JACKSON — Tuesday night, on the eve of Lamar’s soccer championship against Pillow Academy, Lamar’s four seniors dined together at Northwood Country Club.

While a strategy to defeat Pillow Academy swirled around their conversation, pouring all into the final game of their prep careers dominated the talk. After losing last year’s championship to Pillow Academy, the four Raider seniors vowed to not suffer the same fate.

They can consider that mission accomplished.

Lamar defeated Pillow Academy 3-1 Wednesday night at Jackson Academy to claim the MAIS Class AAAA, Division II boys soccer championship. In doing so, the Raiders not only avenged last year’s loss, but they also gave the school its first boys soccer championship in five seasons. It was the third year in a row for the Lamar boys to play in the title game, but the first to win in that span.

“This senior group, we all came together before each other, and we ate dinner last night,” Lamar senior J.D. Lee said. “We all came together and were like, ‘We’re going down with a win.’”

In the 58th minute, junior Jake Davidson kicked a perfectly placed ball to Neal, a senior, who darted in the middle of the field toward the Pillow Academy goal. Neal collected the ball, outran his Pillow Academy defenders and firmly pushed the ball to the right side of the Pillow Academy keeper from 10 yards out.

“When Jake went down the right side of the line, the defender bit on him,” Neal said. “I made a run inside, and I told him to play it to me, and he did. I took a touch, and I tried to go to the back corner, and I got it there.”

As the ball rolled into the net to give Lamar a 3-1 lead, Neal turned around, dashed toward Davidson and jumped into his arms. The two let out enthusiastic yells before sharing a word with each other.

“I told him I love him, and good pass,” Neal said with a laugh.

Neal also scored the game’s first goal in the 35th minute.

Pillow Academy netted the tying goal four minutes later to send the game into halftime with the score deadlocked at one. But Miller Hodge, a freshman, put the Raiders ahead 2-1 in the 43rd minute after the soccer ball deflected off his head and into the net. Hodge’s go-ahead goal spoke to the greater cohesion of this Lamar team, Neal explained.

“We come together a lot,” Neal said. “We’re friends on and off the field, so we have a good chemistry, and we love playing with each other.”

Lamar goalkeeper Cameron Munn said last year’s 4-2 loss to Pillow Academy in the state final has been a motivating factor for the Raiders all year. But the rematch especially resonated with Munn, as he manned the goal for Lamar in last year’s championship.

“It’s been on my mind since the start of the season,” Munn said. “We wanted to play them again in the championship, and we wanted to beat them because they beat us last year. Our team chemistry, in general, is off the charts. It’s the best it’s ever been, I think. And that’s why I knew we were going to win tonight. Because we love each other, we play for each other, and that’s why we got it done tonight.”

Lamar senior Davis Thames was a member of the last Lamar team to win a boys state title, along with Lee and Neal. After experiencing that feeling in seventh grade, Thames said he worked in the offseason to formulate a plan to do it again.

“(Cameron and I) convinced J.D. and Parker to play this year,” Thames said. “We told them we were going to win a state championship. We knew we were going to win. We just needed their help. And we got the outcome that we deserved. All the bus rides, and every day in the locker room and practice got us all closer together.”