goal from near midfield and Phillips, who had scored five goals in Clarkdale's two previous playoff wins, deflected the ball past the Tiger keeper just before slamming into and flipping over her, pushing Clarkdale back ahead with 7:12 left in the half.

   Clarkdale added a goal at the 31:30 mark of the second half when Sydney Dawkins' shot from outside the box took a hop over the McLaurin keeper into the goal. And Haley Dupre pushed the lead to 4-1 with 17 minutes left when on a breakaway, she pushed a shot past the diving keeper.

   Phillips, who had a hat trick in Saturday's 5-1 win at Greenville-St. Joseph to advance the Bulldogs out of the second round for the first time, duplicated the feat with 3:13 left, when her shot deflected off a McLaurin defender into the goal..

   "They eventually will go," said Castleberry, who implored her talented scorer several times throughout.

   And the entire Bulldogs will go: to state.

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Making a statement

Clarkdale girls rout McLaurin to reach first title game

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