The Gilmer High Lady Cats historic soccer season came to a close.
GHS was in Hall County last Monday to take on the No. 13 Cherokee Bluff Bears, and the home team had goals to spare. Led by sophomore forward Bristol Kersh, the Bears excelled at both ends of the field, and goals came equally over both halves.
Gilmer, seded No. 21, fell behind by five after 40 minutes, and CBHS ended the match prematurely in the waning moments, 10-0.
“We were outplayed for the entire game, essentially,” said head coach Adam Palmer. “They were the better team, and that forward (Kersh) had a lot to do with it.
“They did a lot of give-and-go passes. When the ball found her foot, she decided pretty much what she wanted to do with it. She was a far superior player; a very high-level talent.”
Kersh scored seven goals on the night, and 10 goals were the most given up by GHS all season. At the half, Gilmer switched to a 3-5-2 formation for more width in the middle. The change led to some chances over a 10-minute span according to Palmer, but GHS was unable to put the ball in the back of the net.
“They were just very composed and patient,” said Palmer. “They kept the pressure on and finished us off in the second half.”
While the defeat was an unfavorable outcome for the Cats, they had the best season in the history of the program in terms of wins (12) and goals scored (72). GHS secured its first-ever playoff win by defeating Peach County, 7-1. The Cats then advanced a step further when they trounced Bainbridge in the Sweet 16, 9-1. Yenifer Lopez broke her own record for goals in a season, which now stands at 31.
“We focused on the things we could control and prepared the best we could with the tools we had available to play our best,” Palmer said. “At the end of the day, that’s really all you can do. I’m very proud of the team. It’s been wonderful. I’m proud for them because they can look back on it and know they were a part of a historic season.
“I’m glad to be just a small part of it, because they’re the ones who went out on the field and did the work.”