DECATUR — The Patriots have just one thing on their minds.

Finish the job.

Lewisburg is off to a good start after a 7-1 thrashing of Neshoba Central in the first round of the MHSAA Boys Class 5A soccer playoffs at East Central Community College’s Bailey Stadium on Monday night.

The Patriots (15-1-1) will face the Ridgeland-Grenada winner in the second round on Saturday.

“Pleased with (my) guys, especially after a long bus ride down here and started off slow, sluggish and nervous. But after about fifteen minutes the guys settled in and played well,” said Lewisburg coach Harl Roehm. “Ty Greer with the hat trick in the first half was big and he’s finding his groove. We had a few mental errors, but overall a good top-notch performance.”

Neshoba Central would score first just five minutes into the match on a goal by Clay Sanders on a breakaway to give the Rockets a quick 1-0 lead.

“That was the best first five minutes of a game we’ve played all season,” said Neshoba Central coach Jamie Madison. “But against a team like that who is consistent you’ve got to play for 80 minutes and we just couldn’t put that together. We are a young team, so we will learn from this.”

Lewisburg quickly responded three minutes later on a goal from Peyton Coker off a free kick from about 40 yards out to tie the score at 1.

Froward Ty Greer, who is coming off a torn ACL injury, would score the next three goals for a hat trick in the first half the Patriots in the 18th minute, 23rd minute and the 30th minute to go up 4-1 at halftime.

“I thought we played really well as a team and I thought I had three great balls to get three goals,” Greer said. “We had nerves early but fought through it. We got 10 seniors on this team and we won to win state and then graduate. Just got to take it one game at a time.”

Kevin Rojas, Gage Lashlee and Brendon Galbraith all scored second half goals for Lewisburg.

Center Hill girls 4, Neshoba Central 0

Mallory Gaines, a Northwest CC signee, would score a hat trick to lead the Lady Mustangs past the Lady Rockets in the first round of the MHSAA Girls Class 5A Soccer Playoffs.

Center Hill (10-7) will host Lafayette on Saturday in the second round.

“Just wanted to do what we had to do well because when we play well, we are hard to beat,” said Center Hill coach David Burgess. “Playoffs aren’t promised so a win on the road is huge.”

Gaines would score goals in the 11th, 18th and 65th minute for the Lady Mustangs.

“Its my senior year and to finally get a win in the playoffs is huge because we didn’t make the playoffs last year,” Gaines said. “We are used to getting put out in the first round, so to move on to the second feels really good.”

Maggie Gaines, Mallory’s younger sister, had the final goal for Center Hill in the 74th minute in the second half.

Neshoba Central (12-7-1) could only manage four shots on goal.

“We’ve been up and down all year and had a couple injuries tonight we had to work through,” said Neshoba Central coach Jamie Madison. “We are a younger team and still learning to win. Last year was the first year girls ever made the playoffs and so we are still learning and moving forward.”