CALEDONIA — Hope Burton and Zoe Saraiva are different soccer players than their sisters.
Caledonia High School girls soccer coach Jason Forrester is confident of that. In fact, he laughed when he was told Burton and Saraiva probably would like that their coach said that about them.
Forrester also has plenty of great things to say about senior Emily Brewer, even if she isn’t following in the footsteps of a sister at the school. That didn’t matter as much Friday as did the fact that Burton, Saraiva, and Brewer have played integral roles in the success of the Caledonia High girls program the past few years. The hard work they have invested in the program was rewarded Friday when all three players took part in a signing celebration at the school to commemorate their decisions to play soccer at the next level. Burton will take her talents to Itawamba Community College, while Brewer will play soccer at Meridian C.C. and Saraiva will play soccer at Northwest Mississippi C.C.
Burton isn’t as tall as her sister, Lindsey, but she said there are similarities and differences between the players.
“I am a little bit more level-headed than she is,” Burton said. “She was very bam, bam, bam. Everything was always going forward. I am more relaxed. I sit back and wait for the opportunities to open up.”
Saraiva said she is different from her sister, Zia, in a lot of ways. She said Zia was more defensive-minded and used her greater speed to help play the position. She said she tries to use her head more than her speed. She said, like Burton, that she tries to sit back and wait for opponents to make a mistake before she capitalizes.
“I have always had my dad as coach,” Saraiva said. “He has a lot of passion for the game, and I think I just got that from him. Seeing him have that passion for the game, I got it.”
Saraiva said she was a “mess” earlier in her school life. She said she used to be the kind of person who didn’t want to do anything. She said things changed as a freshman when she started to work harder. She acknowledged moving to a new school played a role in her not being comfortable in a new environment.
Forrester said Burton and Brewer have been with the program since seventh grade. He said they have played together since their youth soccer days, so there are familiar with all of each other’s moves. He said Saraiva came in three or four years ago and fit right in after her family came to the area from Italy.
Lindsey Burton played at Caledonia High and then went on to play at ICC. Zia Saraiva also played at Caledonia High and went on to play at Hinds C.C. in Raymond.
Forrester said Hope is an aggressive player, but not as aggressive as her sister. He said Lindsey was a very tough who would take a hit and give a hit back in a “direct” style of play. He said Hope doesn’t go after players as much and will get the ball if you are in her way. The difference, though, is that Hope will back off and wait for you to make a mistake before she takes the ball.
Forrester said Zia was a “calm” defender who kept everyone organized. He said Zoe is a lot more aggressive, particularly since she plays in the midfield. He said all three players worked their way into the starting lineup about the same time.
Forrester said Brewer helps to bring it all together by setting her teammates up. He said she attracts a lot of attention defensively, which allows her to lay the ball off to her open teammates. Behind Burton and Brewer, Saraiva switches the field and plays the ball out wide to keep the offense flowing, Forrester said.
Brewer said she shares a love for the sport with her classmates. She said the passion she has for soccer has helped her realize a goal that has been many years in the making. She said she started playing when she was 8 years old as a left back and a center defender. Through the years, she has moved up the field and learned how to make an impact on the team offensively. In that time, she feels she has matured as a leader, especially after dealing with a knee injury that carried over from her sophomore year and a concussion that kept her out of action for the first month.
“This year has gone a lot smoother,” Brewer said. “Everything seems to be calmer and everyone is more level-headed. It is a lot cleaner and simpler game this year.”
Forrester agrees and credits Burton, Brewer, and Saraiva for making that happen.
“All three work really well with each other helping other players on the team because of their leadership,” Forrester said. “They lead by example, they lead by voice. This is one of the few years I have had it that we don’t have any problems on the team between people because of their leadership.”
Forrester said Brewer grew up being a scorer and has learned how to work with her teammates, how to draw pressure, and to work into space to receive the ball back so she has a chance to score. That mentality is something all three share, he said, which is a great sign for a program that consistently has sent players to the next level for the past few years.
“It helps greatly because the younger girls see this,” Forrester said. “This year we have 28 on the team. I have a true seventh- and eight-grade group that is my JV. They see what is going on and that we have girls going on to play soccer and see that if you get out here and work hard, you will have an opportunity. The great leadership the seniors give, as well, trickles down to the next group, and they understand it is not just about we’re going to come out here and kick a ball around. They want to continue to help build the program because we have built some tradition with it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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