Lady Bulldogs finish first year with winning mark

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 31, 2001

Natchez High and North Pike’s varsity soccer teams split a doubleheader Tuesday night at Natchez High Stadium in the season finale for Natchez.

In the varsity girls game, senior captain Amber Blake, playing her last game at Natchez, scored the game-winning goal with about five minutes left to give the Lady Bulldogs a 2-1 upset win over the Lady Jaguars.

In the first year Vidaliaof varsity girls soccer at Natchez, the Lady Bulldogs finished with a winning season, going 7-6.

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Blake, who was on Natchez’s co-ed team in the school’s first-ever season for soccer (1999-2000 season), said it felt &uot;awesome&uot; to go out with a winning season.

Natchez scored first when Stacy Weaver’s kick got past North Pike goalie Jennifer Burrough in the first half, the only goal of the half for either team.

With about eight minutes remaining in the game, North Pike’s Kayla Mullins went nearly three-fourths of the field and got her kick past the Natchez goalie to tie the score at one.

Just three minutes later, Blake scored on a direct kick, getting the kick past Burrough for a 2-1 lead, which may not have been the final score had Natchez’s Renee Davis’ goal not been waived off with about four minutes left.

&uot;This game meant the world to Natchez and to our girls,&uot; said Lady Bulldogs coach Dana Benson. &uot;The community shouldn’t be any more proud than this team tonight to represent their city. I’m very proud of each and every member of this team.&uot;

The Lady Jaguars dropped to 13-5 on the season.

In the varsity boys game, North Pike’s James Herrod scored the game-winning goal with about a minute left to give the Jaguars a 2-1 win over the Bulldogs.

Kerry King scored nearly midway through the first half to give North Pike (12-4) a 1-0 lead, which ended up being the score at halftime.

With about six minutes remaining in the game, Natchez’s Paige Bonds scored to tie the score at one, and it appeared the game was headed for overtime until Herrod’s late-game heroics.

&uot;We played great in the second half,&uot; said Bulldogs coach Peter Rinaldi. &uot;Paige Bonds and Ivan Dixon were the players of the game. We played good defense and had aggressive attacks.&uot;

Natchez (3-11) goalie Carl Hayes had seven saves.

In the boys junior varsity game, neither team managed a goal. The teams tied 0-0.