Women's Soccer | 12/4/2024 9:49:00 AM

Lady Arrow Soccer's Kayla Jones has a knack for scoring some unbelievable goals.

On Tuesday night, Jones made her impact on the game with two goals, including a 26-yard howler in the first half, as the Clinton High School Women's Soccer team downed the Starkville Lady Jackets 2-0 in the Region 2-7A opener at Arrow Field.

The success continued the Lady Arrows winning streak -- four games -- and improved their overall record to 8-1-1. Most importantly, Clinton is 1-0 in regional play.

"Very important to start region play with a win and begin the battle for positioning in the playoffs," Clinton Head Women's Soccer Coach Elliot Rimmer said. "We've done our best to turn Arrow Field into a fortress, starting the season 5-0 at home puts out a good message about what it means to play here.

"We've had a great run of form since the loss to Brandon, and we're excited to test ourselves next week with two tough road trips to Germantown and Tupelo," Rimmer added.

Jones opened her scoring account in the 16th minute. Clinton had placed immense pressure on the Starkville's defense but had come up scoreless. However, Jones had an opportunity for a bit of brilliance as a loose ball rolled perfectly in front of her -- 26 yards away from goal. The junior used her first touch to strike the ball and sailed it over the outstretched arms of the Lady Jacket keeper, rippling the net.

In the second half, Jones got some assistance from Mandy Leach. Leach, the stoic centerback for the Lady Arrows, collected the ball off Starkville and strolled through the midfield. The senior ended her 40-yard dribble with a well-weighted through-ball to Jones, who slid the ball past the keeper and into the goal. It gave the Lady Arrows their two-goal advantage in the 49th minute.

"Kayla continues to separate herself from the rest of the pack in the state, scoring her 16th and 17th goals tonight, and we can't wait to see her continue to excel," Rimmer said. "Another shutout for Mandy, Ellyn Burchfield, and the backline is just as important to us as we know that titles aren't possible without great defensive effort."

The Lady Arrows would chase for another goal to try and bolster their goal differential in district standings for the remainder of the game. However, they were unable to add another as time expired.

UP NEXT

The Lady Arrows continue MHSAA Region 2-7A play next Tuesday evening at Germantown High School. Clinton and Germantown square off at 5:30 p.m. in Gluckstadt.