FC SOCCER TEAMS ARE DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Your FC Soccer teams are the 2016-2017 District Champions after sweeping Loyd Star in Region 7/3A action. Junior midfielder, Kenzie Whitehead got her 2nd straight 'district game-winning goal' off a corner kick in a 1-0 victory at Loyd Star. The win locked up 1st place and the Lady Dawgs will host Madison St. Joseph Tuesday night at 5:30 in the 1st round of the MHSAA playoffs. Loyd Star had an opportunity to take an early lead after a foul in the box awarded LS a penalty kick. Freshman GK Malaine Moak blocked the kick, as she dove to her left , coming up with the huge save. Moments later, Whitehead connected on the game winner. Defensively, Jamie Dawn Walker ,once again, proved her defensive skills, as she held a talented Morgan Brister scoreless. Along with the help of Elise Mullins, Promise Warren, Tori Jones, Tayler Smith, and Chyenne Higgs, the Lady Dawgs had yet another shutout and have only given up 1 district goal. Offensively , the Lady Dawgs controlled most of the game and applied the pressure toward the LS goal. Whitehead, Jaden Long, Leelee Elam, Jenna Long, and Katie Bell Higgs had outstanding effort. "I am very proud of this group of young ladies. They have worked extremely hard and accomplished their goal of bringing the district title back home. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into the playoffs." The Dawgs won their 5th straight District Title after defeating Loyd Star 3-0. Senior Thomas Slagle scored twice, the first coming from a rocket of a shot from 25 yards assisted by Sophomore, Joshua Guice. The second was a solid header off a corner from Sophomore Braden Whitehead, who would later connect with a beautiful left footed shot to the upper right corner from nearly 30 yards for the third goal. Defensively, Sophomore GK Garret Smith and Freshman GK Colby Guice combined in goal for the shutout getting 4 saves each. Defenders Brant Mullins, Bronson Smith, Spencer Romero, Zach Nugent, Trey Tindle, and Matthew Dier helped the Dawgs to another shutout. The Dawgs will host Madison St. Joseph Tuesday night at 7 pm in the MHSAA State Playoffs. Last Saturday, the Dawgs had an incredible upset win over 4A power Richland who is loaded with soccer talent. Zane Davis scored both goals on headers off corners from Whitehead and Nugent. The boys played thier hearts out defensively to hold on for the 2-1 win. Richland has beaten the likes of Germantown, Florence and Madison St. Joseph. Huge Wins For FC Soccer ; Remain on Top of Region 6 Lady Dawgs 2 Wesson 1 Two 8th graders stepped up big time for the Lady Dawgs helping the Lady Dawgs remain undefeated in district play. Katie Bell Higgs and Jenna Long came off the bench midway through the 1st half and had an immediate impact. Following a clear from Elise Mullins, Higgs dribbled from the defensive end connecting a pass with Long who sent a perfectly placed through ball to her sister Jaden Long who got behind the Wesson defense and scored for a 1-0 lead. Wesson's Kim San tied things up shortly after but FC responded when Kenzie Whitehead hit a solid corner kick that found the net, giving her a team leading 12 goals on the season. That would be the game winner, as both teams went scoreless in the second half. Goalkeeper, Malaine Moak had several key saves while the FC defense stepped up defensively for the 2nd half. Mullins,Jamie Dawn Walker, Noel Parker, Tori Jones, Promise Warren, and Chyenne Higgs kept the Wesson shots very limited for the last 40 minutes. "We didn't have our best performance, but the girls played with a lot of heart and found a way to win. Wesson has a very good player in Kim San but our girls fought hard and held on for the win. I cant say enough about how hard our defense works and keeps us in games. They deserve a lot of credit and Melaine has been a blessing for us in the goal." said Coach Jeff Long. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Lady Dawgs and they can solidify the district title next week at Loyd Star. The Lady Dawgs record stands at 13-3-1. Dawgs 6 Wesson 1 Seniors Zane Davis, Thomas Slagle, and Nate Verdin had a night to remember leading the 'Soccer Dawgs' to another district win and putting themselves in a great position to win another district championship. Davis had his 2nd 'hat trick' of the season scoring 3 times, each coming in spectacular fashion. His first two goals came from perfectly placed corner kicks from sophomore Braden Whitehead where Davis headed them in with authority. Whitehead had 3 assists. Davis's 3rd goal came late in the game after receiving a through ball from Slagle, he 'lofted' the ball perfectlly over the charging goalkeeper and into to the net, giving him 25 goals on the season. Nate Verdin had a beautiful goal at the 15th minute of play when he connected on a hard shot from 20 yards out. Verdin scored again off an assist from Whitehead at the 70th minute. Slagle pounded a shot to the upper left corner at the 62nd minute. The Dawgs record now stands at 13-3-1. FC sweeps class 5A Brookhaven Lady Dawgs 2 Lady Panthers 0 Junior midfielder Chyenne HIggs led the Lady Dawgs to a victory at class 5A Brookhaven. Higgs gave FC a 1-0 lead after receving a pass at the top of the box from Leelee Elam. Higgs took a quick touch then drilled the shot into the left window at the 50th minute of the second half, after a first half that saw each team fail to convert on several chances. It was Higgs 6th goal of the season. HIggs dropped a pass to 8th grader, Jenna Long who connected to the upper right of the goal giving the Lady Dawgs a 2-0 cushion. It was Long's 4th goal of the season. From there, goalkeeper Melaine Moak continued her outstanding play notching her second straight shutout making 4 saves off of 4 shots on goal from Brookhaven. Defensively, FC was solid led by freshman center back Elise Mullins who totalled 9 steals. She was joined by Promise Warren, Noel Parker, Ana Hutto, Tayler Smith, Leigha Romero,Jamie Walker and Tori Jones who all contributed defensively, shutting out the Lady Panthers. The Lady Dawgs moved to 9-3-1 on the season. Dawgs 3 Brookhaven 0 The 'Soccer Dawgs' avenged a 2-1 loss back on December 6 to Brookhaven, coming away with a 3-0 victory. Senior Zane Davis was outstanding offensively and defensively. Davis was taken out in the box at the 10th minute and converted the penalty kick, giving the Dawgs a 1-0 lead at half. FC took a 2-0 lead midway through the second half as Thomas Slagle sent in a long free kick where Jace Watts headed the ball back across the face of the goal finding Nate Verdin who knocked it in. FC's final goal was a beautiful free kick from 30 yards from Davis. It was his 19th goal of the season. Defensivley, Jex Dela Cruz and Brant Mullins totalled 20 steals leading the Dawgs to a shutout. Davis would drop back late in the game as well making several key stops while sophomore goalkeeper Garrett Smith had 6 saves and another shutout. The Dawgs moved to 9-3-1 on the season. FC Lady Dawgs win at Wesson in PK's Justice Walker assisted Leelee Elam at the 18th minute for an early lead. Wesson's Kim San tied things up at the 68th minute. The Lady Dawgs had numerous chances to take the lead and even missed a penaly kick after a Wesson handball in the box. In the overtime period, a perfect cross was shoy off the cross bar. Chyeene Higgs, Justice Wlaker, Promise Warren, and Kenzie Whitehead made their penalty kicks while GK Melaine Moak played outstanding making several huge saves in regulation and coming up with 3 blocks in the shootout. Dawgs 2 Wesson 0 Joshua Guice connected on a corner from Ethan Verdin at the 4th minute. Zane Davis scored unassisted at the 74th minute while GK Garrett Smith had 5 saves and the shutout. FC Wins District Games Lady Dawgs 3 Loyd Star 0 The Lady Dawgs took it to last season's district champion scoring three times and shutting out the Lady Hornets in the first district game of the year. 8th grader Katie Bell Higgs sent in a nice corner kick at the 12th minute and junior Tayler Smith knocked it home off the left post for a 1-0 lead that held until the half. After a handball in the box at the 52nd minute, junior midfielder Kenzie Whitehead converted the penalty kick for a 2-0 lead. Whitehead then assisted the final goal when her corner kick was knocked in by 8th grade forward Jenna Long at the 68th minute. Defensively, the Lady Dawgs were led by Jamie Dawn Walker who man marked and locked down her opponent. Elise Mullins, Noel Parker, Promise Warren, Ana Hutto, and Leigha Romero led the defense to a shutout. Freshman GK Melaine Moak had 6 saves and a shutout. Dawgs 4 Loyd Star 0 The Dawgs got off to a slow start and the score was 0-0 at the half. Senior forward Zane Davis scored off a corner from Braden Whitehead after a nice 'leave' from Thomas Slagle. Slagle assisted the second goal after a nice long ball to Davis who scored near post. Freshman midfielder Zach Nugent converted a penalty kick after being taken out in the box. The final goal was scored from 30 yards on a shot from Jex Dela Cruz. Defensively, Brant Mullins, Bronson Smith, Joshua Guice, Trey Tindol, and Joshua Smith were solid. Freshman GK Colby Guice had 8 saves on the night including an outstanding 1 handed diving save early in the game that could have changed the outcome. JV Squads bring home Tournament Titles The FC junior varsity teams won 3 games each and came away with the 2016 Loyd Star Invitational JV Tournament Championships. The Lady Dawgs defeated Wesson 3-0 in their first game where Katie Bell Higgs scored twice with assists from Kaleigh Bolt and Colleen Parker. Parker scored the third goal with an assist from Kylie Robinson. In their second match, FC defeated Loyd Star 7- 0. Jenna Long scored the 1st goal and also assisted a goal from Madeline Tanner. Bolt scored an unassisted goal before Destiny McCoy scored with an assist from Ana Hutto, just before the half. Colleen Parker, Tori Jones, and Raylynn Winkler scored in the second half. The championship game saw the Lady Dawgs face off again with Wesson. The first half finished at 1-0 in favor of FC after Maddie Brumfield and Destiny McCoy assisted a goal from Emily Dearing. The Lady Dawgs scored three in the second half after Jenna Long assisted Kylie Robinson, Kaleigh Bolt scored unassisted, and Leigha Romero scored on a penalty kick. Tay'lor Thomas, Liza Jordan, and Malaine Moak combined in the goal for three shutout wins. The Dawgs road to the title wasn't easy, defeating Wesson 1-0 on a goal from Trey Tindol assisted by Ty Wittington. GK's Colby Guice, Trent White, and Chandler Verdin combined for the shutout. The second game saw the Dawgs escape with a close 3-2 win against Loyd Star. Spencer Romero scored on an outside shot while Brice Wilkinson scored off a cross from Ty Wittington. Wittington scored the game winner late in the second half with an assist from Trey Tindol. The boy's title game was a tough fought 1-0 win against Copiah Academy. The winning goal was scored by Zach Felton off a through ball from Wittington. Colby Guice made several outstanding saves to preserve the shutout and went un scored on in the tournament. Lady Dawgs (11-4-4) set for playoffs The 2015-2016 season has not been easy for the Lady Dawgs. Losing Krislyn Kent and Jourdan Cummings to graduation, losing two more starters who transferred, losing a key senior defender to an ankle injury, losing your goalkeeper to a broken arm, would send most teams into destruction.,but not these Lady Dawgs. We will start with Senior midfielder, Kelsie Barron. Despite playing with severe knee pain throughout the season at every practice and every game, she has been the driving force defensivley and offensively (7 goals/6 assists). She leads by example. She has scored huge goals at crucial moments, she has come up with a much needed assist when her team needed it most, she has poured her heart into this team. Her teamamtes love and adore her. She makes them better players and better people. She is the example of what every FC athlete should strive to be. Want more toughness? Senior defender Morgan Moak has played with a painful dislocated shoulder that needs surgery as soon as this season ends. She has led an inexperienced defense. She has never complained once. She has assisted many goals on corner kicks and free kicks. She hit an upper 90 free kick from 30 yards and her jumping 'heel click' celebration is one to remember. : ) Senior defender Aryiana Mason has played with a painful hip. An injury that started many months ago but she has played through it and played well. She is only in her second year of soccer and has been a big lift to this team. Eighth grader Elise Mullins earned a starting position and has started every game of the year and has played outstanding. Freshman Leeandria Elam earned a starting spot mid way through the season and leads the team in goals scored (10). Junior midfielders Justice Walker(ankle) and Noel Parker (knee) have played in pain. Freshman Tayler Smith has battled a knee injury. These three midfielders along with junior Emily Strittman have combined for 11 goals and 10 assists. Sophomores Kenzie Whitehead, Chyenne Higgs, and Jaden Long have combined for 22 goals and 17 assists. The three of them recently played with strep throat in a 2-1 district loss. No excuses here, just stating the facts and praising the toughness and dedication by this team. After a crash course in goalkeeping, Junior Geri Weathersby suffered a broken arm that was so severe, it ended her season. Junior Mia Durrell who played GK for the JV squad last year stepped in the goal for her team. Without the much needed preparation, she has been sensational, making 71 saves to go with 7 shutouts. She has faced 4 penalty kicks (on goal) and blocked 4. She wasn't thrilled about havng to play goalkeeper but did it for her team. The 2015-2016 Lady Dawgs refused to give in, overcoming so many obstacles, playing through the pain, playing for each other. Some feel that this season was a failure, simply because we didn't win district. We know better. We know what we have overcome. We know the pain that came along the way. We know we became a team. We know we hold a +1 margin over the district champ. : ) We know we are headed to the playoffs and it will be a tough road. One thing's for sure, this team is tough and have proven themsleves. Way to Go Lady Dawgs ! Lady Dawgs take back District lead at Loyd Star It took just 9 minutes for the Lady Dawgs to jump out to a 2-0 lead in a big district game at Loyd Star. Chyenne Higgs sent a through ball where Leeandria Elam finished the break away at the 4th minute. At the 9th minute, Kelsie Barron hit a beautiful free kick to the upper right corner for a 2-0 lead. From there, the Lady Dawg defense kept the Lady Hornets scoreless for the remainder of the game. Mia Durrell had 8 saves. The Lady Dawgs are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. FC wins District games at Wesson The Lady Dawgs needed a win at Wesson after losing to Wesson earlier in the season. After a scorelss first half, Justice Walker dropped a perfect pass to Jaden Long who finished to the left window which proved to be the game's only goal. Mia Durrell blocked a penalty kick in the first half and had several big saves to preserve the win. Defenders , Morgan Moak, Aryiana Mason, Elise Mullins, Kelsie Barron, and Chyenne Higgs kept Wesson off balance for the entire game for the shutout. The Dawgs got off to a 3- 0 lead before Wesson came storming back and tied it at 3. The game winner came at the 68' when Kyle McCormick found Greg Queen for the game winner. Zane Davis scored unassisted just 23 seconds into the game. McCormick found Gillian twice for goals in the first half. Keeper Garrett Smith had an incredible night in goal notching 14 saves. FC gets pair of District wins at Crystal Springs Lady Dawgs 7 Crystal Springs 1 Jaden Long had her 1st career 'hat trick' scoring 3 times in the first half of play. Lee Elam, Kenzie Whitehead and Justice Walker had the assists. Kelsi Barron hit a shot from 20 yards for a 4-0 lead. Cheyenne Higgs scored off an assist from Elam. In the second half, Tayler Smith scored off an assist from Destiny McCoy. McCoy then added the final goal off assists from Colleen Parker and Emily Strittman. Dawgs 5 Crystal Springs 1 Thomas Slagle scored twice with assists from Zane Davis and Greg Queen. Brant Mullins hit a free kick from 30 out. Queen picked up his 2nd assist with a through ball to Snoop Verdin. Kyle McCormick scored an unassisted goal late in the game. The win moved the Dawgs to 10-0 on the season. FC Classic , Saturday Nov. 7th 9 am North Pike Girls 1 FC Lady Dawgs 1 10:30 North Pike Boys 0 FC Dawgs 4 Kickoff Classic The Lady Dawgs opened the 2015-2016 season with a tie hosting North Pike in the morning game of the annual Kickoff Classic. After a scoreless 1st half of play, where both teams had several chances, the teams remained scoreless. At the 57th minute, North Pike took advantage of a loose ball in front of goal and put it away for a 1-0 lead. The Lady Dawgs fought back and ties the game when Kelsi Barron hit a high shot just under the crossbar from 25 yards out. Jaden Long and Colleen Parker had shots bounce off the crossbar with just minutes remaining. The Lady Dawgs outshot their opponent 17-11 however only managed 5 shots on goal. Geri Weathersby had 4 saves on the day. After a slow start on a wet field, the FC Dawgs came away with a 4 - 0 win in the 2nd game of the Classic. Snoop Verdin dropped a pass to Zane Davis who put away the game's first goal for a 1-0 lead. Senior Kyle McCormick found Davis at th3 37th minute for a 2-0 halftime lead. Davis returned the favor finding McCormick on a cross at the 68th min. 8th grader Zach Nugent scored his first varsity goal after receiving a through ball from McCormick. A strong defense lead by Marcus Durrell,Dedrick Weathersby,Brant Mullins, and Josh Guice held North Pike to only 9 shots, 6 of those saved by freshman Garrett Smith and another save by 8th grader Colby Guice. The Classic had to be called due to dangerous field conditions during the matches between Forest and North Pike. Soccer season has officially arrived! The defending district champions are excited and ready to roll. The Lady Dawgs will be led by a talented group of experienced seniors including 3 time All-District selections, Kelsi Barron, Morgan Moak, and Brooklin Bolin. They will be joined by returning all-district defender Aryiana Mason forming a very experienced defensive unit. Barron will also play midfield when needed. Joining the defensive unit is 8th grader Elise Mullins. Returning at outside midfield roles are 3 time all-district selection Noel Parker and 2015 all-district selection Justice Walker. Sophomore Chyenne Higgs will step in at center midfield. Freshmen Tayler Smith,Colleen Parker, Jamie Dawn Walker and Junior Emily Smith will add valuable minutes to the midfield. A talented group of sophomores will be expected to carry a heavy load of offense including 2015 all district selections Jaden Long and Kenzie Whitehead. Long and Whitehead combined for 19 goals and 26 assists in 2015. Junior Mia Durrell and freshman Leelee Elam will add depth to the forward position. Stepping in and winning the goalkeeper duties this year is junior Geri Weathersby who has demonstrated the athletic ability and quickness needed in goal and will continue to improve with experience. The boys team returns 9 starters including 4 time all-district selection and 2015 regional most valuable midfielder Kyle McCormick. Senior midfielder and 2 time all-district player, Kane Gillian returns in the midfield. Other seniors are returning are all -district selection defenders Marcus Durrell, Dedrick Weathersby, and Courtney Smith. Senior forward/midfielder Greg Queen, a 3 time all-district selection returns. Sophomore Joshua Guice will step in on the defensive line with help from sophomores Hayden Dickerson, and Mathew DIer. All district junior midfielder Thomas Slagle returns at midfield while Sophomore Brant Mullins, a 2015 all district selection, will move to midfield. Leaving the goal and stepping onto the field is junior Snoop Verdin. The 2 time all-district keeper will add energy and another scoring threat to the attack. Junior All-district forward Zane Davis returns as well as sophomore forward JaQuan Brown. Stepping into goal will be Freshman Garrett Smith, who has improved tremendously with his goalkeeping skills. He will be backed up by 8th grader Colby Guice. 2015 REGION 6 DISTRICT 7 CHAMPIONS Franklin County Soccer has captured another district title and will host playoff games on Tuesday, January 27. Both squads went undefeated in district play and the Lady Dawgs did not allow a goal against region competition. Congratulations Soccer Dawgs ! Both squads brought home shutout victories Saturday at Magee High School as the Lady Dawgs prevailed 5-0 and the Dawgs remained undefeated winning 6-0. The Lady Dawgs didn't wate any time grabbing the lead as Jourdan Cummings assisted Krislyn Kent at the 2nd minute of play. Krislyn scored again at the 28th minute when Jaden Long slipped her a through ball. In the 2nd half , Morgan Moak scored unassited from a corner kick for her 1st goal of the season, while Kent scored her third goal with an assist fromKenzie Whitehead. Noel Parker got an assist finding Shelby Smith outside the box where Shelby hit the shot to the upper right 90 from 20 yards. The Lady Dawgs moved to 18-3 on the year. In the boys game, Kemo Verdin found Zane Davis on a through ball at the 20th minute. Davis hit a low hard shot just inside the left post from 18 yards. Just before half , Davis hit a hard shot off the crossbar and Thomas Slagle followed it up connecting to the right window. The Dawgs conituned dominating the game in the 2nd half. A long throw in from Slagle found Greg Queen's touch pass to Kemo Verdin making it 3-0 at the 49th minute. Verdin scored again after a nice floating ball over the top of the defense from Kyle McCormick. Brant Mullins scored on a direct kick from 30 yards and GK Snoop Verdin scored his first goal of his career on a late penalty kick. The Dawgs' record now stands at 18-0-2. Tweets by @FC_Soccer_ 2014 Loyd Star Tournament Champions FC Soccer opens season with 3 wins. The FC Classic began Saturday hosting McComb girls, McLaurin girls, and the McLaurin boys. The Lady Dawgs opened the season with a convincing 11-0 victory against McComb. Freshman forward, Jaden Long scored the early game winner after receiving a thru ball from Noel Parker. Long would finish the game with 2 goals and 2 assists. Senior veteren Krislyn Kent scored 3 times and added an assist. Freshman midfielder Cheyeene Higgs scored 2 goals and added an assist while Anna Grace Wilson scored twice. Justice Walker and Kenzie Whithead scored a goal each. Sophomore midfielder Shelby Smith had 2 assists, while Amanda Hill,Emily Strittman, and Morgan Moak had an assist each. Tristan Smith and Macy Zisken combined in goal for the shutout. Defensively, Tye Sutton,Brooklin Bolin,Kelsi Barron, Morgan Moak, Geri Weathersby, and Aryianna Mason did not allow a shot. The Lady Dawgs avenged the only home loss for FC in 3 years after defeating McLaurin by a score of 4-1. Krislyn Kent continued her outstanding play scoring once and adding 2 assists. Kent scored on a free kick from 20 yards out after a McLaurin 'handball' just outside the box. Kent added the game winning assist after feeding Jaden Long with a thru ball where Long put it away at the 38th minute. Later , Kent sent a cross finding outside midfielder Justice Walker , who hit a nice shot to the upper right back post. The Lady Dawgs' first score was a beautiful shot from Shelby Smith after receiving a drop pass from Long. Smith hit it to the upper right corner from just outside the box. McLaurin scored on an awarded 'penalty kick' after sophomore goalkeeper Macy Zisken came out and blocked a shot just before colliding with the McLaurin player. The boys game got off to a slow start and FC led only 1-0 at half after Senior midfielder, Kemo Verdin scored on a cross from Junior midfielder Kyle McCormick. Verdin scored 2 more in the second half to notch his first career 'hat trick'. McCormick added a goal to go with his 2 assists. Junior midfielder, Thomas Slagle had a goal and an assist and Freshman defender Brant Mullins added 2 assists. Mullins and defenders Bryce Gaglardi,Marcus Durrell, and Dedrick Weathersby only allowed 3 shots on goal, all saved by Sophomore GK Snoop Verdin. Natchez Democrat Article on FC Soccer http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2014/01/21/franklin-co-coach-leads-soccer-teams-in-strong-start/ Story Here http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2014/01/18/franklin-county-girls-shut-out-cathedral-in-key-regional-soccer-game/ FC Sweeps Loyd Star http://dailyleader.com/2014/01/17/franklin-co-sweeps-loyd-star/ Brookhaven Daily Ledger sports Franklin Co. Coach Jeff Long has elevated the Franklin County soccer team to state ranking in his first season at the helm. The unbeaten Bulldogs stand at 18-0-1 on the season. The Lady Bulldogs are 15-3-1. The FCHS boys are led by junior forward Hoby Mullins who has a state-beat 30 goals in 3A. DeQuay Allen, Greg Queen and Zayne Mullins also scored against Cathedral in a 5-2 triumph. Goal keeper Trey Bailey made 6 saves for FCHS. The Lady Bulldogs got 2 goals from SieDriq Middleton and 11 saves from goalie Macy Ziskin in Friday's win over Natchez Cathedral. "North Forrest comes from a weak division but I expect a tough game from them," Coach Long. "Sacred Heart won that division." Seniors playing for the Lady Bulldogs are Haley Haygood, Chandler Ggalardi, Emily Smith, Anna Vien, Anna McKormick, Holly Smith and Kristin Emory. Senior boys are Brendan Beach, Dequay Allen, Jonathan Rogers, Matt Brasher and Trey Bailey. Long, Franklin Co. off to fast start - Clarion Ledger high school notebook One year after coaching Clinton to the Class 6A boys soccer state championship and a No. 1 ranking by The Clarion-Ledger, Jeff Long has an undefeated team at Franklin County. Led offensively by cousins Hoby Mullins and Zayne Mullins, the Bulldogs are 15-0-1. Hoby, a junior center midfielder, has 25 goals and 12 assists and Zayne, a junior forward, has scored 17 goals and assisted on 13. Long, who also coaches the girls team, is surprised at how fast his new team has adapted to his coaching. “When we started practicing, they were all ears, buying in 100 percent to what I was teaching,” he said. “They were eager to learn, eager to win. It made my job so much easier.” Defensively, the Bulldogs are led by senior Brendan Beach, who has been selected for the Mississippi Association of Coaches All-Star Game. The girls team (13-2-1) is led by sophomore forward Kristlyn Kent (18 goals, nine assists) and senior sweeper Haley Haygood. Long said coaching both teams has not been very difficult. He gives much of the credit to Stephanie McKormick, his assistant for both. Unbeaten Franklin Co. kicks Brook By TOM GOETZ, DAILY LEADER Sports Editor | 0 comment The Franklin County Bulldogs showcased their soccer skills Tuesday night on King Field, sweeping Brookhaven's girls and boys in a varsity twinbill. Franklin County's unbeaten boys cruised to a 4-1 triumph and the Lady Bulldogs prevailed 3-2 in a close contest. FCHS 3, Brookhaven 2 Junior forward Siedriq Middleton scored twice for the Lady Bulldogs. Harley McKay scored her team's first goal as FCHS took a 3-1 halftime lead. Middleton also provided an assist. Macy Zisken worked as FCHS goalkeeper. She saved nine of Brook's 11 shots on goal. The Lady Bulldogs raised their record to 11-2-1. "I liked the way we came out and scored in the first minute," said FCHS first-year coach Jeff Long, who coached the Clinton boys for 13 years and won 4 State titles. "We have tended to be a second-half team this season. It was good to see Si'edriq play well tonight. She has been recovering from a knee sprain and is just now nearing 100%." The Lady Panthers (5-6) got single goals from Taylor Murray and Elaina Madison, who scored off a corner kick. Serving as BHS goalkeeper was Shelby Case. She was credited with 7 saves. "It was a close game up until the end," said BHS girls coach Kevin Bower. "We had two shots hit the side netting near the end of the game. It was a lot closer than last time." Bower was referring to his team's 5-1 loss at Franklin County, Nov. 30. FCHS 4, Brookhaven 1 Coach Long's Bulldogs remain undefeated in 14 games. Early in the game, Bulldog Matt Brasher launched a long pass from near midfield and Zane Mullins scored on a header. It was the 14th goal of the season for Mullins. Greg Queen scored FC's second goal on an assist from Kemo Verdin. Brasher scored on an unassisted goal that ricocheted off a Panther defender and found the net. Brasher provided the next goal on a corner kick. Dequay Allen scored on a header. "We got off to a fast start," said Long. "The second half got real physical. There were a lot of cards on Brookhaven's side. I was pleased with the way our guys kept their composure,and we walked away without any serious injuries. I am very please with our defense which has been the main reason for our success." Senior defenders Allen, Brasher, and MAC All Star selection Brendan Beach have helped the Dawgs to 10 shutouts including 9 consecutive at one point. Benard Selmon and DJ Booker have provided good depth on the back line for the Dawgs. The Panthers (6-5), coached by Anjan Karmacharya, had 5 yellow cards, including an injection. On defense, goalie Trey Bailey made 6 saves for the Bulldogs. Forward Quinn Cooper scored for the Panthers (6-5). Keeper Andrew Culver had 5 saves. Franklin County hosts Wesson Thursday night at Bude's FC Soccer Complex. The varsity girls play at 5:30, followed by the boys at 7. Brookhaven resumes play Jan. 8, 2013, at Pearl. It will be Brook's first region game of the season.