Lady Bulldogs are ready for Aug. 22 season opener with Southwest
Despite finishing the 2018 campaign with a record of 15-0-1, the Holmes Community College Lady Bulldogs still have a bitter taste in their mouths after losing on penalty kicks in last year's MACJC/Region XXIIII semifinals.
"Last year was a year with a lot of success in it," Associate Head Coach Wesley Noble said. "We had a great group of players and young ladies that set all types of school records, won the third straight North Division title and did fantastic in the classroom with 10 academic All-Americans. We obviously fell short of our ultimate goal on the field though."
"That feeling and that memory of how we lost last year after having such a great season and then losing on kicks after being very dominant is something that isn't forgotten," he said. "I think it is all about how you use that moving forward and can you grow from it. We have 10 sophomores who haven't let that feeling slip their mind for the past nine months. I think last year will really motivate us throughout this season, it has already seemed to do so this preseason. We don't want that feeling again."
Noble said this year's team has been working hard during summer and preseason workouts. "Their fitness levels are high right now which is allowing us to dive into the sessions and train at a good level," Noble said. "The team culture is very good, our leaders are doing a great job. The girls have meshed and become a family even quicker than we expected. We are very excited for our first game in less than a week."
"We feel like we can be successful this year with the personnel we have," he said. "Our main focus is to be the best that we can be, individually as well as collectively. We want to be a dominate team that competes at the highest level we can day in and day out. If we do that, then I think we will be in a good position. The results will take care of themselves."
The Lady Bulldogs have tremendous depth and are very athletic, he said. "The depth will help us all throughout the year. The gap between the top player and bottom player is very minimal which increases the level of training on a daily basis. Starting spots and playing time will be up for grabs all year long. This group is by far the most athletic team we have had in my time at Holmes but we still have a lot of tactical aspects that we must improve on."
Holmes returns seven players who consistently started last season. Among the seven are the four leading goal scorers from last year – Zoe Ellis, Ja'Laycia Brown, Peyton Montgomery and Isabella Wade. Ellis led the Region in scoring last year with 24 goals.
"We are expecting another big year out of her (Ellis). I believe she can be even more efficient this year both as a scorer as well as a creator," Noble said. "Peyton Montgomery, 2018 All Region Selection, will be a big player for us again this year as well as a leader. We also have experience on our back line which is always positive. The most improved player from last year to now is Ja'Laycia Brown. She has well surpassed expectations and will be a key piece for us this year."
The freshman class should make an immediate impact for the Lady Bulldogs. "Our freshmen class is everything we expected and more, there will be several who really make an impact right from the start," he said.
"Cariel Ellis and Bailey Thompson are showing a lot of promise in our attack," he said. "We expect them to be very dangerous for us. Mackenzie Thompson will be a key component for us in the midfield, she sees things at a very high level and has the 'it' factor. Several others will slide into our backline and midfield as they become comfortable in our system."
The Lady Bulldogs, who were picked 16th nationally in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, will kick off the season on Aug. 22 at Southwest at 2 p.m. The first home match is Aug. 26 vs. Jones at 5 p.m.