Lafayette’s Julia Perkins nets 100th career goal in first round victory over Greenville

Published 4:15 pm Saturday, January 21, 2023

Lafayette forward Julia Perkins scored her 100th career goal on Saturday to help push the Lady Commodores past Greenville in the first round of the MHSAA Class 5A playoffs.

The Lady ‘Dores dominated from the kickoff, netting 11 goals in the first half to set up an 11-0 mercy-rule victory after 50 minutes.

Perkins, sister Caroline, Mattie Ahmed, Caroline Wilson, Lillie Grace McCutchen and Olivia Ball each found the back of the net for Lafayette, with Wilson scoring a brace and each of the Perkins sisters recording hat tricks in the victory.

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The elder Perkins’s third goal of the afternoon marked an impressive milestone for the senior as she eclipsed 100 goals for her career.

Perkins said it felt good to reach the milestone, adding that it was especially memorable to achieve the feat on the team’s Senior Day.

Head coach Melissa Scruggs said it was a pleasure to watch Perkins develop over the years and blossom into a true star, calling her a “blessing” for the team.

“She’s big-time. I mean it’s been so much fun to watch her grow from seventh grade until now,” Scruggs said. “It’s just been great, she’s been a blessing to us and I think that achievement alone shows you just how much work she’s put in as a player. We’re super proud of her.”

Lafayette will be back in action next week as they move to face Region 4-5A champion New Hope in the second round.

The Lady Trojans (12-2-1, 4-0 Region 4-5A) have won four of their last five matches dating back to Dec. 19, with their sole loss coming at the hands of Starkville on Jan. 7.

“New Hope’s gonna be good, they’re always solid,” Scruggs said. “We just have to make sure we have the right mindset going in — make sure we’re at our peak. They have a grass field, which is a little different for us, so we’re going to be training on the grass to make sure we’re prepared there but I think we’ll be ready.”