Ocean Springs caps off impressive postseason run with another state title

The Ocean Springs boys soccer team rolled into Saturday’s state title bout with only four losses this season, but Greyhound coach Jeff French described his team as giant killers after a 2-0 win over Madison Central in the 6A championship contest.

To win the school’s second boys state title, Oceans Springs had to defeat three very strong teams in a row, Brandon 2-1 in overtime, Northwest Rankin 2-1 and previously unbeaten Madison Central.

“It was set up so that we had to go through some giants and we came out with a giant killer mentality,” French said. “I told them that nothing that means something comes easy. If you want something that lasts a lifetime you have to really earn it. These guys are resilient. They believed in themselves.”

Ocean Springs won despite being outshot 20-9, thanks to goals by Adam Walker and Keeton Holifield and 15 saves by goalie Gabriel Evans.

Walker scored just two minutes and 10 seconds into the game on a pass from teammate Aden Knight “The keeper (Garrett Wise) was forced to come out. It was a simple left foot finish. My team put me there. He (Knight) put me there,” Walker said.

Holifield’s goal came on a header with 30 minutes left in the game. He also gave credit to a teammate. “It was just a brilliant play by Caleb Self, flicking the ball to me,” Holifield said.

Cecil Hinds, who won one state championship as head coach at Gulfport (2010) and has three at Madison Central, said, “We just couldn’t finish tonight.”

Ocean Springs’ previous boys championship, also with French as coach, came in 2011. The Greyhounds finish 18-4-2. North State champion Madison Central finishes 20-1-2.

With an earlier victory Saturday by Gulfport, 3-1 over Clinton for the girls championship, the same two schools have won 6A the last two years. But last year, it was Gulfport for the boys title and Ocean Springs for the girls.

This story was originally published February 8, 2020 at 10:07 PM.