The Fellowship Christian School girls soccer team reached the state semifinals in Class A last year and appears poised for another postseason run this season.
The top-ranked Paladins improved to 11-0-1 overall and secured the Area 6 championship Tuesday with a 10-0 victory against Mount Pisgah. It was the 10th consecutive victory for Fellowship since a 1-1 tie against Class AA No. 6 Holy Innocents’ on Feb. 27.
“I inherited a very successful program,” first-year Fellowship Christian coach Tim Rice said. “We believe in taking one game at a time and trying to get better each day at practice.”
Rice spent 13 years as the head coach at Etowah before joining the Fellowship Christian staff as an assistant last season.
Sophomore Rachel Haigwood is the Paladins’ leading goal scorer (19 goals and three assists going into Tuesday’s game). She gets plenty of help from Megan Hudgens (18 goals, 11 assists), Stephanie Haigwood (seven goals, 14 assists) and Abigail Freemyer (seven goals, six assists), who is the only senior starter.
Center back Sara Kate Jones is a three-year starter and was called the backbone of the defense by Rice. She and goalkeeper Shannon Milhollin lead a defensive unit that has allowed just seven goals this season.
Fellowship Christian has regular-season games remaining against Stratford Academy, Mount Pisgah and Blessed Trinity before playing its first playoff game on May 5.
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