Lady Tigers’ season ends with 1st-round loss
Keara Evans ends her high school career with a 37-save game in goal.
Darlington girls’ soccer coach Al Shorey knows the work and dedication his players had put into this season only grew with each passing week.
However, the first week of the postseason was where their season came to a close.
Keeper Keara Evans made an astonishing 37 saves in the final game of her high school career, but the host Lady Tigers lost to Lovett 10- 0 in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs Friday.
“Our No. 1 goal this season was to win the region. We weren’t sure we could do that at times and we had to overcome a lot of adversity,” Evans said. “But we came together as a team, grew together and love each other.”
The Lady Lions attacked from the start, led by Grace Jackson’s four goals. Lovett led 6- 0 at halftime and scored the tenth and final goal in the 58th minute.
“That’s a tough one,” Shorey said.
“The thing I liked about this crew is they improved every week. From the time we started workouts in December, all the way through to the end, the girls worked real hard.
“Every game we had they left it all out on the field.”
Evans had to be a workhorse in goal for Darlington, fielding Lovett’s aggressive offense throughout the game.
“We knew coming in that we were the No. 1 seed, but we were the underdogs,” she admitted afterwards. “I just had to stay focused and think about the next shot, not about the last one.”
Evans, along with fellow seniors Pressley and Zoe Smith, provided great leadership for the team, according to Shorey.
I’m so proud of the team,” Evans said. “I hate that I have to leave them, but I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”
The Lady Tigers won the Region 7-AA title this season and finish with an 117-1 record.
Shorey said they had their work cut out for them, facing tough challenges from region foes Armuchee, Model and Dade County this season.
“A year ago, we would have been on the losing end of those close ones. But we came out winners this year,” Shorey said.
He said he hopes to continue some of those area rivalries next year despite Darlington moving down to Class A and into a new region.
RN-T.com photos.
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