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Columbia’s Colby Strickland is the LCR’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)
Confidence reigns supreme for talented goalkeepers.
Colby Strickland had that and a whole lot more for Columbia this season. The senior goalkeeper was a team leader, a captain, but most importantly, the string that tied together a tenacious defense that allowed only one goal per match.
The Tigers made the playoffs for just the sixth time ever while ending a long postseason drought that dated back to 2010 and Strickland was a big reason why. He finished the year with 60 saves, including two penalty kicks, in 1,237 minutes while allowing only 18 goals.
Strickland even got to score two goals himself in a blowout win against Taylor County. His outstanding season is why he’s the Lake City Reporter’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
“Our confidence level definitely went up this year because we knew we had a good team,” Strickland said. “All we had to do was play like we know how to play and we had a really good season.”
The Tigers finished the season with a 13-6-1 record, improving upon their 2020 mark of 8-8-7. Strickland knew from the jump Columbia was destined for a special year as one of 11 seniors that had played together for years dating back to middle school at CYSA.
The talent was there and the Tigers proved it right away, racing out to a 10-1-1 start to the season.
“We all practiced together basically since seventh grade,” Strickland said. “We all came up together in the program at CYSA and the chemistry was there.”
Turning ties into wins was the key for Columbia this season and the offense made it happen with 45 goals. But the Tigers needed Strickland to show improvement as well and he did after giving up 33 goals in over 1,500 minutes as a junior.
Strickland was key in several victories, evident by the Tigers winning seven matches by a single goal. He memorably saved a late penalty kick against Keystone Heights with the game tied before Columbia won in the 77th minute in early January.
“We had so many close matches with a one-goal difference and he came up big for us again and again and again, making the big save or saving a penalty kick when we needed it with our backs against the wall,” Columbia coach Trevor Hickman said. “When you do make the acrobatic save or that important save or you’re able to stop a penalty kick, it completely changes the momentum of a match and he was able to do that for us throughout the year.”
Strickland credits his success to a variety of things, first dating back to his sophomore year when he failed to make the varsity squad. That provided motivation for the young goalkeeper, who spent countless days at the soccer field that summer and fall working on his game with friend and teammate John Saucer.
But Strickland also watched a lot of YouTube videos and tried to replicate what other goalkeepers were doing. He says that helped a lot as well, as did playing club ball for CYSA before moving on to GSA.
“My work ethic has definitely improved over the years,” Strickland said. “It really just opened my eyes my sophomore year when I wasn’t able to make the varsity team so I started training more and more. That opened my eyes and showed me that I’m not the best out there so I had to keep working to be the best out there. I worked so hard and it basically paid off.”
Strickland’s stellar season didn’t end as he hoped it would as Columbia fell to Tate in penalty kicks in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals. But the Tigers battled defensively for 100 minutes prior, going scoreless with the Aggies through regulation and both overtime periods as Strickland made five saves.
Strickland even stopped two penalty kicks in the shootout to keep Columbia tied 3-3 through five attempts. Tate ultimately won 4-3 after six attempts.
“They had a couple of opportunities and Colby came up big in both of those,” Hickman said. “Even in the shootout, he saved the second and third penalty kicks. The statistics are against you there. You’re not supposed to save those. It’s all set in favor of the penalty taker and he came up big there as well. Unfortunately they were able to get one up on us there in the extra kicks.”
But this Columbia squad won’t be remembered for that. The Tigers will be remembered for finally getting over the playoff hump after years of being district doormats.
Strickland is proud to have been a part of a special team that’s set a new standard at Columbia. The Tigers couldn’t have done it without him.
“He’s always smiling, always happy to be there and he wants to put in the work to make himself better and his teammates better,” Hickman said. “He’s been dedicated to this program. We’re going to miss his smile, his laughter, his work ethic, his character — all of that.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
GK: Colby Strickland
Columbia, senior
The LCR’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year was a brick wall in the goal, allowing just 18 goals in 1,237 minutes to help the Tigers reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010. He finished the season with 60 saves and even got a a chance to play forward, scoring two goals.
F: C.J. Joyner
Suwannee, junior
Tied for the area lead with nine goals despite only playing 10 games.
F: Connor Bass
Fort White, freshman
Led the area with 21 total points, scoring nine goals with three assists.
F/MF: Marcos Medina-Rodriguez
Columbia, senior
Scored eight goals that included six penalty kicks with four assists.
MF: Fernando Covarrubias
Fort White, sophomore
Had eight goals and two assists for the Indians.
MF: Victor Rodriguez
Suwannee, senior
Controlled the middle of the field for SHS, scoring four goals with four assists.
MF/D: Noel Caballero
Columbia, junior
Played all over the field for the Tigers, scoring four goals with two assists.
D/F: Trey Hingson
Columbia, senior
Started on defense being moving up to forward late in the season, scoring three goals that included a game-tying score against Buchholz in the District 2-6A semis.
D/F: Zack Strickland
Columbia, senior
Bounced back and forth between defense and offense, scoring five goals with three assists that included the game-winner against Buchholz in the District 2-6A semis.
D/MF: John Saucer
Columbia, senior
Was a consistent force defensively for the Tigers and also had a goal and an assist.
D: Oscar Rodriguez
Suwannee, senior
Top defender for the Bulldogs who had an assist and helped limit teams to less than two goals per match.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Trevor Hickman, Columbia
Led the Tigers to their best season in a decade as they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Columbia finished with a 13-6-1 record and was the District 2-6A runner-up before ultimately falling to Tate in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals in penalty kicks following a scoreless 100 minutes. The Tigers also won the Three Rivers Cup between Suwannee and Santa Fe, going 2-1-1 in four matchups.