St. Patrick clinches 2024 MHSAA State Championship with 7-0 win over Tupelo Christian

The Fighting Irish won their second title in a row in blowout fashion

MADISON — There are some schools and programs Mississippi sports fans associate with greatness — think Louisville football, Booneville basketball and Neshoba Central softball.

We may have to add St. Patrick girls soccer to the list.

The defending champion Fighting Irish looked more like the Frightening Irish in Friday’s Class 1A Championship game, jumping ahead 4-0 in the first five minutes and cruising to a 7-0, mercy-rule win over Tupelo Christian Prep to clinch another MHSAA Class 1 State Championship at Madison Central High School.

The Fighting Irish (19-3-2) scored in the first minute off a corner kick opportunity converted by Anna Katherine Thriffliley.

They scored again only a minute later when Linda Mustered found Bella Jordan open for an easy goal to make it 2-0.

The third goal came just two minutes later, when Mustered set up Thriftily for her second goal.

It was Jordan who hit the fourth and final goal of the first half.

Mustered got a goal of her own to start the second half in the 42nd minute, and Thriffily finished off the hat trick with her third goal two minutes later.

And it was Mustered who finished the game in the 51st minute with her second goal, a scorcher from the far side of the field to the near side of the net, past a diving Tupelo Christian keeper.

Thriffily won MVP honors, which was a tough call with how well the Irish played.

“We all work really well together,” We’re good on all parts of the field and we work hard.”

The Championship win capped an impressive post-season run that included a 9-0 win over Puckett, a 7-0 win over Clarkdale, a 6-0 win over Franklin County and a 4-0 win over Our Lady Academy in the South State Championship.

And it came against a Tupelo Christian Prep team that finished 15-6 and had allowed just one goal in four previous tournament games.

“Last year we did really well,” Thriffily said. “We lost a lot of seniors, but we had a lot of incoming freshmen and sophomore who stepped up and filled their roles well. We’re losing some great seniors this year too, but we have some more good players coming up.”

St. Patrick coach Cassandra Terry chalked her team’s performance up to the hard work they put in with an eye on another gold ball.

“We won state last year,” she said. “And the next day we were right back out there on the pitch, I think that tonight’s game was a reflection of the hard work we put in as a team this year.”