The Andalusia Bulldog soccer team finished off the regular season with a 3-1 victory over Citronelle to clinch the area championship on Saturday in Andalusia.

Andalusia picked up a goal early with a strong shot from Kiki Wain to take a 1-0 lead.

Citronelle hung around in the first half and knotted the game at 1-1.

Just before halftime, Wain added his second goal of the match to put the Bulldogs up 2-1.

“I felt like we really came out sluggish,” Andalusia head soccer coach Jarrett Williamson said. “We are used to playing on weekdays after school, and playing on Saturday in the heat contributed to our slow start.”

A pep talk from Williamson at halftime, gave the Bulldogs a much needed spark.

“We challenged them at halftime and they really responded well,” Williamson said. “The difference in the game was our attitude in the second half.”

In the second half, the Bulldogs’ defense held Citronelle scoreless and Wain added his third goal of the game to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 victory.

With the win, the Bulldogs earn the right to host the first round of the Class 6A-4A soccer state tournament.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs will host UMS-Wright for the first round of the playoffs.

Before the varsity match, the Bulldogs’ JV team beat Citronelle 10-0 to finish the year with 9-0 record.

“I’m very proud of the JV team,” Williamson said. “This is a great group of kids that plays really well together. They are really a bright spot for this program. They are a super hard working group that is very competitive.”