Petal coach John Dicks could not have imagined a better end to non-district play Friday for his team. Behind two goals from junior captain Carley White, the Lady Panthers bounced back from Tuesday’s shutout loss to South Jones and picked up a 2-1 win over soccer powerhouse Sacred Heart.
“All we’ve been talking about since the loss to South Jones was the small little things we had to tweak,” Dicks said. “They did it. The girls came in, they believed in themselves, they stepped up. They were throwing their bodies in front of shots, which was amazing.”
Dicks called the win—their seventh in nine games—“huge” with it coming right before next Tuesday’s Region 5-6A opener at George County.
“Their confidence level is through the roof now going into George County.”
It took only five minutes to get that confidence going against Sacred Heart, as White found the back of the net and gave Petal an early 1-0 lead. Midway through the first half, the Lady ‘Saders tied it up off a header from Jessica Hyde.
Twelve minutes into the second half, the Lady Panthers regained their lead off an assist from Abby Reagan and another goal from White, who is coming off a knee surgery, according to Dicks.
“It’s just been building her confidence. This is one of those games that will add to her confidence. She [White] is an amazing player.”
Late in the match, Sacred Heart made a push to tie it again, but Petal managed to hang on and secure a signature victory. The Lady ‘Saders, who fell to 3-5 with the loss, were without several players, including star freshman Gracie Falla.
“Sacred Heart was without a few people, but that’s always a hard game to play against them,” Dicks said, adding that his team started two middle schoolers on defense.
“They really stepped up and played really well.”
