Both Greenwood High School soccer teams made a nice impression on the 6A state tournament field last week at Russellville High School, winning their opening round matches to reach the quarterfinals. They both were among the final eight teams remaining on the second day of tournament play.
The Lady Bulldogs were seeded third from the West and defeated sixth-seeded Jacksonville from the East, 8-0, last Thursday, May 10th. The GHS girls then lost 2-1 to Searcy, the two-seed from the East on Friday after leading for much of the match.
In their win over Jacksonville, the Lady Bulldogs scored five first-half goals to take early command of the match before adding three additional scores in the second half.
Greenwood led 1-0 at the half against Searcy, but gave up a pair of second-half goals. Junior Masheayah Moore scored the lone goal for the Lady Bulldogs and sophomore goal keeper Camryn Presley was credited with five saves at the net.
Head Coach Andrew Post was generally pleased with the way the season unfolded and has high hopes for the future. “We finished 9-10 and most [people] would say it wasn’t a good season, but I don’t think our record reflects the success we had,” he said.
“We beat Russellville for the first time in three years, we beat El Dorado to earn the #3 seed in the state tournament, and we led Searcy for most of the game in the state quarterfinals.
“This season we laid a foundation to build on,” said the coach. “We return many starters and young talent for next year. The program is growing and we are attracting athletes to girls soccer in Greenwood.
“But most importantly,” said Post, “I feel that these ladies are better individuals when they leave than when they first come into the program. That itself is success.”
Benton and Siloam Springs will play for the girls 6A state championship on Friday. Both are members of the 6A West along with Greenwood.
The GHS boys, seeded fourth under first-year Head Coach Lukas Shoemaker, have played a lot of low-scoring, close matches this season, struggling to score at times, and it was no different in the state tournament.
Last Thursday the Bulldogs trailed 1-0 to East five-seed Marion, but tied the score with a second-half goal, forcing the match into overtime. After neither team could break the impasse, a second overtime ensued, and Greenwood was able to score the winning goal for the 2-1 victory.
The ‘Dogs then fell 2-0 to top-seeded Jonesboro last Friday, ending their season with a 5-18 record. Two other 6A West teams, Russellville and Siloam Springs, will meet in the title match on Friday.