Photo by Christ Covenant Athletics

By Robert Wilson

It didn’t take long for Christ Covenant School to win a boys soccer state championship.

In its first year of competing at the high school level, Christ Covenant’s boys soccer team won the MAIS Division IIII championship with a 2-1 victory over Washington School at Madison-Ridgeland Academy.

Junior Samuel Lewis scored both goals for CCS.

This is first year for CCS, located in Ridgeland, to have a 12th grade and has only 11 students who are seniors. The junior and sophomore classes are much bigger as well as the middle school and the school is growing. 

“We finished with a 9-4 record this season, only falling to schools bigger than us such as Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy, Hartfield Academy and Madison St. Joseph,” CCS coach Craig McCabe said. “Playing the bigger schools and having a harder schedule improved the team and prepared us for the playoffs.

“Our first goal was scored by Samuel Lewis, who scored on a free kick around the wall and into the top corner (of the goal). Robert Penny then hit the crossbar with a header form the corner, which would’ve made it 2-0. Not long after, Washington took a shot from the edge of the box where our goal keeper Jack Schmitz was able to save the first shot but not the rebound, which made the game 1-1. Washington then started to grow into the game and they almost took the lead where they played a ball through the middle of our defense, but didn’t finish the goal. Allen Darsey then played a fantastic 40 yard through ball to Samuel Lewis, the Washington defenders failed to deal with it and Samuel capitalized by heading past the defenders into open space and managed to get a left footed finish into the open net before the on rushing Washington keeper.”

“We are extremely proud of the way our boys competed this year,” said CCS athletic director Tyler Thiessen, who also is the girls basketball coach. “It was so fun for our school community to come together and rally around our team like they did. Our goal at CCS athletics is to be God-honoring, family first, and whole attitude nurturing and our team was committed to that this season. I’m so proud of the way they competed and ended this high achievement.”