The Morgan County girls soccer team is headed back to the Elite Eight for a second consecutive year.
The No. 1 seed Lady Bulldogs (16-1-1) knocked off No. 4 seed Long County 5-0 last week before defeating No. 3 seed Jackson 7-1 Monday to advance to the next round of the Class AAA state playoffs.
“We’re just having fun,” Morgan County head coach Anne Stamps said. “This group of girls has been one of the most relaxed groups that I’ve ever coached. They get along well and they cheer for each other. A photographer sent me some photos this morning and he perfectly captured this team.”
Morgan County did just that in Monday’s second-round victory over Jackson. After every Lady ‘Dogs goal, the players on the field would run towards the scorer and they would celebrate together.
“Our theme this year has been playing with love and encouraging each other. Doing it for the love of the game, your teammates and love for yourself,” Stamps added. “Encouragement and being positive. It’s been a great season so, you know? And that was the vibe last night. For sure.”
The match was tied 1-1 at the half as both teams were feeling each other out in the opening 40 minutes. The first 18 minutes of the second half were also tight but Stamp’s squad finally broke through.
Morgan County netted a goal at the 56-minute mark, and it seemed like the score had sucked the life out of the Lady Red Devils, although the Lady Dogs weren’t done just quite yet.
“They [Jackson] scored early and we just kept playing,” Stamps said. “It was tied at halftime, but we knew we weren’t playing our game. So, we settled in, possessed the ball and started playing like us.”
Morgan County went on a scoring frenzy in the final 22 minutes, adding five more goals to secure the win. In total, the Lady Dogs’ had seven different players score as many goals in the match.
Rylee Bernard, Lofton Cathey, Avery Mize, Sidda Outlaw, Camp Stamps, Ari Paine and Jaden Young all scored. These seven players have been the biggest contributors on offense all season long.
“That’s pretty amazing and that just shows you how selfless this team is,” Stamps said of her squad’s accomplishment. “They were looking to give the ball up for someone else to score, and that’s just how they play the game. That doesn’t often happen [in soccer]. This is a pretty special group.”
Last week, Morgan County dominated Long County from the opening kick. The Lady Dogs led 3-0 at the half, with Stamps, Bernard and Outlaw all netting goals in the first 40 minutes of the match.
In the second half, both teams controlled possession until Morgan County took over in the final 30 minutes. Outlaw capped off her night with another goal for a hat trick, while Cathey scored as well.
The Lady Dogs are now headed to the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season. They are set to face the other No. 1 seed from their side of the bracket, which is the Bremen Lady Blue Devils (15-5).
According to Scorbord.com, Bremen is ranked No. 5 and Morgan County at No. 6 in Class AAA. The Lady Dogs will travel to Bremen on Monday, April 24 to face the Lady Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m.
“We lost the coin flip, but if we win that game, we will be able to host in the Final Four,” Stamps said. “So, as a team, we are looking forward to the opportunity and challenge to face another No. 1 seed.”