Cooper Holmes' overtime goal sends Clinton past Madison Central 2-1 in MHSAA 7A semifinals
MADISON — Clinton senior Cooper Holmes saw her opportunity in Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime win over Madison Central in the 7A North State Championship game, and she didn’t miss.
As a scramble for the ball played out on in the far corner, Holmes positioned herself about five yards away from the near-side post, and it ended up being the right spot at the right time. A high ball came across the box and landed at her feet, and the senior defensive midfielder got just enough of it to get the ball past Lady Jaguar keeper Lilly Callum for the go-ahead goal in the game’s 88th minute.
“I saw the ball coming across, and I said ‘I’m gonna put it in,” Holmes said. “And that’s what I did.”
The 2-1 win propelled the defending champion Lady Arrows (15-4-2) to their third-straight state-championship appearance. They’ll face Northwest Rankin (24-1-1), which defeated Brandon 5-0 in the South State Championship, at 6 p.m. Saturday in Ridgeland with a golden ball on the line.
MORE: 2024 MHSAA Girls Soccer State Tournament Playoff Brackets
If that game’s anything like Tuesday semifinal, fans will be in for a treat.
Madison Central (19-2-1) came out hot in the first half and threatened with three shots on the Clinton goal in the first 15 minutes.
The Arrows weathered the storm and picked up the pace, but couldn’t convert a couple of golden scoring opportunities thanks to Callum, who had two of her 12 saves in the first 20 minutes.
Oddly enough, it was a Hail Mary of a shot that put Clinton on the board, when senior defender McKenzie Price got a running start and booted a ball from 40 yards into the back of the net.
MORE: MHSAA Girls Soccer State Tournament Scores
Clinton held that 1-0 lead until the 55th minute, when Madison Central's Lorilee Taylor skied a kick from the near corner to the far post to set up Sydney Wilson for an easy one-touch goal.
The Lady Arrows held off a couple of late Madison Central rallies near the end of regulation, and the game between the bitter rivals continued to get chippier. The two teams combined for five yellow cards and 13 fouls, with several crucial calls coming in the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Clinton coach Elliott Rimmer, who earned one of those yellow cards in the first half, described the game as a championship atmosphere.
“It’s natural to want to get up, especially after you get that first goal,” Rimmer said. “But you’ve got to keep it down to earth, do the little things right and make sure you’re not losing your head in that moment. That’s that experience. We’ve got some older players on this team —our seniors — who have been in this game year-in and year-out and know how to handle it.”
Madison Central had two shots on the goal in the final 13 minutes, but Clinton keeper Sarah Polk kept the Lady Arrows alive with a couple of saves.
Holmes’ game-winning goal came seven minutes into the first 10-minute overtime period.
“Madison is our toughest opponent that we play in district,” Holmes said. “It’s always a battle, and it usually goes to overtime. We just wanted it more tonight.”
As elated as the Lady Arrows were, the loss was just as painful for Madison Central. The Lady Jaguars had only allowed three goals in their first 21 games, and they had already avenged their first loss to the Lady Arrows with a 1-0 win a couple of weeks ago on Jan. 22.
“At that stage of the game, you have two competitive teams who know what’s on the line,” Madison Central coach Cecil Hinds said. “Clinton had a good break — unfortunate for us but good for them — and from the time they scored, they played very well strategically to be able to manage the clock and see the game out.”
