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TUPELO – Set pieces have been a strength for Tupelo this season, and that didn’t change once the playoffs hit.
Two Tupelo goals off set pieces bookended the first half, and that was enough to push the Golden Wave past Germantown 2-0 Tuesday night in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs. Tupelo will face the winner of Clinton-Lewisburg in the second round.
“We just have players that can put the ball where it needs to go and we have a group of three players that are probably the best three in the state in terms of putting their head on the ball,” Tupelo head coach Shelley Miller said. “And that would be the two O’Rear girls and Cat Long.”
Just minutes into the game, Tupelo earned a corner kick. It fell to Taylor O’Rear, who put it in the back of the net to put Tupelo on top 1-0.
“I wasn’t really sure how I was going to hit it,” O’Rear said. “I kind of thought it was sailing over, but I just kept my head down and then struck through it.”
Both teams struggled to create much offense the rest of the half. However, the Golden Wave found a pivotal insurance goal right before halftime. Colbie O’Rear scored off a throw-in to double the Tupelo advantage, and it was a crushing blow to Germantown.
“They made some adjustments from the last time we played them, moved some of their players into different positions to try to shut down some of our players,” Miller said. “We spent the first half trying to make those adjustments. I thought we did better in the second half, but going into halftime being up 2-0 makes that halftime talk a little bit easier than when you’re going in 1-0.”
Tupelo continued to push for a third goal throughout the second half. Though it never came, the Golden Wave made sure that the Mavericks were never really a threat with the ball.
“We’ve got that starting group of four in the back with our keeper, and then we’ve got two younger girls that we’ve been rotating into that backline,” Miller said. “Overall, those six in the backline and the keeper, that group of seven, they have amazed me this year.”
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Two Tupelo goals off set pieces bookended the first half, and that was enough to push the Golden Wave past Germantown 2-0 Tuesday night in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs. Tupelo will face the winner of Clinton-Lewisburg in the second round.
“We just have players that can put the ball where it needs to go and we have a group of three players that are probably the best three in the state in terms of putting their head on the ball,” Tupelo head coach Shelley Miller said. “And that would be the two O’Rear girls and Cat Long.”
Just minutes into the game, Tupelo earned a corner kick. It fell to Taylor O’Rear, who put it in the back of the net to put Tupelo on top 1-0.
“I wasn’t really sure how I was going to hit it,” O’Rear said. “I kind of thought it was sailing over, but I just kept my head down and then struck through it.”
Both teams struggled to create much offense the rest of the half. However, the Golden Wave found a pivotal insurance goal right before halftime. Colbie O’Rear scored off a throw-in to double the Tupelo advantage, and it was a crushing blow to Germantown.
“They made some adjustments from the last time we played them, moved some of their players into different positions to try to shut down some of our players,” Miller said. “We spent the first half trying to make those adjustments. I thought we did better in the second half, but going into halftime being up 2-0 makes that halftime talk a little bit easier than when you’re going in 1-0.”
Tupelo continued to push for a third goal throughout the second half. Though it never came, the Golden Wave made sure that the Mavericks were never really a threat with the ball.
“We’ve got that starting group of four in the back with our keeper, and then we’ve got two younger girls that we’ve been rotating into that backline,” Miller said. “Overall, those six in the backline and the keeper, that group of seven, they have amazed me this year.”
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