PASCAGOULA – The Sacred Heart Crusaders have one goal this season – win the last game. That, of course, means a state championship, but that goal would be hard to meet if they didn’t win the region first.
On Monday night, the Crusaders took down Resurrection 3-1 to claim the region title, which will set Sacred Heart up nicely come playoff time.
“It’s obviously big,” Sacred Heart coach Joe Falla said when asked about winning the region title. “You can’t win (a state championship) without getting to the playoffs. It’s been a challenge this year for me having to step my game up as a coach and these guys for trusting in what I’m telling them. Once they bought into the program, I think what you saw tonight was the product.”
After an even first 15 minutes of the game, Sacred Heart started getting more pressure on Resurrection, and eventually it scored the game’s first goal in the 19th minute. Freshman Seaton Hixton scored the first of his two goals by beating a charging keeper on the right side.
“He’s so crafty,” Falla said. “He’s just a crafty little player, he’s sly and he gets into the positions. He takes advantages of his opportunities.”
Sacred Heart’s defense didn’t allow Resurrection to get any clean looks throughout the first half, but the Eagles did have plenty of opportunity to find the back of the net late in first 40 minutes. The Eagles spent a couple of minutes deep in Sacred Heart territory, and moving the ball around inside the 18-yard box, Sacred Heart cleared every ball.
On a counter attack after the last Resurrection try at the goal, an Eagle defender misplayed the ball and that allowed Hixson to get behind the defense with only the keeper to beat once again. Like the first goal, he beat the charging keeper on the right side to give Sacred Heart a 2-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Resurrection’s Patrick Lee cut the Crusaders’ lead to 2-1 with a bouncing shot. Lee then had three opportunities to score the equalizer in the 52nd, 57th and 65th minutes, but Sacred Heart’s defense held strong.
Lee’s 52nd-minute shot was his closest try, as his bending ball almost snuck in the upper 90 but it sailed just high.
“He is dangerous,” Falla said of Lee. “I thought about changing up something, but I decided to ride with my game plan.”
Sacred Heart freshman Miller Hayden pushed the Crusaders’ lead to 3-1 in the 66th minute, effectively taking the air out of Resurrection. He drove the ball up the middle of the field, then his shot snuck by the diving keeper.
“It was a good goal from him, and I think it took the wind out of their sail,” Falla said. “It’s also a huge goal for him moving forward from a player’s standpoint. It gives him a lot of confidence.”
Lady Crusaders 5, Resurrection 0: A scoring outburst in the first half gave Sacred Heart the advantage early on, then it cruised in the second half to set up a region title-clinching game Tuesday against Perry Central.
Sacred Heart outshot Resurrection 21-6 in the contest and 16-3 shots on goal.
“Yes, that’s what we expected,” Sacred Heart coach Joe “Papa” Falla said. “Last time we beat them 3-0 and I didn’t have three key players.”
Through the first 10 minutes of play, each team had a chance to get on the board first. Eighth-grader Gracie Falla had a good look in the sixth minute from the right side, but the shot was saved. Three minutes later in the ninth minute, Resurrection had a free kick near the left corner, then a corner try after the free kick was deflected out of bounds. Sacred Heart escaped without any damage, though.
The Lady ’Saders found the back for the first time in the 13th minute, as Falla connected with freshman Lauren Jones on the right side. Jones sprinted up the sideline and finished through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 1-0.
In the 18th minute, freshman Olivia Ware grabbed the ball near midfield after Resurrection had a free kick because of a Sacred Heart offside. Ware took the ball and ran up field with only the keeper to beat, who was out of position, and she scored to the left of the keeper.
Junior Allie Bilbo and Falla connected in the 28th minute, and Falla sent a hard-kicked ball from the right side to the left netting to make it 3-0. Then six minutes later junior Shea Rutland booted a beautiful ball up field from her left back position to junior Jessica Hyde, who completed the easy goal to push the lead to 4-0 before halftime.
“That’s the thing we’re trying to do,” Falla said when asked about the fourth goal. “When we get to the outside, I want a cross and I want to the rest of them to finish it up, and we did an excellent job with it right there.”
Sacred Heart’s lone goal of the second half came off the foot of Ware, scoring in the 54th minute to pad the lead, 5-0.
