Christian Bourgeois scores early goal to lift St. Stanislaus to Class I Soccer Championship
RIDGELAND — It didn’t take long for St. Stanislaus to get on the board against St. Andrew’s in the MHSAA Class I Championship Saturday at Ridgeland High.
Just 35 seconds into the game, Christian Bourgeois drilled a goal after a deflection to give the Rockachaws the early 1-0 advantage.
What followed was a 79-minute battle to hold on to that lead. When the final horn blew, the defense had held, and the Rocks raised their third-straight state championship trophy.
“Our defense stayed very, very organized and disciplined,” St. Stanislaus coach Zach Villarrubia said. “I do wish we had stayed more aggressive after the quick goal, but our plan was to come out early, press the front line and put pressure on them right out of the gate.”
The championship was the third in a row for St. Stanislaus, which had competed in Class 4A the past two seasons before dropping to Class I during the last round of reclassification.
The class might be different, but the result was the same.
St. Stanislaus (16-4-1) leaned on its seven seniors, and they came through — especially keepers Jackson Leblanc and Finley Williford.
Leblanc made a couple of strong saves in the first half before drawing a yellow card in the second after St. Andrew’s broke free for a one-on-one matchup.
Williford came in cold off the bench and made two key stops, including one where he dove on a loose ball on what looked like a sure-goal for the Saints (12-6-2).
“Our defense was really strong today,” said Bourgeois, who earned MVP honors. “We’ve got a great group of senior leaders and a lot of young guys who have a lot of soccer ahead of them, so as big as this win is, we expect great things in the future too.”
