PulaskiVol

Let me apologize for the spoiled rotten attitude comment and the whining comment. Many of you are right I do not know these ladies or their families, they are in fact children and their attitudes should not be mentioned. I have seen girls soccer played at the highest club levels and it is my opionion that many of these clubs have curbed their coaching to a win at all cost and don't worry about how you do it. Bad attitudes abound in club soccer, and for the most part the only people who seem to complain are the have nots complaining about the haves. Say what you want, but any player that says something ugly to another team, simply because they are a poor little country public school or because they are not part of an elite soccer club has no place in the sport. #11 for FRA was the best player on the field, she played with passion, an intense motor and superior skill. Her parents I am sure are very proud of her for good reason and I apologize to her and her family for the spoiled rotten whining comment.

I was a little surprised about FRA, not nearly the team I expected when GC played them. The are solid but not unbeatable. To beat them will take a total effort. Your midfield is going to have to slow down their midfielder #11. She is tall, active and a team player. She does however have a major problem in her game and that is that she whines the entire time over any call that does not go their way. You will need a player with a good motor to stay with her the entire game. They have a couple of forwards that are good players, both are big and have decent speed for their size. #8 was injured against us and did not play much, as for the big #2 (I think that was her number) I think she is their weak link. For starters, she is a ball hawk, just keep her in front of you and she will dribble the ball into trouble. She has some nice skill, gets to the ball in the air and is physical, but like #11 she has a spoiled rotten attitude. I think that she would be the easiest player on their team to get to mentally. Tell your defenders to be ready, as soon as FRA has the ball, at any point on the field, #2 is going to make a big run at the goal and they try to get her the ball. I think that all you have to do is shade a player in front and behind her and you will totally shut her down. They have a very underrated player, not sure of her number but she will be the smallest player on the pitch. You had better be physical with her, because if you let her run free without contact she can hurt you. As for their defense, nothing really special. They get to the ball well, but do not possess great speed and they are not that physical. If you have two nice forwards you will have a chance to score on them. Bottom line is that you have to control #11 and the midfield. Do that and you have a chance, let her roam free and you will get beat. FRA scored 3 goals, all in the second half and all on set plays, a corner, a direct and a penalty. They are strong on set plays, you will have to beat them to the ball in the air to be effective at stopping those set plays. Good luck to you on the game. I think if you are the more physical team you may very well win the game.

It was just a really tough match up for Giles County. 1st half ended 0-0. GC played decent along the back 4 but was under constant attact in a large part because of #11 for FRA. Coach Claire decided to move Aymett out from the back to try and get some movement forward and to try and slow down the FRA midfield, but GC was just overmatched. FRA scored on a corner, direct and penalty kick in about a 10 minute span in the 2nd half while GC scored on a own goal from a corner. Not sure why, but the 2nd FRA goal came and the girl that directed the ball in was standing on the goal line, not sure how she was not offsides? Not sure it would have mattered, but GC was slowed down considereably to the foot injury to Heather Holley. Heather wins 50/50 balls up top and is the fastest player on the team. Not having her able to play 100% really hurt. It was tough for GC to lose one of their top players and still compete with FRA. At least now when they get off their big bus they know we have a soccer team down here in the stix. As for GC, they had a great year, considering they started tryouts this season without a coach. Coach Sykes has done a really nice job, and hopefully GC will get her hired on full time and let her start to build a program. I think she has the right attitude to make it work in a public school, but I also have a feeling that a lot of people are going to be interested in her.

Hey Don, I know you don't know a lot about GC, but what about FRA? I know they have 3 really nice players, but what are the strengths of those three, are they lightning fast, are they big? What kind of style does FRA play? What kind of speed does the FRA defense have? Can't believe GC finally wins region and what kind of reward do they get, FRA. Kinda stinks but play the hand you are dealt. Only shot I think GC has is if the offense of FRA is not that fast.

Only two teams have come into sub-state play with two straight shutouts, they are CAK and Giles County. No doubt that FRA is by far the best team that GC has faced, but I'm telling you that goals will not be that easy to come by. If CPA beat FRA then there is a chance for GC to beat them as well. I don't think it will happen, but they have a shot. GC has a couple of threats up top as well, one with speed and one with power, they will get a couple of good scoring chances. Also watch GC defender Aymett. She is a physical player who will initiate contact with the big three of FRA. GC is slow in the midfield and that will be where FRA has a big upperhand. I believe that on paper FRA wins the game 3-1, but this game is played with heart, and I promise you that FRA will not play any harder than GC.

LOL. I am sure that FRA is a big favorite but I just don't think they are going to win by that big of a margin. It sounds to me like FRA struggles a little with speed and GC has speed up top. As for them scoring 6, I just don't think it will happen, GC defense is playing well, and unless FRA has a couple of fast forwards I think scoring is going to be tough in this one. I see it as a two goal game.

I thought the refs were pretty decent this game. It wasn't as physical this time as the last, although there were some tough collisions. Aymett and #9Crain (I think) had a huge collision toward the end of the game. This was a good game, GC scored early and then their defense just shut them down.

What tough luck for GC. Win a tough region only to have to face FRA. Oh well. On paper FRA has got to be the big favorites, they have more shutouts I think than GC has wins. What makes them so good? Do their forwards have great speed, is their defense solid and what kind of keeper do they have? Don't count out GC. While they do not have the talent other teams may have from top to bottom they are playing well together. Defense has gone 200 + minutes without allowing a goal and just put up a brick wall vs CA tonight. GC will have a chance providing that the defense of FRA lacks speed and the forwards of FRA have speed. FRA may very well win the game but I believe it will be tougher than most on here predict.

It is a sick reward.

Abigail Aymett. Senior Defender for Giles County. All-District, District 12 all-tourney, region 6 A-AA. District 12 tourney Defensive MVP. Heather Holley. Jr Forward for Giles County. The goal keeper for Columbia Academy, Brittain is her first name. One of the best keepers in the state in my opinion.

Giles County is an interesting team. Most of the girls have been playing club soccer together since they were little, and while they have mostly played Div. III and Div. II they have been together and training that long. Their talent lays within their junior and senior classes. The coach for GC is new, she was a player for both of the National Championships that Martin College won and she was the player of the year in I think 2005. The girls seem to really like her. She is going to be an outstanding coach in the future. Giles County also added Senior Abby Aymett who had been playing Division I soccer in Huntsville for the HSC Samba squad the last 6 seasons, and was in the 91 Alabama ODP pool the last two seasons. She is coming off an ACL reconstruction last October. Because the AL club and TN high school seasons r at the same time she has not played for GC until this season. She has really solidified GC's back 4. They are tough to score on even though they play a goal keeper who has simply not had any goalie training in her lifetime. GC is strong up top, they have two players that do most of the scoring in Heather Holley and Natasha Reynolds (I think is her last name). Holley is the speedster and Natasha is the powerful finisher. They are by no means a dominant team with a bunch of dominant players, but they play smart soccer, they are eager to get to the ball first and their back 4 has three quality players with the 4th being a little green but very aggresive. I think they are strong enough to get past CPA but will struggle should they have to play FRA next.

Well to help you experts out on Region 6 finalists Columbia Academy and Giles County (both teams I picked in another post to win over Spring Hill and Page) they are two evenly matched teams. They have played 3 times with each game being decided by 1 goal, the last of which was won by CA on kicks after double overtime. CA has won 2 with GC winning 1. CA has as good a keeper as you will see, she is easily the most underrated player in the state. I am shocked that she has not been offered a really top scholarship. They are led by Lomax on offense, a real jitterbug type player with speed and lots of moves. Giles is led by their back 4 defensively with Aymett being the force in the middle. Upchurch is a Smart defender and a perfect compliment. Those two play very well together. GC has two extremely tough forwards to defend. Heather Holley is the speedster and one of the smartest players on the pitch and Natasha is big strong and finishes well. These two play well together. As for the matchup it is just too even to call. I am going with GC as it is just their turn to win one. I do believe that the winner of this game will make it to the state tourney, as I believe either of them will beat CPA (I think this is who plays FRA). The loser is probably through, while it can happen I just do not see either of them beating FRA.

Giles County scored the only goal of the game with about 15 minutes left in the 2nd half. Natasha Reynolds (?) scored on a nice goal from about 15 yards out from a tough side angle after beating the defender one on one. GC was effective in slowing down number 24 for Page who is really a nice player. The keeper for Page played very well. As for GC their back 4 continued to play well. Their top defender in Aymett did not have her best game but Upchurch, Moody and Harrison all came through. GC midfielders came to play defense and helped out in the shutout. This was a nice win for GC as Page was a quality opponent. In the end I thought that GC's offensive players were better than Page's defensive players, and as a whole, GC's defense was just a little bit better than Page's offense. This was not an upset, both teams played well and GC was just the better team. I think the winner of the GC vs CA game is headed to the state tourney. Either of them will handle CPA but I think both of them will be a decided underdog vs FRA.

I can't believe that not a single person picked Giles County over Page. This was not an upset either, GC easily could have scored 3 or 4 more goals, GC was the better team. You so called experts! As for the GC vs CA game it is a tossup, flip a coin for your pick.

The ref was bad for both teams the last time these two faced off. This is a huge game for both teams, winner probably avoids playing FRA next game. Should be a great game. I bet the folks in Franklin are a little surprised this morning. Giles County played very well to beat Page.