Jones College’s men’s and women’s soccer teams entered the postseason, which is earned through every practice, every game and every setback that the team faces. Even though each team had a different path this season, they had the same goal, and that was to win.
Men’s Soccer
The Jones College men’s soccer team went into the postseason as one of the most dominant teams, with their record being 14-3-1. Leading up to the Region 23 tournament, they had won eight out of their last ten games. Even from the beginning, Coach Brendan Connolly knew this team was going to be something special.
“After our first session in preseason, we knew we had a chance of making the playoffs and winning the District Tournament,” Connoly said.
The mindset of knowing how far they could go allowed them to have a 9-1-1 record in the conference, and it carried them to the Region 23 tournament. The Bobcats started the tournament off with a 1-0 win over Itawamba, whom they had previously lost to in the regular season. The game was mostly decided by defense, but it was Stanley Georgiou’s goal, assisted by Mario Novaku, off a corner that ultimately won Jones the game.
After that win the Bobcats would go on and face #16 Hinds. It was a hard-fought game. Mario Novaku for Jones scored at the 41st minute mark, and shortly after, Hinds scored at the 46th minute, with the game ending in a 1-1 tie, forcing them to go into overtime, then later penalty kicks.
The penalty shootout went back and forth between the two teams, but it was ultimately Jones goalkeeper Josh Goodwin who saved a Hinds penalty shot to give Jones the 8-7 win, making them the winners of the Region 23 tournament. Even though they had just won, the team’s mindset stayed the same.
“The team’s mindset is always to take one game at a time and put maximum effort into our performance in each game,” Connolly said.
Coming off a five-game win streak and a statement win in the Region 23 tournament, the Bobcats would enter the NJCAA DII National Tournament to face the St. Louis Archers with plenty of momentum.
Jones fell behind early in the game with a goal from the Archers at the 10-minute mark, but the Bobcats responded quickly with a goal from Drew Raffaelle, assisted by Matt Reed, just a couple of minutes later.
The game would go into halftime tied 1-1, but the game would not stay tied for long with standout striker Matt Reed scoring off a pass from Mario Novaku to give Jones the lead early in the second half. Twenty minutes later, Jones would deliver the final blow with a goal from Cade Thortis off a pass from Matt Reed to end the game 3-1. After being down early, it became clear to the Bobcats that they needed to come together as a team to be able to rally back for a chance at a win.
“We had some amazing individual performances from the lads over the course of the season, but we always stress the importance of our collective performance,” the coach said.
After a huge win over the St. Louis Archers, Jones would go on to play against #1 Phoenix College in the Quarter Final of the playoffs. The game was a defensive battle throughout with no goals within 110 minutes, which forced it to be decided by a penalty shootout.
With the shootout going back and forth, Phoenix College eventually pulled through and won the game 4-3. The loss to Phoenix College would end the Jones Bobcats’ dominant season as they would finish with a record of 16-3-3.
“Very proud of our performance against the number one-ranked team, Phoenix College,” Connolly said. “We know we are able to compete with the top teams in the nation.”
The team ended the season with the same mindset of taking it one game at a time, and now it is up to the returning players to carry on that mindset.
“We will be good again next year,” Connolly said. “We have recruited well, and we will work with the returning players in the offseason.”
Women’s Soccer
The Jones College women’s toccer team stepped into the postseason with more than just confidence because they knew what it took, and they were willing to do whatever they needed to win.
This program was no stranger to the playoffs, as in 2023, they won the NJCAA Division II National Championship. Throughout the years, this team has had defining moments, led by coach Dolores Deasley, to shape their identity of winning.
“I feel that the moments that shaped us most were the ones that we had to dig deep and fight hard for,” Deasley said.
Leading up to the postseason, the Bobcats went 11-4-2 and 7-3-1 in the conference. They started the Region 23 tournament with #13 Pearl River, in which they dominated 4-1. Two of the goals came from forward Sherline King, and the other two were scored by Mary Grace Batson and Nadia Sobel.
After that win, the team moved on to face #2 Holmes in the semi-finals of the Region 23 tournament. The Bobcats trailed early on with a goal from Holmes, but scored in the middle of the first half to tie the game 1-1. The goal was scored by Nadia Sobel and assisted by Sofia Monico. After that, the game was a back-and-forth defensive game, ultimately going into overtime where Graison Holder would score a goal assisted by Sherline King at the 100th minute mark to win Jones the game 2-1.
In the finals, the Bobcats would go on to face #3 Northwest, where they would suffer a devastating 3-0 loss to put them in second place in the Region 23 tournament. Even though the team did not get the outcome they had hoped for, they improved because of it and still had the rest of the postseason to look forward to.
“The thing that impressed me the most was everyone’s desire to just go win the game,” Deasley said. “The girls gave 100% no matter what the circumstances. They kept their composure in the intense moments, and I was proud of the fighting spirit we demonstrated.”
In the first game of the NJCAA DII National Tournament, Jones would match up against UA Cossatot. The Bobcats won 3-0 in a dominating fashion, with every goal being scored and assist being from a different player.
Jones would advance and be set to face off against #1 Johnson County. The Bobcats would take an early 2-0 lead with both goals being scored by Sherline King. Later, the team would slip and be down 3-2, but late in the second half, with less than ten minutes left, King scored again to tie the game 3-3 and send it into overtime. Just eight minutes into overtime, King would come through yet again to give the Bobcats the lead and ultimately win the game 4-2 to advance Jones to the finals of the NJCAA DII National Tournament.
In their last game, the team would again face #3 Northwest, a familiar opponent and the one they lost to in the Region 23 Tournament. The game started out as a defensive game with the score being 0-0 going into halftime.
Northwest got the scoring started, taking a 1-0 lead just a couple of minutes into the second half. Jones responded quickly with a goal from Jameyah Hubbard to tie the game. Later in the second half, Sherline King would find the back of the net to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead.
However, that lead did not hold long with Northwest responding with a goal of their own almost immediately to send the game into overtime. In overtime, Northwest would score again and hold off Jones to end the game 3-2. The team played a hard-fought postseason, finishing second in the Region 23 tournament and the NJCAA DII National Tournament.
“I think our group responded perfectly to playing Northwest again,” Deasley said. “We know we are one of the top teams in the country every year, so there was no fear. In fact, they were excited at a shot at redemption. They gave everything that they had in that game, and unfortunately, luck fell with the other team. I couldn’t have been prouder of the effort.”
Sherline King had 29 goals throughout the whole season, with 8 of them coming from the postseason. Deasley explained that King was not just a leader on the field, but her actions off the field gained support from her teammates. Her playmaking abilities played a big part in this team’s success, and she is the true definition of a leader.
“Sherline had such a big impact on the girls,” Deasley said. “Her leadership was amazing, and she was always pushing the girls to be their best version of themselves. She did that on and off the field. Her performance played such a big role in giving the girls hope and boosting their confidence, reminding them that it wasn’t over yet.”
The Jones Women’s soccer team would finish the season with an overall record of 14-6-2. The team faced many battles throughout the season, yet still prevailed, and no matter what, they still upheld their standard. Looking on to next year, the returning players hope to uphold the winning culture that this program has created.
“The girls know the expectations, and they know the standard,” said Deasley. “We practice this and keep building on it throughout the season. Although we are losing multiple key players, I have no doubt that the upcoming sophomores will step up, and we have some quality freshmen who will be joining us as well. We have so many leaders in the group, and they are a great group of girls. I am excited to see many of them step up into leadership roles.”
Both teams ended play with a winning record and an unforgettable season. The postseason always tells the truth, and it always reveals who put in the work long before the playoffs ever came around.
by Jackson Vella
