Women's Soccer | 10/29/2017 11:49:00 PM

RIDGELAND – The Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats have done it again.
JCJC captured its second straight MACJC/Region 23 championship with a thrilling, 3-2 decision over No. 16 and previously undefeated Holmes here on a cool, sunny Sunday afternoon at Freedom Ridge Park.
"We stepped up today," said JCJC head coach Dolores Deasley, who led the Lady Bobcat to their fourth state title (2010, 2013, 2016, 2017) in eight years. "Last night was a tough night for us. It was mentally exhausting going into overtime. For them to come back today and to have to step up front and center, you just could not ask for any more."
Jones had advanced to the title game with a win by penalty kicks over Mississippi Gulf Coast on Saturday. The game ended in a 1-1 tie after double overtime, but the Lady Bobcats outscored MGCCC 4-3 in PKs.
JCJC, 9-2-2, will now host No. 6 Eastern Florida State College in an NJCAA District H playoff game later this week at Bobcat Soccer Field. The game date and time has not officially been set.
The winner of that game will advance to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament Nov. 13-18 at EFSC in Melbourne, Florida.
The Lady Bobcats got off to a quick start vs. Holmes when Mikayla Banks (Vicksburg) broke free for a goal at 4:14.
Holmes tied it at 1-1 when Nikki De La Garza scored on a Madison Deslatte assist at 29:43.
JCJC went up 2-1 on Aimee Durn's (Watford, England) free kick that went just over the keeper's hand and below the crossbar at 49:49.
Holmes would answer at 71:13 on a Deslattte goal.
JCJC got the game-winner at 78:42 when Durn got a rebound and put the ball into the net.
"It was just one those (games) where you did not know if you were going to get another one," Deasley said.
Holmes had a couple of opportunities in the final minutes to tie it, but JCJC keeper Mia Holmes (Brandon) came up with clutch saves.
"She has just a different mentality," Deasley said of Holmes. "She has that hunger and she has actually been carrying a shoulder injury. But Mia really wanted to be in there and win and have the back-to-back titles for the sophomores. She was outstanding today and outstanding last night as well."
The Lady Bobcats have had several players sidelined with season-ending injuries in 2017.
But Deasley said the team kept playing with effort and energy and it paid off with another state title.
"We felt sometimes for us the luck has not always been with us," she said. "We felt like when the chips were low and we needed that wee bit of luck (today) we got what we needed. That does not always happen for us, but I'm just delighted.
"I'm just very, very proud of all of them."
Holmes ends the season at 13-1-1.