When Leland Moseley scored a goal in the 57th minute, Lamar soccer coach Leon Powell called him to the sideline and knelt down on one knee.

At first, Moseley thought his coach wanted him to sit on that knee. Powell then explained that Moseley should prop his cleat on top of Powell’s knee, and when Moseley did so, Powell began wiping away the dirt like a shoeshiner.

“I don’t know, but he’s on his knee and looked like Santa, so I thought he wanted me to sit in his lap,” Moseley said between laughs. “It was pretty funny.”

Normally a defender, Moseley came upfield with his team leading 3-0 to score the first goal of his career and giving Lamar a 4-0 advantage against Copiah Academy Thursday night. The Raiders went on to win 6-1, and at the time of Moseley’s shot on goal, Powell, a Jamaica native, decided to celebrate his senior’s accomplishment with a bit of Jamaican flavor.

“It’s an island thing,” Powell explained with a smile. “When someone scores that never really scores, you give them a boot clean, but he thought it was a seat for him to sit on. It was his first career goal as a soccer player.”

Said Moseley, “It felt great. It felt a little awkward going up there at first, but it’s just soccer, and it’s fun to play.”

Lamar led 2-0 at the half thanks to goals by Wesley Purvis and Jake Davidson. The Raiders added a goal in the 48th minute when Purvis scored again off an assist by Miller Hodge. Nine minutes later, Moseley scored his goal, and two minutes after that, Davidson added his second goal of the evening.

The Raiders’ final goal of the game came courtesy of Tripp Morrow in the 68th minute. Copiah Academy scored its only goal in the 75th minute.

“We came out and got the job done,” Powell said.

And Lamar did so without William Majure, Zagar Cooper and Hayden Farrar, all of whom sat out with injuries Thursday.

“They have some knee and ankle problems, so we’re just getting them healthy so they can come back,” Powell said.

After only having two games before the Christmas break, Lamar completed its sixth game Thursday in January, and the Raiders have now won four straight following a 7-0 loss to Jackson Prep back on Jan. 8. Powell said he wants his team peaking mid-February during the playoffs, and he’s noticed some improvements since the Christmas break.

“Lots of changes: good changes, bad changes, but mostly good changes,” Powell said. “We’re getting more fit, and they’re understanding what is required and what the coaches need of them, and we’re only going to continue getting better.”

Moseley said he’s noticed the improvement as well, though the team still isn’t a finished product.

“I think we’re getting better, though we do need improvement,” Moseley said. 

Lamar (6-3, 1-0) will play in the Jackson Prep tournament Saturday.