MHSAA 6A Boys Soccer Championship: Long Beach wins 4th straight Mississippi state title
GLUCKSTADT, Miss. — It came down to the very end, but Long Beach made some history in Saturday night's MHSAA Class 6A State boys soccer Championship.
Easton Van Norden scored off a free kick in the 79th minute to lift the Bearcats to a 3-2 win over Center Hill and helped hoist the golden ball for the fourth year in a row.
The Bearcats are the first team since Pearl (from 2005-2008) to win four consecutive state championships.
“It was a really hard-fought game by both sides," Long Beach coach Matt DeFillips said. "We once again didn’t make it easy. We’ve gone to overtime in a lot of our games and I’m glad and thankful it didn’t (tonight). I got very lucky to inherit a really good program and we were fortunate to have a really good senior class, and they proved it by winning four state championships.”
Braiden Bonds scored the first goal for Long Beach three minutes into the game off a shot that hit the cross bar.
Center Hill tied the game 1-1 in the 21st minute as Michael Sanders scored on a rebound off a free kick.
Bonds added his second goal of the game in the 68th minute on a rebound off a free kick to give Long Beach a 2-1 lead.
Sanders then tied the game 2-2 in the 75th minute on a penalty kick.
With just over a minute left, Van Norden was fouled and his free kick’s shot found the back of the net.
“Braiden has been big time for us over and over all season as far as goals. He had a drought when the playoffs started, but last game and tonight he picked it up,” DeFillips said. “This means a lot cause not a lot of teams have won four in a row.”
Bonds was named the games most valuable player.
“It was a tough game," he said. "Back-and-forth, tough and we found away to make it happen in the end. First one came off the bar, so I just read it well, and the second one I took a touch and didn’t see any defenders, so I just shot it. I’m glad these seniors won their fourth state championship, because I look up to them a lot and big accomplishment for our coach.”
Sanders' two goals led Center Hill. The Mustangs finished the season 19-3.
“Our slogan has been ' stay relentless' all year long," Center Hill coach David Hoggatt said. "Our guys did that tonight just came up short. It's a tough loss, obviously. But we will be back.”
(Photos by Jared Thomas)
2024 MHSAA 6A Boys Soccer Championship: Long Beach vs. Center Hill
