Sophia Lykins was a major component of the most successful soccer season at Gilmer High School.
Lykins is a 2025 GHS honor graduate, and the Lady Cats enjoyed a trip to the state playoffs last season. Gilmer turned in a pair of postseason road wins, and Lykins will continue her soccer journey at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
She narrowed her choices down to three and several factors contributed to her decision to walk on at SEU. She was introduced to Hilltoppers’ head coach Nick Cowell through ties to her Georgia Olympic Development Program (ODP) team.
“I was looking at academics, the city and how many people were at the school, as well as soccer too,” Lykins said. “They have my major (nursing), and I definitely like the city a lot.
“Distance really didn’t matter to me because I’ve always wanted to be out of state. When I visited, I really liked the team chemistry, the soccer facility and everything. The second time I went I was supposed to train with them but twisted my ankle a week before.”
Lykins’ college trek began in the rec soccer leagues where she was coached by dad Larry Lykins. She eventually hit the club scene and made several stops along the way.
“In seventh or eighth grade, I decided I needed to go somewhere else to play soccer at a higher level,” she said. “I was playing with a team in Canton and played with them for a couple years because I started getting serious about it. Then I went to a team in Dalton for a year, and now I play with a team (Santos) in Roswell.”
Lykins also made her way to Atlanta twice per month
to practice with her ODP squad. They competed against other states and sometimes played up to four matches on scheduled weekends.
“The travel season is kind of right before and right after the high school season so I kind of play year-round,” Lykins said. “I’d have games with my club team almost every single weekend, and it could either be in Florida, North Carolina or Georgia. We’d play two games and sometimes four if it was a tournament.
“It helped my game because I got to compete against all types of people and they all had different skills. It benefited me because I got to play in different conditions and have new experiences. It helped me to socialize better because I had to make new friends.”
Lykins was the engine in the middle of the Cats’ formation and played crucial roles in their attack and defense.
The 2025 season was Gilmer’s best as the Cats stormed into the state playoffs and advanced to the Elite Eight, and Lykins scored a goal in each of the preceding playoff matches. In the opening round, GHS went on the road and hammered Peach County for its first-ever playoff win, 7-1. Just days later, the Cats were in Bainbridge for the Sweet 16 and outclassed the Bearcats in a 9-1 rout.
“It was a great experience overall,” Lykins said of the playoff wins. “I thought it was lots of fun and all the girls had a great time. We were all super excited and super pumped to do our best, and you could tell everyone was focused and doing their best getting ready for the games.”
Gilmer’s run ended in the following matchup against a talented Cherokee Bluff squad, 10-0.
“Going into the playoffs, we thought we could win and we did,” Lykins said. “The last game was more challenging. Overall, our team was good, but they were better than us. That’s the best way to put it.”
GHS finished the season with a 12-6 record, which established another program standard for wins. In the process, the Cats shutout eight opponents and scored more than five goals on six occasions.
Lykins earned a first-team all-region selection. She provided 24 assists and scored six goals as GHS netted the most goals in its history (72).
Gilmer recorded a strong season in Lykins’ junior year as well, but just missed qualifying for state. GHS finished 11-7 and its win total stood as the most in program history for 12 months. Lykins battled some injuries and scored four goals and received an all-region honorable mention.
She will play a familiar position at St. Edwards. While she patrolled the midfield at GHS, she played left wing during the travel season. She said SEU coaches have projected her to play on the wing as well.
“A lot of girls graduated this year and I’m fine playing any position, but I prefer playing on the outside,” said Lykins.
She mentioned parents Shay and Larry for their guidance in the classroom and the latter for his encouragement and influence on the field. She also expressed gratitude to club coaches and GHS head coach Adam Palmer for aiding her soccer success.
Off the field, Lykins plans to study nursing at St. Edwards. She said she became interested in the profession after learning about it on television shows and documentaries.
“I originally thought I wanted to be a teacher, but after I did early childhood education, I decided I didn’t want to do that job,” said Lykins. “It wasn’t for me, and I still wanted to help people, just not in that way.
“I love science and math and find that interesting. I think that will be fun to help people get better. I’d like to become a travel nurse to travel and help people at the same time.”
SEU competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division II as members of the Lone Star Conference.