Titan's Down No. 9 Brandon

By Nash Nunnery - Madison County Herald
Special to The Herald

With his Ridgeland teammates needing a spark in the Mid-Mississippi Shootout Classic, Steven Smith decided to take matters into his own hands.  Or better yet, his right foot.

The junior sent a laser shot that found the back of the net midway in the second half to propel the Titans to a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Brandon at Newell Field.  Smith said he was just looking for an opportunity to help his team.  He found one.

"We needed something to change the tone of the match," he said. It was pretty rough out there and I believe our pressure on them was the difference. "Coach (Preston Nailor) told us to keep pushing the ball and it paid off in the end."

Ridgeland (3-2-3) out-shot the Bulldogs by an overwhelming 10-3 margin.  The game featured tight defense and some chippy play, but the officials seemed content to let the two teams battle.  Penalties were scarce.  Smith didn't mind.  "We play each other hard," he said. "It was a good game for us, and I'm glad we were able to get a win."

Nailor was pleased with the victory over the Class 5A Bulldogs (4-4-2), who got the better of the Titans earlier this season.  "The guys were hungry today, and they\'ve really worked hard to get better," the third-year Titans coach said.  "Brandon beat us 4-0 two weeks ago and this game really shows the improvement that we've made."

Smith's goal would prove to be the only score of the match. Nailor praised the forward and his teammates.  "Steven did a good job at working to get himself open and he hit a great shot," he said. "This was a great game between two good teams, and I'm so proud of our players for finding a way to get it done."