The DeKalb Middle School Lady Saints took on two opponents last week, one ending in a close, hard-fought game by the young team, the other in a shut-out. While expectations for the first soccer team of the middle-school program are low, improvements can be seen despite the scores.
On Aug. 27 the Lady Saints were at home to face Prescott Middle School. While the Prescott players were bigger and more experienced, the DeKalb girls held their own and made a game out of the match-up.
The first half of the game the Lady Saints seemed to play defense, defending their goal and playing mostly on their side of the field. Goalie Mary Maple had eight saves in the game, but Prescott was able to score two points.
During the second half, the Lady Saints turned up the heat. Their offensive came to life and the passing and ball control looked impressive. The Lady Saints wore Prescott down, and DeKalb’s Anna Rachel Blair was soon in for a goal, giving the Lady Saints their first ever point.
DeKalb pressed on, and had several attempts to tie the game, but time ran out. The Lady Saints lost 2-1.
"They say you see your biggest growth from your first game to your second game," Lady Saints Coach Justin Nokes told the Review. He referred to the teams’ opening game and the 12-0 shut-out they suffered. "I really believe we grew a lot between those games, even though we only had one practice. You know, we went out that first game and let the moment take us over, and now, even though we had a loss, we played extremely hard, together, and played our positions. I’m just very proud of what we did tonight, even coming out with a loss."
Nokes says the score didn’t reflect what was seen on the field. "Prescott ended up scoring two during the first half on defensive mistakes. In the second half, we came out ready to fight. Prescott is a very well coached team, and they had a very good defense. They kept on us in the first half, and in the second half we moved some people around and got it working. We were able to put one in the back of the net."
Coach Nokes says that this is a learning year for the Lady Saints and with no veteran school players, experience on the field is needed. "Prescott has had a team for ten to fifteen years now. They’ve been around the block. This is our first year. They know how much running and how physical this game can be. I think after two games, our girls are starting to see how the game is played."
But the hard knocks keep coming for the young team, as the Lady Saints found out two days later. The team traveled to Cumberland County where they faced another shut-out, with a final score of 10-0.
The Lady Saints next game is Sept. 5 when they travel to Fentress County.