Much of the attention in Class AA this year has focused on Region 6 private schools Greater Atlanta Christian, Westminster and Lovett, the top three teams in this week’s Eurosport rankings. But there’s a public-school team at No. 4 that bears watching.
Calhoun is 13-0 behind a defense that has allowed one goal all season (which came on a deflected corner kick in a 3-1 victory against Armuchee on March 11) and is giving up just one shot on goal per match.
Senior goalkeeper Halley Cronon gets much of the credit, but Yellow Jackets coach Randy Rice also praised the efforts of Heather Robinson, Carter Baggett, Alexis Young, Haleigh Smith, Caitlyn Carroll and Brittany Jensen for the stifling defensive effort.
“We have enjoyed some success this year that I attribute to my girls’ work ethic and team philosophy,” Rice said. “We work hard to control the middle of the field and force balls away from our keepers. I have been blessed this year to have a number of girls that play year-round and enjoy the defensive side of the ball. All are converted midfielders.”
Offensively, the Yellow Jackets are scoring 5.8 goals per match and are led by senior striker Allie Caldwell, who is averaging three goals.
Calhoun has been off since a 7-0 victory against Coosa on April 3 and returns to action Tuesday at Model.
*Hebron on a hot streak: Hebron Christian goalkeeper Lexi Kent was recognized in USA Today's American Family Insurance All-USA Performances of the Week for her 19-save effort in a 1-0 victory against Wesleyan on March 26. The victory was part of a six-match winning streak (after a 2-5 start against higher-classification competition) that has propelled Hebron Christian to the No. 2 spot in the Class A rankings. Kent has made 203 saves this season and has a 91 percent save ratio, and the Lions have allowed just one goal during the winning streak. Senior Sarah Boyd leads the team in scoring with 16 goals and 12 assists, followed by junior Alex Probst (14 goals, four assists), sophomore Kendall Towe (12 goals, seven assists) and junior Tyler Roof (seven goals, five assists). "The Lady Lions are a team, rely on each other, defer to the team and sacrifice for it," coach Calin Pop said. "Each one of them is essential in the success of the game. They are a young team with a big heart."
*Milestone victory: First Presbyterian's Josh Trieste picked up the 500th victory of his coaching career when the Vikings girls team beat Griffin 4-0 on Tuesday. Trieste, who also coaches the school's boys team, got victory No. 499 earlier in the evening when the Vikings boys beat Dooly County 8-0. Bradley Mullis had four goals and Kevin Griggs had three in the boys' victory, and Amy Morgan scored twice for the girls team. "We're all very proud of Coach Trieste," First Presbyterian athletics director Greg Moore said in a story about the milestone on the school's Web site. "It's a testament to his work ethic and the vision he has always possessed that his teams are consistently exceeding expectations. Five hundred wins is a whole bunch, but there are more to follow because of how he runs our soccer program and interacts with his players on a daily basis." First Presbyterian's girls are 14-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class A, while the boys are 10-3-1 and ranked No. 5.
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