LHS girls beat expectations
It has been the same old song and dance for Lakeside this season.
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The Lakeside girls soccer team celebrates after their second goal against Evans. The team is 10-0-2, which is a better start than some people, including the team itself, thought likely. Suzanne Rogers, the team captain, believes the Lady Panthers can win a title this year.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
The Lakeside girls soccer team has continued the strong tradition former coach Donny Rogers established this season under new coach Chris Newman.
The Lady Panthers (10-0-2) have gotten off to a better start than anyone would have guessed, including some of Lakeside's own players.
"I'll admit that I thought before the season, we would have a good year but not a great one," said captain Suzanne Rogers. "I was wrong. We have had a season, so far this year, that is unbelievable. To respond to the people that said we couldn't compete without the players we lost is great."
Ashley Wray, a sophomore striker and a starter on last year's team that lost 3-2 to Marist in the state title game, said the team rededicated itself in the offseason.
"We knew we would have to pick it up this season without the players we graduated," she said. "That was tough, to lose the girls we did. But we all knew we would have to work that much harder this season to be as good."
Lakeside hasn't scored as many goals a game as last year, partly because of the region's higher competition level.
Lakeside's Suzanne Rogers gets control of the ball early in the game against Evans at Panther Stadium.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"We're not playing the Butlers or the Glenn Hills or the Laneys this year," Rogers said. "We dropped a bunch of things that are traditionally good at soccer and gained Evans and Wayne County and others.
"But we have also tried to keep everything in perspective. Sure, we're undefeated. But we didn't play the early season schedule that we did last night," Rogers said.
No. 3 Lakeside sits behind Marist, the team that has beaten the Panthers in each of the last three playoffs, but appears to have a team as competitive as their playoff rivals.
"We really feel like we can compete with them this year," said Rogers. "We have a team that is very strong, and we kind of want revenge."
But the top-ranked team is McIntosh, of Peachtree City.
McIntosh won the state title last season in Class AAAAA and has one of the state's best soccer traditions.
Lakeside's Amanda Wray heads the ball as she collides with Evans' Allie Young. Lakeside's soccer team had to make a conscious effort to rededicate itself following the loss to Marist in the state title game last year. After losing some good players in the offseason, this year's team, had meager expectations. Younger players have stepped up to an unbeaten record.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"They are killing teams," Rogers said. "They will be a tough team to play with.
"I'll tell you one thing, I won't underestimate this team again. They have the capabilities of doing something special this year. Can we win a title? Yes, anything is possible. We just have to want it."