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February 21, 2018
2018 SPRING SPORTS 'feVt^W
Mary Persons boys relish new underdog role
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
Despite losing 10 seniors
from last year’s region cham
pionship team, the Mary
Persons boys soccer team is off
to an unbeaten start and hop
ing to make a run at the pro
gram’s first-ever back-to-back
region titles.
But. coach Allen Luton says it
won’t be easy.
“We’re just finding out what
kind of team we are,” said
Luton. “We’ll see what hap
pens. It’s definitely going to be
a challenge.”
While conceding he may not
have as many skill players as
last year, Luton said he has
been pleased with his team’s
work ethic in the pre-season.
“We’re not as talented as last
year, but the attitude is great.
I like working with guys who
do what I ask them do,” said
Luton, who almost left MP two
years ago after he quit teach
ing to coach soccer at Middle
Georgia State University.
“That’s why I keep coming
back (to MP).”
While the Bulldogs have won
three region titles in the past
five years, they have yet to win
region in consecutive years.
Gone from last year’s team
are four-year starters James
Davis and Shane King, who
led MP to two of those three
titles. But this year’s senior
captains Dawson Daniel and
Alex Rivera bring the same
longevity and talent to their
jobs.
‘This year we need their
leadership,” said Luton.
Perhaps best-known as MP’s
most successful placekicker
ever, Rivera will again anchor
the center mid-field position
as the team’s playmaker and
distributor.
The quick Daniel will play up
top with senior Jacob Anthony
and sophomore Julian Rivera
Dawson Daniel moves upheld during the Bulldogs'8-0 win over Warner as a potent three-headed
Robins on Feb. 9. Daniel had four goals in the game. (Photo/Will Davis)
monster offense for opposing
defenses. These points of the
spear in the MP attack are
already giving defenses fits
with their speed and skill.
Junior Braydon Martin will
play right behind them when
he returns from an injury suf
fered in the win over Warner
Robins, when he collided with
a future Auburn football player
on the Demon soccer team.
Luton notes that. Martin, like
Julian Rivera and several oth
ers on the team, is the brother
of another player in the pro
gram, the recently graduated
Hunter Martin.
Anthony got lots of playing
time last, year after transfer
ring from Covenant. Academy,
and has already been match
ing Daniel and the Rivera
brothers in terms of goal scor
ing. He is also faster after los
ing 15 pounds for wrestling.
Freshman Garrison Walker
has travel ball experience and
will likely get. immediate play
ing time at. midfield, especially
with Martin hurt..
Perhaps the Bulldogs’ tall
est. player, sophomore William
Atkins will also join Alex
Rivera at. the midfield. Like
many starters, Atkins brings
travel ball experience to the
pitch.
Atkins’ brother Trae also
played for Luton at. MP.
Senior Beau Watson has paid
his dues with the program and
will likely get. a lot. more play
ing time this year in the mid
field area.
Senior Matt Miller will lead
the defense after having a very
strong junior season. Miller
didn’t, even start at. the begin
ning of the 2017 campaign but
worked himself onto the field
with his tenacity.
“He’s real coachable and has
gotten better and better,” said
Luton, noting that. Miller’s
brother Kenny also played for
MP.
The Culloden Canon, speedy
senior Jakob Cox, who lost his
familiar long mane before the
season, will hold down Miller’s
left. side.
“I hope he doesn’t, lose his
Mojo with his haircut.,” joked
Luton.
Another travel ball player
with skills, sophomore Mason
Baker, will man the defense.
His brother Dawson also
played soccer for the Bulldogs.
In the goal the Bulldogs
return senior and third-year
starter Brock Hulsey. Luton
said Hulsey keeps getting
better and said he also wants
Hulsey to step up in the lead
ership department, to boost, the
defense. He’ll be backed up by
freshman Aubrey Peterman,
who also has significant, travel
ball experience and is the
keeper of the future for the MP
program.
While it’ll be hard to improve
on last, year’s 14-3-2 record,
the Bulldogs will be hungry
to avenge last, year’s Round 1
state playoff loss, a big upset,
in penalty kicks to Eastside
High from Covington.
‘The playoff loss was tough,”
said Luton. “You never know
when you get. to penalty kicks.”
Looking at. the region, Luton
said he thinks Upson-Lee,
which returns the Region
Player of the Year and was
MP’s only region loss last, year,
will be the biggest, challenge
for the Bulldogs. Perry and
Spalding will also be tough
again, said Luton. He said it.
was tough last, year because
every one was gunning for the
loaded Bulldogs, who had a
deep bench. This year, MP is
the complete opposite, with
very little bench. But. Luton
said he kind of likes being an
underdog for a change.
The boys have a new coach
with a familiar name this
season. Seventh grade math
teacher Andrew Stevick, who
played soccer for MP, is help
ing Luton this year.
Veteran Lady Dogs' squad pursues region title dream
Strong-legged midfielder Taylor Buffington is expected to
again be one of MP's top goal scorers. (Photo/Will Davis)
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons girls
soccer team brings back
a strong nucleus of talent,
in 2018 as it. seeks to win
the program’s first, region
championship in seven
years.
With 10 returners from
last, year’s 10-8-1 squad,
second-year head coach
Dallas Hall said he has
higher expectations for the
2018 Lady Dogs.
“I don’t, really like the
losses that, we had last,
year,” Hall said. “Eight,
losses, I’m not. a big fan of
that.. I’d like to at. least, cut.
that, in half losses-wise. If
we cut. that, in half, then
that’s very good region-
wise. Of course, the goal is
always to win region, to be
closer to (defending cham
pion) Spalding than we
were last. year. But. that’s
always the goal. That’s
the girls’ goal, and that’s
what, they want, to achieve
as well. But. if it. doesn’t,
happen, then the goal is to
get. as far in the playoffs as
possible.”
Among MFs top return
ers are four standouts who
received all-region honors
in 2017 including: sopho
more striker Abbie Davis,
sophomore midfielder
Taylor Buffington, and the
two 2018 captains, junior
midfielder Annie Giles
and senior center back
Kennedy Finch.
Starting as freshmen,
the speedy duo of Davis
and Buffington were MP’s
leading scorers in 2017
and will be looked upon
for even more quality
play in 2018. Buffington,
who missed most, of the
pre-season while playing
on MP’s basketball team,
scored four goals in her
first, game back earlier
this month. Giles will be
counted on to dictate the
tempo of the game from
the midfield.
Hall said of Giles: “She
played almost, every min
ute last, year for me. So I’m
expecting her to have a big
year, probably a breakout,
year. Maybe score a bit.
more than she did last,
year.”
Hall also anticipates
increased offensive output,
from Finch, who primarily
led the defense a year ago.
Finch already scored an
early-season goal off of a
comer kick and will be one
of the offensive leaders on
most. set. pieces. Finch will
also continue to be the cor
nerstone of MP’s defense,
bringing her physicalit.y to
the back line.
Joining Finch in the rear
of MP’s formation will be
a pair of junior returners,
marking backs Sidney
Briner and Rachel Adams
and senior returner Naomi
Sanders. While Adams has
missed time in the early
season due to a knee inju
ry, Hall has experimented
with having three backs
instead of four. He said he
wants MP to be flexible
enough in 2018 to adjust,
its formations on the fly
according to the skill set. of
its opponents.
Joining Giles and
Buffington in the midfield
will be junior Morgan
Lawson, who will be
counted on to fill the big
shoes of the graduated
Emily Barnes. Hall said
Lawson has flashed in the
pre-season many of the
same skills Barnes pos
sessed.
“She’s improved a
whole bunch from last
year, really, really great,
improvement.,” Hall said
of Lawson. “She’s starting
to leam the position, and
I think by the time region
comes around she’ll be
pretty comfortable in that,
role. Her work rate is so
high all the time. I never
have to tell her to pick it.
up or it’s not. good enough
or anything. I know her
work rate is going to be
there all the time every
single game.”
Up front, along with
Davis, MP will feature a
pair of versatile freshmen,
Mara Emami and Lauren
Hamm, who each have
extensive club experience.
Varsity reserves will
include: Lauren Hamm’s
older sister, Meredith
Hamm, a junior
who will see action
all over the field,
Spalding transfer
Hope Brooks, a
junior who will
play midfield and
forward, sophomore
Alexis Havens,
who was promoted
from JV, and senior
Anmol Patel, a for
ward who has been
a stalwart, on JV for
several seasons.
Hall said of Patel:
“All the girls like
her, and she just,
provides a good
personality for the
team. Will she be a
huge impact, player?
Maybe not. on the
field, but. off the
field, absolutely.”
MP’s starting goalkeeper
will be returning senior
Lori Smith, who has
improved greatly from
last, year, according to her
coach.
“She’s a lot. more confi
dent. this year,” Hall said
of Smith. ‘Last, year, I
wanted her to be more
confident, playing with her
feet., and I think she is
more confident, in that, role
so far this year, which I’m
happy about.. The first, two
games she’s been doing
what. I wanted her to do.”
Hall said he has shaken
up the team’s schedule
in 2018 in order to better
prepare the Lady Dogs
for tough playoff competi
tion like St.. Pius X, which
ousted MP in the second
round of last, year’s state
playoffs. Most, of MP’s non
region games will be either
against. AAAA teams from
the Henry County area or
against, state powers like
AAAAAA Houston County
or AAAAA Warner Robins.
“I’m excited to play
different, teams, out.-of-
conference teams that,
we’ve never seen before,
the girls have never seen,”
Hall said. “You kind of
get. tired of playing the
same programs, so I tried
to venture out. into Henry
County and teams that, we
might, run into their region
in the playoffs.
Within Region 2-AAAA,
Hall said the other five
teams, including MP, are
still chasing Spalding,
which went, undefeated
within the region a year
ago. He said Howard is
also expected to be solid,
and Upson-Lee and Perry
have had up-and-down
cycles over the last, several
years.
“My hope is that, we’ve
closed the gap a little bit.,”
Hall said of MP’s chances
to catch Spalding.
Hall said it. will help
that, he knows his players
much better than in year
one while his players also
know what, he wants out.
of them.
“I’m expecting more
from the girls I had last,
year just, because they’ve
been in my system for a
year,” Hall said. “So now
everything should click,
and they know my expec
tations. And the way I
want, to play and the way
I’m expecting everybody
to play. And the work rate
that. I expect, from every
body. They should be more
comfortable with that.. I
think most, of them are,
and I’m seeing it. in the
first, two games. They’re
a bit. more together as a
group than they were last,
year. And that’s always a
plus, especially with girls.”
2018
MP Varsity Soccer Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
LOCATION
TIME
Feb. 23
West Laurens*
Away
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Feb. 27
Upson-Lee*
Away
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 2
Perry*
Away
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 6
Howard*
Home
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 9
Tattnall Square
Away
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 13
West Laurens*
Home
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 16
Spalding*
Away
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 22
Howard*
Away
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Mar. 27
Upson-Lee*
Home
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Apr. 13
Spalding*
Home
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Apr. 17
Perry*
Home
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Apr. 20
Dutchtown
Home
G-5:30 p.m., B-7:30 p.m.
Apr. 26
Girls (1 st Round State)TBD
TBD
Apr. 27
Boys (1st Round State)TBD
TBD