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Troy 13U, 9U win state
Published Monday, November 17, 2008
The Troy Parks and Recreation soccer league bumped its state tournament pull to three tournaments with the 13U and the 9U girls victories Sunday. The teams joined the 18U team in the state title ranks Sunday.
The 13U team got its second state title in three years with a 1-0 victory in a shootout, while the 9U girls cruised to a 9-0 victory Sunday.
The 13 year olds took out Dothan on penalty kicks in overtime.
“That Dothan game was such a thriller,” Troy 13U head coach Doug McLendon said. “We knew if it got to a shootout that we would win because our goalkeeper was more prepared for the situation. We have gone through that scenario in practice.”
Becca Hartley tied the overtime period at 1-1 with a goal. Dothan missed their next kick and Austin Adler put Troy up 2-1. Dothan missed again and Mitchell Mobley set up a score or lose scenario for Dothan with a goal.
Troy goalie Hunter Kennedy stretched out and blocked the Dothan kick and was mobbed at the goal by his team. Troy finished off the toughest game of their tournament with a 1-0 victory and a state title.
“He saved us and all our players made their shots to win the game,” McLendon said.
Early that morning the Troy 9U girls’ team secured Troy’s first ever girls’ state title with a 9-0 victory over Ozark. There was no drama in this game, as eight different girls scored a goal.
“I was real excited for our girls because they did very well and got a really big trophy,” 9U girls’ head coach Matt Leverette said. “We won all three games and we were able to get a lot of girls playing time.”
In the final game of the 2008 state tournament, Peighton Carpenter scored two goals, Caitlin Bobo, Rose Snyder, Shelby Shivar, Tamaya Davenport, Lindsey Fox, Danielle Brown and Tucker Earles each scored one goal.
McLendon said he was just proud to be able to coach the 13U.
“Our kids stepped up and played aggressively when they saw they were going to be in a battle all game long,” McLendon said. “That has just been what they do over the last few years they have been together. They know they can trust each other and they just go out and play their hardest every game.”
The 13U team also defeated Prattville Sunday, 3-0.
Brantley LeCroy scored two goals and Nathan Fox added the other.
Leverette said he also was proud of how his team played.
“We were excited to have the opportunity to come out here and play in this tournament,” Leverette said. “We had four teams in our league and we were just glad to be able to have a boys and girls team this year. It has been a lot of fun.”
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Comments
Posted by Brundidge (anonymous) on November 19, 2008 at 3:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Im so proud of my nephew and the rest of the boys who did so well at state. Maybe the Troy Recreation Department will get behind soccer now and support them as much as they do the baseball program. Congrats Troy 13 and Under team. We are so proud!!!
Posted by dougmac (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 7:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I coached the 13 & Under Tournament Team, and I can tell you, Troy can be proud of how they handled themselves during both the District and State Tournaments. They reacted with calm poise, down 2-0 at the half against host team Eufaula in District, and won 4-2. They kept their resolve and their mental toughness when they warmed up before the Anniston game in State, and the opposing team never showed up. (They won big in the next game - without a letdown). They kept playing their game when a determined Prattville team came out blazing and put pressure on the defense unlike they had yet seen. The 13 & Under team showed cool efficiency in the shootout in the final versus Dothan when they stepped up to the line and converted all three penalty kicks and Hunter Kennedy, our keeper, dove and blocked the deciding kick to finish it. This was a mature and clinical performance by a team of kids who have been through so many of these situations before that they had great belief in each other and great confidence in the plan laid out by the coaches. Once again, it makes me proud to be a Trojan.
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