Krisi Boren saw the progress last season.
After making it to the Division II state title game in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools in 2008, Boren watched as her team adjusted to playing against Division I competition in ”09.
The Lady Patriots experienced their share of growing pains, going 6-7 and finishing fourth in their district.
With only one senior, Boren knows the team will have to make similar adjustments this year, especially after the graduation of Jessee Mims and three other players.
But the third-year coach believes her young group, which includes zero juniors, learned enough a year ago to keep moving forward and to make a run at the state playoffs.
“I think a lot of the girls have grown in their knowledge of the game,” Boren said. “I am excited about this season. Even though we lost a lot of girls, we have a lot of new girls. … I am ready for Friday. After that we will know more about what we need to do and what we”re lacking.”
Heritage Academy will begin that quest at 5:30 p.m. Friday when it travels to Marshall Academy. The long bus ride to Holly Springs could present a challenge, but Boren feels her team has worked hard since the start of the preseason July 1 and is in fine physical condition to begin the season.
Senior goalkeeper and captain Stephanie Cruse will lead the team in a new attack — a 4-5-1 — that will feature Avery Phillips, Mary Claire Akins, Madison Clark, and Roya Asadi on defense.
“I want Stephanie to have a lot of confidence because she is a great goalkeeper,” Boren said. “I think she feels she has a lot of pressure on her because of the harder teams that we play, and her position is not easy, but I trust her in the goal.”
Sophomore Tori Fields will help direct the offense from the midfield. Lexi Swaim and Katy Whitman will vie for playing time at wing midfield.
Boren said the Lady Patriots switched formations to provide more stability in the midfield. She feels the depth at that position and at striker will give the team plenty of options.
Rachel Stukenborg, a freshman transfer from Memphis, will help anchor the defense at midfield with Sydney Ellis, who Boren said came on last season and has “grown leaps and bounds.”
Boren said Noel McAlexander, Missy Swaim, Breland Starr, Anna LeBrun, and Katlin Russell will compete for playing time at striker.
Abby Whitman could see playing time on defense and at striker.
In 2008, Heritage Academy went 11-4 and lost to River Oaks (Monroe, La.) in its first appearance in a MAIS state title match.
The Lady Patriots struggled at times last season stepping up in division play. This season, they will have to adjust without Mims, who is on the women”s soccer team at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Morgan Lamb, Elena Marchak, and Emily McConnell.
With 16 players on the roster this year, Boren acknowledges she won”t have the depth of other teams but she likes the enthusiasm her younger players have shown in the preseason.
She also likes the story behind how the team found the scripture it will use as motivation this season. She said Cruse picked out several possibilities, one of which was Collossions 3:23, which begins, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart … “. Boren wants her players to have that kind of attitude whenever they step on the field.
“Whatever it is, we”re going to give 100 percent,” Boren said. “If what you have takes home the win, then it does. If it doesn”t, it doesn”t. You know you left everything out on the field.”
Boren likes the soccer knowledge her younger players bring to the varsity level. She feels confident the program will grow if everyone stays together and recognizes they are building something.
“We have to be careful of not being intimidated when we go to play some of the tougher teams,” Boren said. “That is what we”re working against. I think they have confidence in the fact that even though they are young they are good players and that they can only get better if they apply themselves and work hard.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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