Lady Bulldogs’ remarkable season ends with 6-2 loss

HARRISON — The Lady Bulldogs took to the road with their counterpart Bulldogs early Thursday morning to participate in the 3A state soccer tournament at the Soccer Complex in Harrison. The Lady Bulldogs found themselves on the losing end of their amazing season with a loss by four goals.

At 7:30 a.m, the activities bus was loaded with 43 players and three coaches and ready for the two-and-a-half-hour road trip. Chief Steven Grizzle of the Decatur Police Department led the caravan out of the parking lot at Peterson Gym. But instead of turning right toward Arkansas Highway 59, he turned left and led the bus back to the front of the high school where the entire student body was waiting to cheer its favorite teams on to victory. Then it was on to Harrison.

The number three seed Lady Bulldogs squared off against the number two seed 3A North Cave City Lady Cavemen from Cave City at Community Field around 1 p.m.

Shortly after the start of the contest, the Lady Cavemen scored their first goal to take the lead, 1-0. The Lady Cavemen built that lead to 4-0 by the break.

Shortly after the start of the second half, Decatur forward Heaven McGarrah managed to work her way around the Cave City defense for the Lady Bulldogs’ first score of the contest.

McGarrah scored one more goal. But a pair of goals by the Lady Cavemen late in the half put the contest out of reach for Decatur.

At the end of the contest, the Cave City Lady Cavemen defeated the Decatur Lady Bulldogs, 6-2, to move on to the second round Friday afternoon and end the Lady Bulldogs’ remarkable 2022 season.

When the Decatur girls voted to drop the softball program and restart soccer, the coaches, players and fans had no clue as to just how the program would progress. But the Lady Bulldogs ended the season with a third-place finish in the 3A West conference, with an overall record of five wins, five losses and one tie, a conference record of five wins, four losses, and one tie.

Going into the 2023 season, the team remains intact, with no seniors graduating this year. So, Lady Bulldog soccer fans will get a chance to see this year’s team in action again next year.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Jackie Mendoza (11) tries to intercept a Lady Caveman pass as teammate Emilee Flores tries to assist during the Cave City-Decatur first-round match of the 3A state girls soccer playoffs in Harrison Thursday afternoon. The Lady Cavemen took the win, ending the Lady Bulldogs’ 2022 season.