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LCMS girls’ soccer completes perfect season, wins second straight championship
Lady Tide champs 2
Long County Middle School Girls Soccer Team (Top Left to Right) Head Coach Kelsey Persinger, Abygail Medina, London Hudson, Mya Gray, Jersi Lester, Allyson Dibernardo, Abigail Nadeau, Myjah Fedon, Ana Martinez, Brianna Contreras, Breana Tyler, A’aliyah Nightingale, Alinah Manibusan, Assistant Coach Lex Wrighton (Bottom Left to Right) Ashley Ortiz, Kadyn Higgason, Kaitlyn Contreras, Macey Higgason, Ruby Garcia, Rowena Lloyd, Makaila Quintero, Selenia Pigott, Kaley Hunter, Reese Davis

This year Long County was able to host region playoffs because the Lady Tide had earned the top-seed in the region.

 The Lady Tide finished the season 8-0 with only one goal being scored against the tough Tide defense. Head coach Kelsey Persinger said the entire experience was, “amazing.”

For the first round of playoffs the Lady Tide competed against Ware County, winning 4-0. Macey Higgason, Makaila Quintero, Breana Tyler, and Myjah Fedon scored with several teammates helping to assist.

In their semi-final on Saturday March 19 the girls played against Pierce County.

“We won 1-0,” said Persinger. “It was a tough game with an even tougher field. The girls were slipping everywhere due to the rain the night before however one of our strikers, London Hudson managed to score after receiving a pass from her left wing, Makaila Quintero.”

“Macey Higgason, a true powerhouse on the field dominated the center along with Ruby Garcia and Alinah Manibusan who not only blocked and cleared several balls before reaching the defensive line but made impactful plays throughout the game,” Persinger said. 

The coach said the Lady Tide defenders Abigail Nadeau, Jersi Lester, Allyson Dibernardo, and Abygail Medina continued to hold off Pierce County until the last three-seconds of the game when their keeper, Rowena Lloyd, grabbed the ball and held on for the final whistle to be blown. That win sent the girls to the championship game.

The Lady Tide played against Appling County winning 3-0.

“The first goal was a ricochet off of one of Appling’s players legs after receiving a throw in from Macey Higgason,” the coach said. “In the second half, two more goals were put in by London Hudson. The beautiful thing about this game is that every player on the Long County team was able to get playing time other than Mya Gray who is recovering from a knee injury.”

Assistant coach Lex Wrighton said it would have been nice to get 11 straight shutouts but is satisfied with what the team did this year.

“We wanted to have a completely shutout season, but champions will do!” Wrighton said in a Facebook message.

The coach said the entire team has been supporting each other all season.

“So, it was a bittersweet moment being able to do that again one last time for the final game,” Persinger said. “Lots of emotions came this week but one I’ll never grow tired of is the love I have for these girls.”

They become the first Long County Middle School team to go undefeated since the boys’ soccer team did so in 2018. 

 

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