By DAVID A. FARRELL
Item Staff Writer
CARRIERE — Junior Gautier Lady Gator Ashley Johnson hit for three goals to pace Gautier in the first round of the Class 5A soccer playoffs here in a 5-1 win over the Pearl River Central Lady Blue Devils in Hendrix Stadium on Tuesday night.
Gautier is in district 7 and was the runner up and the Lady Blue Devils won the District 6 championship.
Gautier came in second in District 7.
The tall, slim and fast Johnson nailed goals with 19:10 and 5:51 left in the first half and with 18:31 left in the second half.
She consistently broke into the open with her speed and then kicked perfectly timed balls into the goal.
Gautier first took the lead with 25:01 left in first-half action when Gator Sarah Warren hit on a strong kick up the middle.
Next Johnson nailed two more to make it 3-0 at the half-time break.
However, the Lady Blue Devils began a comeback when Lady Blue Devil Jessica Guillot on a penalty shot from the left field about 30 yards out nailed a perfect shot up and over the Gators that looped right under the upper goal post for a score.
It was like a perfect 30-yard chip shot.
That made it 3-1 Gators with 33:33 left in the second period.
Gator head coach Dean Joseph, in his first year with the Gators, said Guillot’s shot scared him.
“I have to admit that that shot sort of upset me. That pulled them within two of us, and I was afraid the momentum would change in their favor, but we managed to hold them off,” he said.
“The Lady Blue Devils are a strong team, and we were really worried about them,” he said.
Said Lady Blue Devil head coach Tim Anderson, “I am proud of these girls this year. We won our district, which is what we set out to do, and we had hoped to make it further into the playoffs, but we have had a good season. Now we will get started getting ready for next year.”
“I think we did real well this year as young as we are,” he added.
Anderson has won three district championships as head of the Lady Blue Devil soccer team.
The Gators now face West Jones on Saturday in the second round of the state Class 5A playoffs.
Alyssa Fuller picked up the last score for the Gators with 4:35 left in the game, to round out the scoring for the Gators at 5-1.
The game was the final one for PRC seniors Raquele Beech, Ariel Ladner, Ariel Johnston, Nicole Norton, and Ashley Palmisano.
