Soccer closes out Games

By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
June 30, 2003
After two long days of games, the adult soccer competition closed out the State Games of Mississippi at Northeast Park on Sunday.
In the open division, Belhaven took a 2-0 victory over Brilla to claim gold. In the over-30 masters division, the Flowood Old Mads fought for a 4-2 gold medal victory over Pascagoula and, in the U19 soccer, the Meridian Ballers defended their gold medals with a 4-1 victory over NEJSO.
Meridian was unable to advance to the semifinals in the open division, but the masters division team made up of Meridian and Madison players represented the area with a bronze medal.
In the U19 action, the Meridian Ballers controlled the game with the Northeast Jackson Soccer Organization team.
Brandon Rodgers scored two goals to lead the Ballers to their second consecutive gold medal in the competition.
C.J. Fountain and Jay Barry also had a goal each in the 4-1 victory.
Biloxi whipped Wayne County 6-0 to pick up the bronze in the U19 division.
In the open division, Belhaven battled past a tough Flowood team to reach the championship and controlled the game with Brilla.
Belhaven went into extra time with Flowood in the semifinal game and scored on a penalty kick to take a 2-1 victory to move into the finals.
Brilla beat Los Tres Amigos 4-0 in the other semifinal game to advance into the final game. Los Tres Amigos and Flowood were both awarded a bronze medal after the losses.
In the gold medal game, Belhaven jumped out in front of Brilla with a goal minutes into the first half of play. They added another goal midway through the first on a penalty kick to take a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The rain came with about nine minutes to play in the game and after a delay, Belhaven was declared the gold medal winners.
The gold medal game of the masters division also had plenty of excitement.
Pascagoula jumped out to an early 1-0 lead and a player for the Flowood team was red carded so the Old Mads were forced to play one person short for the rest of the game.
In the second half, Flowood scored two goals within a couple of minutes of each other despite the disadvantage to take a 2-1 lead.
Pascagoula battled back with a goal to tie the game back up later in the second half, but Flowood was too strong and added two more goals later in the half to pick up the 4-2 win.
In the bronze game of the masters' division, Meridian/Madison scored two second half goals to break open a 2-2 tie and take a 4-2 victory over Hattiesburg.
Meridian scored in the first half to take a 1-0 lead, but Hattiesburg responded with a goal just minutes later.
After another Meridian goal, Hattiesburg answered with a header goal to close out the first half.
Meridian broke free for two more goals in the second half and Hattiesburg ran out of gas in the 4-2 defeat.