By Robert Wilson
The Jackson Prep girls soccer team and coach Jon Marcus Duncan are back in a familiar position after winning the MAIS Division I state championship last year.
Duncan admits his team wasn’t the favorite to win the state title last year but put together a strong finish to win his 14th state girls championship.
Prep defeated Jackson Academy 2-0 for the state title in a rematch of the 2022 state championship match. Prep was the No. 2 seed going into the playoffs and had split in two meetings with JA during the season. Prep finished 13-7 overall, 13-3 against MAIS competition, last season.
Duncan knows about winning. The Prep and Mobile College graduate has 28 state titles (14 girls and 14 boys) as he begins his 24th season at Prep. He has a 793-159-58 record – an amazing 83.3 winning percentage – and is second in combined career wins in Mississippi history. He has a 439-76-27 boys record and a 354-83-31 girls record. Karl Friedrich, who finished with 831 victories in 32 seasons at Harrison Central, is the career leader in Mississippi.
Duncan is looking forward to trying for his 15th girls state title this year. He has plenty coming back. Just look at the key players in last year’s state title game. Sophomore forward Torrey Polk and junior forward Emma Reeves scored one goal each in the second half and freshman goalkeeper Maggie Bailey and the Prep defense kept JA scoreless. It was Prep’s eighth shutout of the season.
“The championship last year was so special,” Duncan said. “The year was a grind. It was a roller coaster of a year. Last year’s senior class really found a way to keep that team together through the highs and lows. We were fortunate to earn the second seed in the playoffs and host the semifinal game against MRA. A great second half got us the win and we carried that momentum into the championship game against JA. What an atmosphere it was. It was electric.”
Polk (who led the team in goals last year), Reeves, and Bailey are back along with junior midfielders Maddie Caldwell and Addy Duncan (Jon Marcus’ daughter), junior forward Claire Crosby and junior defender Caitlyn Blackwell are returning starters. Prep has only three seniors – Emily Van Uden, Miller Jordan, and Regan Reed – and Duncan said they have provided leadership throughout the summer.
“Our expectations every year are to be in the championship game,” Duncan said. “That’s what this program is all about. The players expect to be there, and those expectations have been passed down year to year.
“MAIS Division I soccer has plenty of talent in it. There are some extremely talented players on the rosters, and I believe this league has some of the best coaches in the state that motivates their players to succeed.”
Prep opens the season Thursday at defending MAIS Division 2 champion Pillow Academy in Greenwood.
“We know that will be a tough opening match for us,” Duncan said. “Our second and third games of the year are against teams out of Tennessee (Bartlett High and Collierville High). If we don’t bring our A game, we could find ourselves in a tough spot just three games into the season. Our hope is to win another state championship, but we know it will have to be a complete effort from start to finish.”
