Monday was the official start to the MHSAA 2018-2019 soccer season. Jones County teams began practice for the upcoming regular season with classic games starting in November. Here is a glance at the West Jones girls soccer team.
By the numbers…
Previous year record: 15-7-1
Previous year Region 5-5A record: 5-1
Number of returning starters: 8
Games scheduled this season: 23
First scheduled game…
Saturday, Nov. 3 at 10:15 a.m. vs. Ridgeland (Laurel Sportsplex)
First scheduled Region 5-5A game…
Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Wayne County (Wayne County High School)
What the head coach Craig Winship says:
“We are very excited about who we have coming back. Our girls have worked so hard during the offseason. They’re putting in the time.
“Bri Carr is coming back for her sixth year. It seems like she’s been with us forever, and she has. She started as a seventh-grader. As a junior last year, she led us in goals scored. We get Kaylee Chennault back from an injury. She’s a junior, and she’ll play center-mid. Anna Bookout returns as one of our team captains. She’ll play outside-back. Alyssa Ezell, who was also a captain last year, is another key returning starter from last year.
“We return a whole bunch of starters from a year ago. We have eight girls playing this year that were starters last season, and we’re only set to lose a handful of those this year. We only have a handful of seniors that start.
“At the end of last year, we had so many injuries that we were playing girls deep in our bench. We had called-up four or five seventh-graders to play in the playoffs. Most, if not all of those, have significant roles this year with what we’re doing. Right now we’re working at least two deep, sometimes three, at each position. They’re pushing each other very, very well. So you’re going to see a lot of new faces out there this year in the beginning. We’ll see how that plays itself out, but they’re competing well for positions on the field.
“We had three seniors last year that signed with junior colleges. We lost our goalkeeper, so the biggest thing we lack is experience at the net. On the pitch, I moved Allie James around so much last year that it will help cushion that blow as other girls got to step in and out of those roles and get that experience needed for this year.
“We’re opening against Ridgeland this year, so that is going to be a lot of fun. These kids don’t remember that rivalry because they were all in elementary school, but I’m excited about that one.”
