The Bradwell Institute Lady Tiger soccer team is headed to the first round of the state playoff today at Harrison High in Kennesaw near Atlanta.
The girls finished 9-5 overall and 7-2 in Region 3-AAAAA. A scheduling conflict with Camden County and Islands High robbed the girls of an opportunity to play a region tournament and compete for the region title. With three schools tied at second, it came down to goal differentials where the BI girls landed in fourth place.
“It’s been down trodden, but the girls are staying positive about our playoff chances,” Lady Tiger soccer coach Lindsey Guyett said.
Guyett and boys’ coach Tommy Oglesby have worked together the entire season and say the teams work together and support each other, making Tiger soccer a partnership.
Oglesby and Guyett were busy getting the girls prepared for tomorrow’s 5 p.m. matchup because they say Harrison is not an easy team.
“Harrison has won two state championships in the past three years,” Guyett said. “We had a strong finish and we did well, so we have to go out and execute and play Bradwell soccer. It’s a turf field like Camden, it’s wide and they have more experience than us, but our girls can handle anything.”
This season, the girls were led in scoring and assists by junior Ashley Riles. She scored 28 goals and had 18 assists.
“My personal record for the year was 25, and it was 13 more than I had last year, and I was really pushing for it and I hit 28,” she said.
Riles, who also plays softball, said soccer is her main sport and something she wants to play in college.
“Right now I don’t have a set school in mind, but I’m going to several camps this summer. And I’m hoping to get something from those,” she said
She already has set her goals for her senior season, saying she wants five more goals and 10 more assists.
The Tiger boys fell short of the playoffs this year but Oglesby is not disappointed.
“We had a better season this year than we did last year … We are still growing and building and we do have to work on the technical side of the game,” he said. “A lot of the boys have been playing soccer for two years and we are playing teams that have been playing soccer since they were kids. I think the re-zoning of the region next year will help us out a lot. But they did well this season.”