Mississippi Brilla FC
The Mississippi Brilla FC’s May 9 season opener against the Laredo Heat, the Premier Development League champions, ended in a 0-0 deadlock before a crowd of 1,127.
Jacob Lawrence earned the “Man-of-the-Match” honors for what Rusty Bryant, Mississippi Brilla FC President and General Manager, called an “incredible lunge” warding off an almost certain goal coming from a 25-yard free kick from Laredo.
Jacob Lawrence
On May 11, Brilla defeated the Baton Rouge Capitals 2-1. Paul Babba knocked in a Phillip Buffington pass in the 5th minute, giving Brilla the lead. Though Tony Judice tied the game for Baton Rouge in the 58th minute, Brilla held on, helped by a home crowd of 934.
Brilla’s 2008 Mississippi rookies include Aaron Thornton of Pearl, Drew Ziegler of Clinton, Michael Lindsay of Starkville, Steve Ekuguwm, formerly of Jim Hill High School and currently with the University of Central Arkansas, and Matt Welch of Belhaven College. The international rookies are Jamaican Charles Hine of William Carey University and Scottish Ciaran Traquair of Shorter College.
Brilla FC also has five new out-of-state Americans: Kyle Segebart of Cedarville University in Ohio, Tyler Williams of St. Louis, Missouri, of the Southern Methodist University, Parker Duncan, in an incoming freshman for the University of Memphis, and David DeLotelle and Jason Williams both from the University of Mobile.
In Brilla’s inaugural season last year, the team led the Mid-South Division with 30 goals scored and was awarded the 2007 Premier Development League’s Rookie Franchise of the Year.
In light of last year’s accomplishments, the Mississippi Senate recently adopted “a concurrent resolution commending the mission and charitable accomplishments of Mississippi Brilla.”“Our goal is to continue impacting people for God’s Kingdom both in Mississippi and around the world,” said Bryant.