Murphy – After making history with its first-ever boys soccer team in the fall, Murphy Middle School is doing the same this spring with its first girls soccer team.
When he was an assistant on the co-ed team last year, head coach David Decker talked with then co-ed coach and Murphy High School girls soccer coach Kim Brownlee about whether it was time to split into boys and girls teams. When Decker brought the signup sheet to Murphy Elementary School to see how many kids were interested, there was enough to split the boys and girls into separate teams.
There are 17 girls on this year’s team, and Decker said he did some “heavy recruiting” to try to find players he knew were good athletes, but didn’t have big softball or baseball commitments this spring. The team has just three eighth-graders, a hand- ful of seventh-graders and mostly sixth-graders. There’s a good amount of experi- ence, and it’s a team willing
to learn and work hard. “We have half the team that has never played before, and then we have some highly skilled players as well who have been playing their entire lives,” Decker said. “It’s an interesting dynamic to coach, but I’m a teacher and I like to approach it as a teacher. Getting those girls up to speed, while it’s a chal- lenge, it’s also really fun. And I enjoy a challenge.”
Seventh-grader Halie Hill has scored most of the team’s goals while playing as a cen- tral attacking midfielder,
Offensively, Murphy capitalized on some initial attacks to get a goal in the opening minutes. Lailee Holloway’s shot was blocked in the sixth minute, and Watson was there on the rebound to put it in the net.
“I’ve been barking at them when the ball’s crossed just going toward it,” Holloway said. “And (Emonie) totally did what she was told todo.”
At times throughout the rest of the game, it looked like Smoky Mountain was going to get a golden opportunity and convert, but the Lady Bulldogs didn’t let that happen. Barreiro said the Mustangs put the same amount of pressure on Murphy as they did in the first matchup, only Murphy was bet- ter prepared. When the defense didn’t run down an opposing player, the Lady Bulldogs were able to get a touch in the midfield.
“They’re learning how when the ball comes to them to receive it and trap it,” coach Holloway said. “And then look up and then see what to do with it, instead of just kicking it as hard as they can, is a huge difference.”
Smoky Mountain had its best chances to tie the game early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Rumfelt came out to corral a free kick and collided with a Mustang player, allowing Hadley Huffman to put the ball in the back of the net, but a foul was called and the goal didn’t count. Minutes later, Huffman had a dangerous cross that couldn’t connect with a teammate.
The Lady Bulldogs had some chances in the middle portions of the second half be- fore the Mustangs made one last push. Jada Cortes had shots from outside the box in the 71st and 74th minute, and both were saved by Rumfelt.
Murphy has five more games after spring break, all against teams they played earlier in the season. Holloway was hoping her team would be better the second time around as her players got more experience. That was the case against Smoky Mountain.
“This next part of the season is round two for us,” Holloway said. “I told them we’re a whole new team playing.”