Ridgeland High’s boys and girls’ soccer teams are previewed.
Ridgeland Lady Panthers head coach Corey Lee said he is depending on defense from his seniors and offense from his juniors as the Lady Panthers look to crack the top four of Region 6-AAAA and advance to the Class AAAA state soccer playoffs in 2017.
“Right now we’re looking at a fairly young team again this year,” said Lee. “We have a small senior group and five juniors that will start for us.” Lee says that the experience level of the junior class is likely the team’s strength.
“It’s much like it was in my first year here (as coach) when our juniors led the way,” he explained. “I think it’s probably because they’ve played with each other for so long now that a lot of chemistry has been developed between the center-mids and the strikers. That hasn’t really happened in the past, but right now they kind of know where each other are going to be out there.”
The seniors are anchored by center back Morgan Sammons, who has been at the core of the Lady Panthers’ defense since her sophomore season. Lee said Sammons could also move up top and play a little on offense this season. Kamryn Adams will help control the middle of the field at halfback, while adding help on defense. The final senior, Morgan Crawford, will split time in goal as the team searches for a starter heading into region play. A softball standout who will play at Carson-Newman, Lee said Crawford “can catch the ball like no one I’ve ever seen.”
The junior class returns team captains Whitney Boehm at center-midfield and Katie Carruth at left striker. Callie Scroggins, Julie Robinson and keepers Alyssa Young and Kayli Moltz are all returning junior starters. The class is rounded out by Brittney Babb and Courtney Durham, who is currently battling a knee injury. Lee said it is unsure whether or not Durham, a starter since her freshman season, will be medically cleared to play before the end of the season.
Among the underclassmen that will have an impact are sophomore midfielder Madison Doty, sophomore striker Katie Davis, sophomores Marina Mosgrove and Nayeli Leon and a left-footed, freshman left-halfback in AbiGrace Tankersley, who is already drawing comparisons to former Walker County Player of the Year Ally Johnson.
“We’re working a lot so far on moving without the ball,” said Lee, explaining that he believes it will be the key to this team’s season. “I think last year we were too stationary and not opening up to get the passes we needed to make the plays, so that’s what we’re stressing this year.”