The girls soccer team strives to end the season on a strong note.
Coming off of a strong 2016 season (10-1), the girls soccer team (currently 5-3-1) adjusts to losing six seniors, getting a new coach, and gaining seven freshman players. In 2016, the team was conference champions, second in the region, and made it all the way to the state semifinals. The Tigers lost 1-0 in a tight semifinal game against the reigning state champion team, Blacksburg.
This season, the team is led by a different head coach. Nathan Sharp, who coached the varsity team in years past and coached the junior varsity team in 2016, replaced Kelle Shiflett, who led the girls varsity team for three seasons. When asked what the difference between coaching JV and Varsity is, Sharp said, "Varsity players already have the fundamentals down, so most of the coaching consists of teaching formations and systems, whereas JV focuses more on basics and the technical aspects." He also stated ,"The team looks pretty even to how it was last year, this season is going just fine and there haven't been any surprises yet, good or bad."
Making the transition of coaches was facilitated by the fact that one-third of the varsity team this year was coached by Sharp on the JV team last year. Many of the returning varsity players have also had Sharp as a gym coach in previous years. Eight new players joined the team this year, seven of them being freshmen.
With the majority of the team returning, and the addition of many skilled newcomers, the Tigers aim to go all the way to states again.