Madison soccer has one senior, but Camryn Meyer helps Lady Mustangs get back to sectional

Michael Odom
Jackson Sun
Madison Academic's Camryn Meyer makes a shot on goal during their game against Adamsville, Thursday, October 19. Madison defeated Adamsville, 3-0.

ADAMSVILLE — Coming into the 2017 girls soccer season, Madison's Camryn Meyer was in an interesting spot.

Meyer played a key role in the Lady Mustangs' 2016 trip to the Class A-AA state tournament, but she was the only senior returning to the team.

Meyer has led Madison through the good and bad of her senior season that continued Thursday night with a second straight region championship.

Madison beat Adamsville 3-0 to claim the Region 6-A crown, and the Lady Mustangs (11-7) will host Columbia Academy in a Class A sectional on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a trip to the state tournament on the line.

"It has been a lot of responsibility," Meyer said. "It is difficult not having someone to go to and ask am I doing the right thing or am I saying the right thing. But it has been very rewarding to have these young players push me up and make this last year great for me."

Madison coach Chris Baker knew that he would have to rely on her for leadership, and she hasn't disappointed.

"She has brought experience, playing competitive soccer," Baker said. "She has been on previous teams that have succeeded, and she has brought that experience.

"I've preached to the team that we need a whole team of leaders because there will be times when Camryn or Meredith (Nye) are not on the field. It is all important for all of them to follow her lead and be leaders."

Meyer was the one that broke a 0-0 tie late in the first half against Adamsville.

"Been story of the season, we have kept possession and needed to break a deadlock," Baker said. "She did that, and it helped to settle us down."

But even with the youth and some inexperience on the team, Meyer had faith in her teammates this year.

"I knew that if we worked hard enough that we could be just as good, if not better, than last year," Meyer said. "We have been saying since Day 1 that state is the goal, and we knew that these younger players were going to have to step up. And they have."

There have have been some tough times with the Lady Mustangs playing better opponents, but Meyer has tried to stay positive through all of it.

"We have a lot of club players on our team, and that has been helpful," Meyer said. "But playing higher-caliber teams like Henry County, and having these younger players thrown into it, has been a learning experience.

"It was a shock going in there and knowing that these wins in our area are nothing like the teams that we could see at state. We knew that these harder teams were going to push our confidence down, but we knew in the end, it would help us play on another level."

So Saturday will be Meyer's final match in West Tennessee, and the final match that she will play on her home soccer field at Lambuth. But there is a chance to get to end her career with back-to-back trips to the state tournament.

"I am so excited, especially being by myself as a senior," Meyer said. "They have pushed me. It has not just been me helping them. It is this final push to get to state."

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.