BROOKHAVEN — Presbyterian Christian School capitalized on Brookhaven Academy mistakes and scored a few wonder goals to win 8-3 Tuesday night. Brookhaven Academy junior Kendra Quinn was a bright point in the match. 

Quinn transferred to Brookhaven Academy from Bogue Chitto where she and Autumn Ramshur worked well together in tennis and soccer the past two seasons. Her hard work, creativity and tenacity in the right wing helped Brookhaven Academy score two goals in the first half. 

Presbyterian Christian School took an early 1-0 lead with five minutes into the game when the Cougars failed to clear a corner kick out of the box. Brookhaven Academy actually tied the game at 1-1 with eight minutes later. Quinn delivered a cross into the box which the PCS goalkeeper misjudged and the ball fell to BA’s Camille Calcote who scored. 

Quinn’s night was off to a better start than the first game of the season against the Hattiesburg Forerunners. She fit in the squad and the BA team was playing better together. 

“It was a little scary at first, playing somewhere new and you don’t know anyone,” Quinn said. “We played together in the summer and we all are working well together now. It started in the summer, we are all on the same page and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.” 

Goal scoring shootout

Presbyterian Christian School scored two quick goals with one long shot coming from outside the box and another on a counter attack after Brookhaven Academy won a corner kick. PCS had a 3-1 lead with 21 minutes left in the half. 

Brookhaven Academy did not bow out of the game. Instead, the Cougars fought back with Quinn leading on the right flank. She spun, dueled and tackled the ball back in a flurry. Her foot swung through the ball lifting it towards goal. 

It looked like the ball was headed for Calcote in the PCS box. Once again the PCS goalkeeper misjudged the ball and Quinn’s shot dropped into the goal over her head.

“I was shooting but I was shocked it went in,” Quinn said.

 Brookhaven Academy was back in the match down 3-2.but the jubilee would be short lived. With five minutes left in the first half, PCS scored a goal off of a shot deflecting off a BA defender. PCS scored again on a cross catching the BA defense off guard to make it 5-2. 

In the second half, PCS extended the lead to 6-2 following a long distance goal. BA failed to clear its lines to concede the seventh PCS goal of the night. Missed chances to clear the ball lead to the 8th goal for PCS. 

Brookhaven Academy pulled a goal back on a free kick shot taken by Matti Claire Smith to make it 8-3. Despite the mathematical improbability of a win with limited time and a 5 goal difference, senior defender Ava Calcote urged her teammates on until the final whistle. 

Growing from defeat

Head Coach Alex Brown addressed the team after the game. He reminded the squad about the progress they had made. Last year, Brookhaven Academy scored one goal in 160 minutes of action against PCS. The Cougars scored three Tuesday night. 

Brown told the team there was a lot the team could learn and clean up from the game. Reflection is an important part of athletics, he said. He added the team needed to flush the result and get ready for the next game. Quinn said the team can grow from the defeat. 

“I think we need to work on our mistakes and communicate better,” Quinn said. 

Senior goalkeeper Ainsley Orr, who is sidelined this soccer season with a knee injury, gave advice to seventh grade goalkeeper Elizabeth Durr after the game. Orr had a tough loss last year in the South State Championship where BA conceded 4 goals. 

“Every goal is not your fault, no matter what the internet or social media tells you it is not your fault,” Orr said. “You have to have confidence. It is the biggest thing. You have to have confidence in yourself and in your defense. She needs experience and she needs a lot of it.”