Luke Hopkins' overtime goal all Clinton needed in 1-0 win over Northwest Rankin in 6A title game

RIDGELAND — Clinton had heard a lot about how good Northwest Rankin was headed into Saturday’s 6A Championship game. They'd also seen it with their own eyes, when the Cougars beat them 2-0 less than a month ago.

But that just made their 1-0 overtime win over the Cougars in the game that mattered all the sweeter.

The Arrows (11-5-2) got rewarded for their aggressive play with a stunning shutout of top-ranked and previously undefeated Cougars (21-1-1).

“This is exciting,” Clinton coach Tyler Wade said. “This was obviously our biggest goal coming into the season. We fell just short last season, so we knew we had a good group coming back, but it’s still exciting to put it together.”

The Arrows’ lone goal came in the first minute of the first 10-minute overtime period. Clinton senior Luke Hopkins got past the last defender and was definitely going to score before he was tackled in the box and picked up the foul call.

His penalty kick was to the right, and although saved by the Northwest Rankin keeper, the ball bounced right back to him and he ripped it into the net. The Clinton fans that packed the visitor’s side exploded as if they had been waiting an hour and half, because they had.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the rebound when I set up for the penalty kick,” Hopkins said, still grinning. “I was more thinking about the celebration after I put it in the back of the net. But it’s a great feeling, especially after coming up short last season. To win it as a senior… its about as good as it gets.”

The celebration was worth the wait, but as it got later and later in regulation, it just seemed inevitable.

Clinton was the more aggressive team starting in the second half. Hopkins nearly score in the 41st minute — right out of the halftime break — when he raced past his defender on a breakaway before missing a touch right in front of the goal.

Arrows keeper Caleb Pemberton made several big stops down the stretch, making two diving saves in the final five minutes of regulation. 

“We were really organized defensively and we avoided the big mistakes,” Wade said. “That was a big emphasis for us — don’t make the big mistake that leads to an opportunity for them. We had watched film and knew we could play with them.”

The championship was Clinton’s first since 2012 and 10th overall.