Welcome to another go around of Soccer's in session Playoff Daily Live, presented by our friends at Kaiser Permanente. John, hear you there, and as always, once again, thanks for hanging out with us here for this hour as we run as fast as humanly possible through all your brackets and get you ready for now the semifinals. Now that the quarterfinals are done, we're going to catch up with
some coaches coming up here on the show. Meghan Hill, the head coach at Buford, Aaron Paul out at Morgan County. But first batting lead off it is Heather Richardson, the head coach at Social Circle. It's always great to catch up with her. She's got another big matchup coming up. Coach, welcome back, Hi, thanks for having me all right, So, last time we talked, it was leading into round number one as Team four ranked number five took care of
Harrelson County four nil. Then it was knocking off Dodge Team thirteen seven to one. You did that at home and then Dade came to Social Circle. You got the win two nil. What have you learned about yourself in these three rounds?
I feel like with the team and myself we've gotten a little better each time, even though the scores look kind of weird. I think our game, our most recent game against Ade, we played the best that we have in a while. We moved the ball around well, we passed the ball around. The score didn't look like it, but we really played well.
So I'm good. I feel good about that game going into the next game.
And that next game is against Breaman and Breamen Team one ranked number one. You look at the left hand side of the bracketing Class A D one girls. This is two heavyweights. How much studying do you get in? Does everybody kind of know going in? Does Bremen sit there, Does Jason sit there and go yeah, I know? Social circle? Do you sit there and go yeah, I know, Breemen? What's the mindset?
Yeah?
I do think we definitely know each other.
We played each other earlier in the season and we ended up losing that game four to one, but we were tied one to one at halftime.
So I've done a lot of studying.
The girls have done a lot of studying, and we have some things we're gonna put in place, do a couple of different things to hopefully come out on top.
I was going to say, what did you learn about yourself coming into that matchup? In a matchup like that that is non region, that's an early season test. How much of that is experimenting or just kind of seeing where you are against top flight competition. Obviously you want to try and win it, but how much of that is trying to figure out where you are at that point of the season.
For us, it was definitely where are we at this point in the season. And because of that game, I've done a lot of I've done a few changes and they've been positive changes. So even though we lost that game, it was probably one of the most beneficial games we played all year.
In five nine and one in region play, you've only given up twenty five goals now all season long, and twenty one matches, and so twenty five and twenty one, that's one you're having me do math. So four over twenty one is like at one point two, you know, you mentioned that matchup and it's you look at that
game there. That was kind of tucked in with the matchup with Jackson County and Walnut Grove before you end up going with the playoffs, So you were pretty much you were done with your region play at that point, so you had UAA, Breaman, Jackson County, and Walnut Grove to wrap up the season. So it seems like you did want to learn a lot about yourself after the Lamar County loss in region play and then winning UAA. It's literally going up against Breeman, Jackson County, and Walnut Grove.
It looks like you did want to try to figure out some things heading into the postseason.
Yeah, and even though you know, those last three games weren't didn't come out for us, they were a positive in a lot of different ways.
We learned a lot about ourselves.
We had to we had to buckle down and play really hard, and it really just I think those games prepared us for a game like we're going to have tomorrow.
How do you in a situation like that where region's done, you know pretty much what's going on. How do you break that you know news to the players, It's like, Okay, it's a yes butt situation almost where yes, you do want to win, but you're challenging yourselves. Don't get necessarily wrapped up in the result, because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. Just get wrapped up in what you're trying to learn. How do you pass that message along to your players.
It's a hard message to pass along, I tell you, especially with the girls I have, because they're just so passionate about winning. But they also there's a lot of them with a lot of experience, and they understand the ebb and flow of a season, and they understand the process that it is.
That it's really a process. And you know, it's great for your record to look like.
You're winning every game, but if you're not winning any if you're not learning anything from from that schedule that you have, then it's not helpful.
At all when you get deep in the playoffs.
So I think I have some older girls who definitely understand that, and they help the younger girls understand that. But it takes a lot of talking from me to help everybody understand it.
Yeah, And is it different coaching now when you're trying to have messages like that than it was, say maybe even five years ago. One graduating class through is coaching and messaging different, trying to get them to understand certain aspects that it's not wrapped up in all of the wins and losses. Yeah, they're great, but we got to focus on other things. Is messaging and coaching different even say five years ago?
Oh?
Absolutely, And I think I've even learned from five years ago that it's not all about your wins and losses all the time. That you really learn a lot from the teams that you play, and the schedule that you put in place is really important and it you know, it's it helps prepare you for the end of the season. And it's a difficult message to get across, but it's one that's important, I think, and one that I've learned from,
you know, twenty seventeen. I think we went to the Final four in twenty seventeen, but we were our record was not great. I think we lost the first six games of the season, and that was a learning lesson for me even so.
I mean, so you lose your first six that way through, and that was you know, you mentioned it's a learning lesson for you. Is are we talking scheduling, approach, philosophy, practice?
What did you learn from then to now?
I learned that just because you're losing doesn't mean that when you get in the postseason it's going to be it can't be a positive result because we were playing bigger schools. The first six games of that season, they were bigger schools and they were just preparing us for later.
And I even didn't quite understand that because that was my first I think that was my first season i'd coached at Social Circle, so I hadn't made the schedule, and when I looked at it and we were losing, and we were losing, I was like, oh.
My goodness.
But then but then once we got through region, I got in the postseason, I was like, oh, well, I think that actually helped us out a little bit.
So it was learning from me as well.
Eleven different goals scored for you this year. But I know everybody gravitates toward Alana Ferguson, who last time I checked, I think just had under sixties fifty seven goals this year.
For her, what has it been like to see her this season?
And then obviously I'll have the follow up about her career itself, but what's it been like to see her in her senior year.
It's been great. She's played great.
She does a good job for us at the striker position, and I don't even think on her club team that's really the position that she normally plays. So she's she's taken she's taken that role for us, and she's doing a great job. And even in the last game, you know, we won two to zero, but she didn't score in that game, but she had I think two of the
assists that the assist for those goals. So she's she's just a great player for us, whether she needs to score, whether she needs to pull back and help us out and pass the ball around. But she's been fun to watch this year.
Do you remember your first impression of her when you got her out on the.
Practice field when she was in ninth grade.
Yeah, when she was in ninth grade.
Yes, just my first impression was is this girl is very fast. She is definitely going to do some good things for us. I just didn't know how quite good. She's always been just very quiet and she does the job that you know, she's been asked to do. And this year, coming into her senior year after graduating, Peyton and some other seniors like it was her turn and she needed to step up and be that person for us, and she's.
Done a good job with that.
When I mentioned this senior class specifically, what sticks out in your mind.
Just how far that they have come and the accomplishments that they've had. They've and I told them this, you know, at the at the end of our last game, they have four region championships, They've made it to the final four four times, the state championship game twice. So they just have accolades that doesn't happen all the time, that they don't need to take for granted that it's you know, it's really a big deal and I'm very, very proud of what they've accomplished.
Have you thought about their legacy, even though I know this season isn't over. Regular season is, but if you thought about the legacy that they're leaving behind.
Yeah, just a legacy to just for the younger girls to hope want what they've accomplished so that we can continue that, just continue what they started and just keep pushing forward every season. Just the winning tradition. And they just they're so passionate about the team and everything. It means so much to them. And I just I talked to them at lunch just a few minutes ago and they were like, Coach, we're so excited, We're ready to go. I'm like, just chill out because it's not till tomorrow.
But I'm glad you're excited, so.
You have to travel.
When it comes to other things that you have to navigate, it's a lot easier navigating, you know, a home.
Match and everything.
It's like, okay, everybody needs to be here at this time to do this and do this and do this right. When it comes to traveling, and I'm and i'm you know what I'm doing while I'm talking to you is I'm setting the path. I'm trying to figure out, Okay, how long is it to go from social circle to Breemen?
And I'm trying to do this on lovely Google Maps, and so the Google Maps machine is telling me that it's ninety three and a half miles if you left right now to go out eye twenty to go to Bremen, so hour and a half or an or two hours with traffic depending on time of day. Have you figured out your travel plans navigating academics with departures and things
like that. What is the day looking like so the student athlete can get done what they can and at the same time hop on the bus and get out to Bremen in one piece?
How are you plotting how all of this is going to fit together.
Well, there's a lot that goes into it, actually, but my ADMIN is great and they think of things like they've come to me and said, well, this kid and this kid has an ap test on Thursday at twelve o'clock, so they're going to need to take it on the makeup day on May the nineteenth. And then we have some kids taking APUs history on Friday morning at eight. Are they going to get home too late? Do they need to take the makeup test on May the twentieth?
It's an hour and forty five minutes to get there. Do I want to get there you know at four o'clock? Do you want to get there at four thirty? Do I need to get there at three? And I think one when the seniors were in tenth grade, I think the final four game when we played PI DAYA in the Final four, we got there so early just because we were worried about the Atlanta traffic and I was like,
this is too long to be sitting here. So hopefully tomorrow I got at time to just right and all the roadwork in the traffic in Atlanta will cooperate and we'll get there in just the right amount of time where we're not you know, we're not running late, but we're not there too early. So yeah, it's a lot and we got food coming, got to feed them before we go, but can't be too heavy, so you know, you know, there's a lot of stuff. But it's fun. I'm glad we're here. I'd do it over again all the time.
That's why I like to ask these questions about all of the stuff that folks may not know about when it comes to orchestrating all these things, so everyone can understand all of the effort that goes in on the field, off the field, in the the academic element of it.
When it comes to the administration, they're.
Right in the middle of testing right now with eoc's and aps and all sorts of testing.
Yep, iikes, Yeah, I'm not gonna comment about my AP European Exam. I'm not gonna comment that at all. All right, so the travel plans, when are you leaving? When are you getting there?
Wins the match at Bream and let everybody know.
We're getting out of class. The girls are excited, but they still think they should be getting out earlier. At one thirty tomorrow, We're gonna get some food down at the fieldhouse and leave hopefully by two o'clock and hopefully get there by four four fifteen. Then we can get taped up and have a few minutes to walk around and then get going.
Well, it's going to be great to see what's gonna happen. It's gonna be Titans on the left hand side of the bracket. Class eight Division one Girls Social Circle Team for ranked number five in the scoreboard rankings, going to breem In team one, ranked number one. Coach, as always, it's great to catch up with you here on soccer's in session, especially when we go live every day during the playoffs.
Be safe, May every test come.
Out the way that it's supposed to get safe to Bremen, have a great contest. We'll catch up with you on the other side. Thanks as always for dropping by.
Thank you so much for having us there, goes Heather Richardson, the head coach at Social Circle.
And so once again looking at Class A Division one Girls Titans across the board, and then you said, here's my bracket. So Class AD one Girl Social Circle at Breeman and that one is tomorrow. Girls are tomorrow. When it comes to all of your semi final activity boys are Friday unless there's a schedule for a doubleheader or things like that. So Social Circle at Breaman left hand side of the bracket, Model travels to ACE Charter. Model knocked off Thomasville by the score of two to nil,
and so Model went to Thomasville, got the win. Team number six, ranked number two travels to ACE Charter, who is team two, ranked number three. Ace Charter knocked off East Lawns by the score of four nils. So you have in the rankings number five at number one, and you have number two at number three. That's Class A Division one girls, and that happens tomorrow once again. Model at Ace Charter, Social Circle at Breaman Heavyweights on the
left hand side. Class A Division two Girls. Just so you know, it is ACA ACA traveling to Irwin County. Irwin County beat Elite Scholars three to two at Buddy Nobles yesterday in Ocilla, so Erwin County gets to host since they are Area one team number one, ranked number seven, they host ACA Atlanta Classical. They went to Screven County, went all the way out to Sylvania, got the win yesterday, and so it is ACA ranked number five at Erwin County ranked number seven.
That one is tomorrow.
LOA is ranked number three as Area five team number one. They beat Portal by the score of five to one. Portal came in as the number six ranked team in the scoreboard rankings, and they came in Area three's team number two. LA travels to try on try on ranked
number one. Area six is team number one, had the first round by shut out Green County and then shut out Claxton yesterday by the score of four and n il so it is ranked number five at ranked number seven, ranked number three at ranked number one.
So that's what you're looking.
At with Irwin County hosting in Oscilla as Area one team number one. ACA is a team number three out of Area number six. That's the left hand side of the bracket. Right hand side of the bracket. LA number one team out of Area five ranked number three, and then try on once again Area six team one ranked number one.
That is Class A.
D two girls. Now let's go to double A. Let you know what happened there, and it was all Columbus all the time. By that that's on the the that's in Triple A. Sorry, I'm a class ahead of myself. We'll get to that in a second. So Coholla Creek went to Drew Charters, shut out d Chartered by the score of three nils. So Kahula Creek advances, and they go to Zebuln to take on Pike County. Pike County no problems with Sonorville, and so Coahula Creek Team five
ranked number five. With their shutout at Drew Charter, they advanced to take on Team one, number one ranked Pike County. That's the left hand side of the bracket, and that's gonna happen in zebulent right hand side of the bracket. Morgan County on the girls side, shuts out Miller Grove to start, shut out Murray County in round two, then went to Columbus and got the win there. So Morgan County number two and number one. So you've got Morgan County beat Columbus by the score of two to one.
So Morgan County advances, and they're going to take on Savannah Arts. Savannah Arts one at home, shutting out Pierced by the score of one nil. So Morgan County advances to Savannah Arts. Kaholla Creek goes to Pike County. It is the number five ranked team at the number one ranked team, the number four ranked team at the number
six ranked team. So once again call Holla Creek on the road to Pike County, Morgan County to Savannah Arts and we'll catch up with Aaron Paul and find out about the Morgan County program across the board coming up in twelve forty so in about twenty a little over twenty minutes. Triple A Girls, this is another day once again where your semi final, your quarter finalists had a lot of offense on the board. Jefferson hosted Dawson County
and Jefferson got the shutout. They advanced. They're gonna host Cherokee Bluff, who shut out Gilmer's Girls. So Cherokee Bluff advances to take on Jefferson left side of the bracket and Triple A Jefferson Team one ranked number one, and Molly McCarty, we are trying to track her down so we can have her on the show. This hour is where it's one of the most challenging to get folks to cover for us, So we're gonna see if we can.
If we have to do something, maybe in the morning show early on nine o'clock hour, we can catch up whether they are or we can catch up with her on tape and try and run it tomorrow as a part of a Soccer's in session Playoff Daily Live. So it is Cherokee Bluff ranked number three at Jefferson ranked number one. Both teams combined for nineteen goals yesterday. Cherokee
Bluff ten on Gilmert Jefferson nine on Dawson County. So Cherokee Bluff is at Jefferson, left hand side of the bracket, A Coney County and this is the game that's going to be on the network tomorrow.
It's going to be on the Mothership. This we do know.
It is going to be a Coney County at Whitewater. We've had a Cony County on our air a couple of times already this year. We had a Cony County's opening round a playoff matchup against Johnson Gainesville on the air, and that was number five hosting number ten. That was the one that had the hour and twenty minute weather delay before we got that one started. A Coney County goes to Sandy Creek gets the big win. They're going to take on Whitewater Whitewater shut out of Darizel six nil.
So it is a Coney County at Whitewater, Cherokee Bluff at Jefferson. Cherokee Bluff is ranked number three, traveling to number one Jefferson. And in Triple A girls of Cony County ranked number five. They've made their way all the way through and they get to take on Whitewater who is ranked number two, number three, And that is where we are in Triple A girls. Now it is time
to advance in our brackets. As we sit here and we flip the page to six A. And why do I say this Because I have my six A bracket in my hand, and that way when I look at the six A bracket, I sit here and look low right, and that means I get to catch up with a coach that has made it out of the low right section of the bracket. Time to catch up with Meghan Hill, the head coach of Buford, and we welcome her to Soccer's in session Playoff Daily Live.
Coach. Welcome aboard, Thank you, hobby.
By, thank you so much for having me all right, have.
You had time to catch your breath in the battle of number one versus Number two.
Yet, Yeah, we were able to catch our breath. We enjoyed that night and then it was back to business the next day. So here we are just trying to prepare for the quick two day turnaround.
Well, I want to get into that and in just a second, but I want to walk through the playoffs here in just a in this first little bit, shut out west Lake and round number one, shut out Cherokee in round number two. What do you learn about yourself with a club that is nationally ranked, that is winning handily in games like that? What do you learn about yourself in the postseason when you win by such large margins?
Ah?
Try, just trying to do those little things right for us. It was not about can we can we shut them out and can we beat them by ten or seven or whatever. It's more of is the the goals that we are scoring? Are they good goals?
Are they effective?
Where did they begin from? Where we able to get into the attack and you know, have a have a nice decent shot on goal that you know ended up being a goal.
If I had told you that you'd be twenty and ozer right now, rank number five in the country, what would you have told me?
Uh, you're crazy.
Yeah.
We graduated a solid group last year, solid group.
Of seniors, and coming into this year, you know, to be completely honest, I was a little nervous. We graduated our senior goalkeeper, and we graduated a lot of leadership, and so trying to develop leadership within this team has been kind of the foundation of this year.
So when you get to full song, when do you think that was? When do you think that with all of the absences, bringing in those individuals that you had in those places that you were confident of in your starting eleven's most of the time, how long do you think it took for you to get to full song? Okay, we've got something here. I know what we have. When did that level of comfort in quotation marks happen?
Do you think I think.
That last week of regular season play it took a long time, because, Uh, to be honest with you, we have not had our full roster. Uh since that last playoff excuse me, since that last regular season game. We had injuries. We've had players leave for ECNL events. We've had you know, El Salvadori, a national team.
Ava left she was out for six games.
So, h we have not we had not had a complete full roster with with being healthy and all of our injuries back and everything since that last regular season week. So you know that that's kind of when I started to realize, like, okay, guys, you know we've got we might have something here.
When you have freshmen and sophomores step in the way that they have, what's it like to see those underclassmen step up for you and be assertive and be a part of those starting elevens as you go.
Yeah, it's really nice to see.
And honestly, we have one freshman on varsity right now and then a handful of sophomores, and you know those hand the two sophomores now that we're on varsity last year are making a huge impact for us. But within our program, we try to develop on it. You know, obviously on our JV.
One of my.
Assistants, Coach Foyd, developed those girls. Uh so they know, like, okay, if if if it's okay to make JV your freshman year, if you can step into that varsity role your sophomore year, that's kind of what they're trying to She's trying to prepare them.
For when you you know you have the support that you get there at Buford, And I mean that from administration, from athletics across the board. What's it like to walk into a Buford High School every day and try and and you know, because the expectation is always there, regardless of what the sport is.
Yes, what's it What's it.
Like to to have the support and the expectations that are there.
What's it like to have that yin and yang there?
You know.
It's funny because administrative wise, we are more they're more so focused on can you develop a good a good person? So they're all about like what is your character development? Like what are you doing off the field. But honestly, and as you said, it's like everybody on the outside of our bubble is the.
Expectation is to win.
And honestly, I think that when you if you were to walk into Beuford High School, I think the expectation starts in the academics and with our dress code and with our no cell phones, and there's a strict expectation there and that then develops and trickles out onto our fields or our courts or whatever it is. This is
the expectation, This is a standard. It's already set. And then you know, we obviously follow in LIU with those academic teachers, and you know, if they're not performing academically, they don't play on the field.
So expectations are there.
I think us coaches put a lot of pressure on ourselves too, especially coming in if you know, this is my fifth year here, and the pressure is way different, not from you know, uh administrative standpoint, but for me and for the girls, and I think for us it's just like it's it's all those tiny things that that help with that. And it starts when you literally when you walk into the building in the academic.
Building, youfor survives a matchup with Brookwood, and so what do you get?
You get West first site. We'll talk.
We'll talk about the murderers row on the right hand side of the bridge. Yeah, exactly, the murders row in the right hand side.
Coming up in a bit.
For those that may not know your history, you do have a history of being a head coach in Gwennett County, but you were also a GA if I remember correctly, for Jay Entlick down at Columbus State. What did you learn from j J has been a great friend of ours here at the SDH network when it comes to what he's been building at Columbus State. Yes, what did you learn from your time down with j? Because I mean Jay class at top to bottom with a great program top to bottom.
What did you learn with your time down there?
So Jay at Lick I was a GA and then he ended up hiring me as his assistant for about a year and a half until I got into Gwenette and Jay Atlick is one of my mentors. If I have an issue, if I have a problem, if I have a question, or I'm questioning myself, He's the first person that I call, and he he has been such a mentor to me because of the way that he coaches. He's very direct, he's very straightforward. Uh, he does not beat around the bush. And then he also is able
to have relationships with those players who respect him. But I think demanding excellence and understanding the game for me came a lot from him in that college world. So I'm very, very grateful for Jay. And it's funny that you guys even mentioned his name because I was actually about to call him tomorrow.
So yeah, Jay's great with us. When we cover Columbus State and Division two what's the first lesson that you learned from him that has stuck?
Ooh, that's a great question. I think.
I think honestly developing a quality practice plan and organizing a practice to prepare for the team that you're about to play, but also focusing on solely yourself without focusing too much on the other team.
If that makes sense.
Yeah, it does, I mean, And that kind of was my leading into my next question. So obviously you're reading my notes.
Yeah, I see them there on your desk.
Yeah, they're all over the place.
So because of a quick turn, because of the bracket being the bracket of doom on the right hand side in six A, it is insane to see, but that's because of how things are with rotations and regions this time around that you have West for Scythe, Duford and.
Brookwood all on.
One side of the bracket. Knowing what you know about West for Scythe, do you focus more on yourself because of the quick turn or do you do some mix or assistants looking you know, leading into the Brookwood game, or looking at who you could be playing as somebody watching North tape, somebody watching West for scythe tape or are you focusing on yourself.
Funny you say that I have a I have a lot of quality assistance, and they are folks that they will watch some of West Forscyth. But my job is to is to prepare my team and not focus on West Forscyth. And so we rewatched Brookwood and figured figured out some things that we maybe didn't do very well
that we could have definitely taken more advantage of. And I think that that's what we have going into West Forscyth is focusing on us, focusing on our game plan, getting my girls mindset right and making sure that you know they're not going to forget how to play soccer in a day. So and that's also what Jay and Lick taught me, uh that you also have to focus on the mental aspect of things too, and with girls,
that's extremely significant, especially with that two day turnaround. So we were doing a lot of a lot of mental mindset stuff yesterday and then today we'll be back out on a field and getting ready prepared for that.
It should be a packed house of around twelve hundred. Again, it's a great environment that has been created there at Buford for the sports that are the spring sports, the ones that aren't the marquee sports they are, but the ones that are garnering attention. So when someone tries to find their way into the venue, perhaps they get a ticket and they're trying to find a place to sit. When West Verscyth comes to town, who should they gravitate toward?
And who will they gravitate toward in that starting eleven? If things are going well for you against West Verscyth, who will the audience be gravitating toward in your starting eleven?
Oh gosh, So that is a tough one to answer because so many of my.
Roles are all eleven of them just go ahead.
And liked by all of our faculty and staff. I think every single person. Yesterday, all my players have said, like Coach Hill, everybody's asking me and talking to me about the games like and.
I said, yeah, because they care about you.
And and it's funny because, like I don't know, you always get your goal scorers, and you know, there's not a lot of credit given to the back line and kind of what they solidify and hold down for us. But I mean, obviously you got to score goals to win. So whoever scores the goals first I think, you know, they'll obviously have that crowd rally around them, but honestly, you know, I can't. The defense is solid for us too, so I just it's kind of even even keel.
And well, so let's talk about that defense. You've only given up and it's brought to us by the number nine. By the way, goals scored ninety nine. So the next one that gets scored is goal one hundred. For you on the season, you've only given up nine in twenty matches. So to have a keeper, you know, a keeper step in to have the back line be what they are and it is, it is difficult to get around and through that back line of yours with the back four when it's locked in place the way that it was
specifically against Brookwood. Brookwood was having problems. There were a couple of opportunities that they had in transitions where there were turnovers in the middle third. But your back four and your keeper have been incredibly solid this year. What's it been like to see them shine?
It's nice, you know, I have an assistant that works, you know, focuses specifically on the defense, and then and then we have coaches that specifically work with our attacking third, and so she's been working with them getting their mindset right and understanding like being able to protect. When one steps out of position, the other one covers. So we call our back line like the onion. There's there's a lot of layers within our back line, even though there's
only four of them. And so you know, even my middle third, my my center mids know. You know, if you get beat, you've got to protect the onion. So we have to make sure that that is always protected. We are always layered in behind, and we're we don't get caught out of position too much.
All right.
So it is west first sight at Beaufort after surviving Brookwood, number one and number two in the rankings.
Guess what number three is coming to town.
Lay it all out for for folks who are going to be trying to get a ticket to get into the building.
The when, the how.
Let everybody know how they can go see some quality soccer when you get to a host for site this time around.
So we uh, first of all, I hate rankings. Let me just go ahead and throw that out there, because that's all it is about, is the rankings. And really it's just a a coaches group just looking at schedules, strength to schedule in this and rankings.
Anyways, I'll put that plug in there for you.
But the game, for sure, we'll have an we'll have our back gate open as well with our ticket taker there. There was only one gate open last time, so there will be two interests, one for the away fans to come in and then obviously one for our home fans to come in. So but gates will be open an hour before kickoff and it's going to be a great environment. And I think that there's gonna be a lot of
bodies up close to the fence yelling and scream. It's a different environment than a massive stadium environment.
Everybody is very close. It's very intimate and you know, hopefully we can hope for the best.
All right, what time is kick kickoffs?
That's six o'clock all right, so.
It's another dinner time kick there at going up against West Forscyth. After getting through Brookwood, you're now survivor of your bracket, your low right bracket, your your quadrant and now you get West for scythe great to see you the other day for the match, right to have you coming to the show and go get some lunch and have a great match against West for Scyth.
Great to see.
Thank you, sir, I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
You bet Meghan Hill the head coach at Buford, and she's got West forsythe.
I mean literally, you look, you look at the six A bracket.
It's like you look at it and you're going, okay, three nationally ranked teams, three in the top five nationally. They get paired in the right hand side. But once again has to do with the RODA. I don't know, maybe it should, maybe there should be some math in future years when it comes to, you know, things like this to where you have these teams playing later, like later, not like last round, quick turn, but later. Just saying anyway, uh so West Verscyth and Beauford that match up six
o'clock on the Buford campus. And remember, and I learned this too, it is not at Tom Riden. It is on the new campus at the high school where they have a back to back press box that can watch two matches at any given time. So if like lacrosse is going on and soccer is going on, or you have practice and you need to have it shot, it literally is back to back. It is a back to back press box and fields that are neighboring each other.
So the soccer uh the soccer stadium has football goalposts, so you can have multiple teams practicing and doing things more than one one group at a time. But on the new campus that's where it is. It's not up the hill, hang left and go up the hill to tom riding on the grass surface. It is on the new campus. So if you're going, get your tickets ahead of time. If you're going, go early so you can
find a place to park. Full disclosure. I made a place to park because I got there like right before kickoff because I had to have the battery replaced on my car.
You remember that.
So West Rosythe and Buford six o'clock six. A other semi final is Lambert at Walton. Lambert rank number six, ten nine in pks against Mill Creek goal us after eighty ninety and one hundred and it ended up Lambert getting the win ten nine and pks.
They go to Walton.
Walton went to Harrison shut out the Hoyas one nil. So it is a number six Lambert at number five Walton and it is number three West Verscyth at number two Buford. That's six A girl going backwards Quad A Girls Cambridge and Maris. Cambridge shut out Walnut Grow by the score of five nil. They travel to stadler Field as Maris beat stars Mill by the score of four
to one. So Cambridge, your number two set out of Region six, ranked number four, takes on Maris, the number two ranked team in Quad A Region champ out of Region five. Left hand side of the bracket. BT goes to Alatuna because once again, remember if you are in your brackets and you're the same seed coin flip that was held down in Thomaston with the GHSA goes to
the lower lower half. So Blessed Trinity beat Saint Pius two to one in the Battle of number one and number six off of off of a Highway nine and Holcomb Bridge, which I think turns into Alpharetta Road at that point. I think once you clear Highway nine and you're heading toward Roswell, it's just past Roswell High School. So BT travels to Alatuona. Alatoona beat north of Coney in a back and forth affair. Seven goals scored. Alatoona got four of them. So Alatuna goes to North of Cony,
gets the win in Watkinsville. Then they now host because they're the Region champ, number five ranked team in the scoreboard rankings, BT ranked number one, So Cambridge it's number four at number two BT it's number one at number five Alatuona Cambridge at Marist BT is at ALATOONA. Five A girls, it is Greenbrier traveling to northgateon Pope going to number one Roswell LASSI went to Greenbrier. Greenbrier got
the win one nill. So Greenbrier is your Region one champ, unranked, has made it all the way to the final four. We've seen Greenbrier and Rob Houston as early as the Creek Cup this year, and we'll see if we can figure out where Rob might be as he's heading to Northgate tomorrow. I guess as he might be on the bus then. So Greenbrier unranked, they've had a lot of the they've had their entire bracket at home and now they have to go to Northgate. Northgate beat Loganville five
to one. So ranked number six, your Region three champ is hosting Greenbrier, your region champ out of Region one. Left hand side in five A right hand side Pope and Roswell. Pope shuts out Alexander three nils So the number two ranked Pope. Region six Champ travels to Roswell. Roswell ranked number one. Region seven Champ beat the Region eight Champ hab Central, who is ranked number eight four to one. So five a girls to wrap up the girl side of things, Greenbrier at Northgate, Pope at Roswell.
So that's your rundown of the girls brackets and all of those action, All of that action is tomorrow unless once again, unless there is a scheduling question or there is something else that is a part of all of that discussion, and you get to find out literally where things go. All right, it is time to check in. Now, let's see, last time he was here, coach Aaron Paul was in a law class, and so last time he
was here, he was in law class. And we'll check in with We'll check in with Aaron and find out if he is still, as a matter of fact, in law class or if he has stolen himself away to yet another location, and we get to find out where he may be hiding and find out what's going on out at Morgan County. We bring in Aaron Paul of the conversation. So are you hiding?
Can you see me?
Not yet?
Hold on to turn the camera if you wish there he is.
Okay, sorry, I am still in law class.
Actually all right, So what's the lesson today? In law class?
They're finishing their test on constitutional law, So picking ten cases from ten different categories of constitutional law, so executive power, legislative power, judicial power, uh, state power, checks and balances type stuff, foundations they're so they're just picking one of the one of ten cases from different categories and kind of summarizing it.
So okay, So which one of those ten categories would apply itself to what Morgan County has been able to do on the pitch this season.
Checks and balances, Yeah, probably checks and balances.
You're probably looking at like a judicial review Marbury versus Madison case. You know, something that that says we can do this, but also you can't do this.
So okay.
So when you look at when you look at what has been going on this season on campus, if if we had had the conversation once again beginning of the year, if we had been talking about the programs and the growth there at Morgan County, and you would have seen the lostal accomplishments and successes to get to this point.
What would you have told me about the growth of the program on the whole.
Hm, I think I think at the beginning of the season, I would say it's been tremendous growth over the last decade. I mean just sort of. I remember when I interviewed in June of twenty fourteen, I just I student taught and graduated from Georgia in the fall of thirteen, and I student taught at North Quinnette High School. And I didn't coach anything when I stuit of teaching, just because I was commuting from Athens to swanean back and taking
you know, taking my class. And the spring of fourteen, they actually hired me to teach like two classes at North Quinnette. So I helped with spring football practice a little bit, but then summer hit and it was kind of like, all right, what are you know, where we're going to do a job, And where's a job going to be. And one of my classmates student taught at
Morgan and he said they had an opening. So I applied and interviewed, and our former athletic director, Steve Syston who passed away last year, you know, gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to come in. And I remember saying then looking at kind of Morgan County soccer up until that point, and knew that there was interest in the community. We have a club team in town. We're back this. This should be when RISA was really big
in Rockdale and then Athens is so close. I just I knew there was a lot of potential and interest, and I remember saying in an interview, we have to focus on winning our region games. We got to put ourselves in a situation to compete for region championships, to give ourselves a chance in the playoffs. Well, fast forward, we've won five region championships in a row. I think
I've won seven in ten years or eleven seasons. And then I know, like my senior class right now, who just finished are thirty and four in region play in four years. So I would say, you know, we accomplished that goal. And then we've been able to put ourselves in playoff contention, you know, making multiple Sweet sixteens, a couple of Elite eights. We had the number one seed this year, so we're relevant. I think we've made ourselves relevant.
And I'm big on consistency. You know, we're consistently in the region conversation, consistently knocking on that door in the playoffs, and so I think that's huge. I would much rather be consistent like we are year to year instead of like being one and done, you know, win the state championship and then you're just kind of all over the place. And so I think consistency has been big for us.
And then what's it been like to see the region grow? And we can take it two ways that the region lowercase are with what you're able to see with club and devotion to resources and that kind of a thing. And then region capital are where the teams in Middle Georgia they're coming up the ladder. Jackson has done really well. I don't know if if I'm supposed to mention the j Ward in this time when it comes to the
boys side or not. But Jackson and Pike and Callaway and you guys, I mean, you guys are knocking each other around like it's a battle royal every week. To see the region where you where you're growing the Morgan County program, to see that grow. And then Capital our region where you guys are making deep runs and you know, taking each other out.
Well, and then you left a couple out. Like just down the road, Lake o Coney Academy's going to the final four. You know, they're a small school, but they're you know, they're right there with it. Putnam County a couple of years, our neighbor next door, they've been doing really well as well. So I mean the region is Central Georgia is just really kind of taken off in
terms of in terms of soccer. I think a lot of that's population growth because you're seeing a lot of people moving like that I twenty Corridor is spreading out, you know, from Augusta all the way you know, to all the way to the west side of the state. So I think it's it's fun to watch. Like we built this huge soccer complex in Morgan County with our wreck Department. You have all these soccer fields and ocney up the road. Putnam's got soccer fields. You know, it's
just grow and grow and growing. So it's just and I think Atlanta United is a big part of There always was a soccer sense, but when Atlanta United came to Atlanta, I think it really just kind of gave the soccer community kind of like an anchor in the state, and then it just kind of spreads out from there and it's it's fun to watch. That's a great sport.
I mean, there's you know, we had for ball boys for our first round playoff game, we had some elementary school kids that play on the club team in town come ball boy for us, you know, which was awesome. You know, they wanted to come support the guys team. So I think it's awesome. And then in terms of like the region play, I feel like we've been yanked around geographically because last four years we were going to Augusta. Now we're going all the way to the West Georgia.
And I drove our girls team to Columbus on Tuesday because we worked really close with our girls program, So I drove them to Columbus on Tuesday, and I was like, I feel like I've made this drive before this season, like five times, you know, going through uh Monticello for scythe you know, passing through Jackson kind of stuff. And then you know, we're we're coming up one eighty five late Tuesday night, and I was like, there's the Lagrange exit and I was like, oh, I've been there a
couple of times this year. You know, I think the region. You know, Callaway is a really good program overall, respected, they have been good. Pike County we've kind of been chasing each other, like in the rankings. We haven't played them since like twenty fourteen season until this year. And then Jackson. We actually played Jackson in the first round of the playoffs like two or three years ago and beat them, and so Jackson's really on the rise.
I mean, you know so, I mean you look at and it's so it's it's you, it's Sean Gillery, it's Mike Petite at Callaway, Yeah, And I mean it's guys, it's it's coaches that under stand that, you know, for lack of a better phrase, you're in a growth market and if you hit things the right way and there's the attention to detail and the attention to the program from the community and from the school, that you can
do some really good things across the board. And I think that, I mean, I think that you guys in that region on the whole, I mean, what's going on in Zebulin with Justin. I mean, you guys are really doing some great work, But I have I have half a mind to sit there and think that they might have had you drive the yellow Hound because you knew that route to get to the Columbus.
Yeah, I'm taking them to Savannah. I'm taking our girls to Savannah tomorrow. So they said they won that game, so I got to drive them back. So our principal let me often drive them. So that'll be a late night. But yeah, it's you know, coaching against like Justin and Sean and those guys in Mike have been you know, it's gonna be a good game. It's gonna be a good battle back and forth, you know, and and man that we're we're still licking our wounds from the Jackson game.
I don't know if you know the details of it, but it was zero zero at half. We knew it was going to be a close game. We've kind of struggled offensively all year to put it in the back of the net, like our our defensive possession of midfield was great, and then we'd get it to the to the attack and third and it was just like, all right, we got to finish. We got to finish. Zero zero at half, I told the guys have time we just
got to finish. We just got to finish they and I knew they could do this because they did it in their first round game. Jackson hit a free kick off off of a foul call just outside the box, and it was one of the best kicks I've ever seen. I mean, it just goes over the wall, over our keepers, really tall, goes over his hands in the back of the net. Just it was upper ninety just ridiculous. I mean everybody was like, wow, that was a good shot. And then we had a little bit of a they had.
Jackson's got some speed and they where they have speed I don't in some spots, and they took advantage of it on a quick counter attack and it was a foot race, and I just knew we weren't going to be able to stop them. So they go up to zero. Game gets a little chippy towards the end. We get a fast break go they actually tackle us in the box.
Draw PK. We kicked BK. Make it two one. There's probably fifteen minutes left, About ten minutes left, one of my midfielders, miles off to the reft, gets a red card. We're down a guy, and I had switched to a three, five to two. At that point, I was like, all right, we're in damage control. We got to score and we had a lot of pressure on them, and I was confident. I was like, we're gonna tie this game. We're gonna
tie this game. But then when we got the red card, it just kind of sucked the life out, you know. And I'm happy for Jackson and what they've been able to accomplish and get to the Elite A. That's a huge that's a huge accomplishment. And the other thing too is people don't realize you can win region championships, and you can win region games, and you can win all these games. You can be the number one seed. But when it gets to the playoffs, it becomes survival, staying healthy.
Anything can happen, and it is extremely People are like, oh, we're so good, we got to win a state championship. It's like, do you not understand how hard that is? I mean, you're more likely to become an app astronaut or something then to try to win a state championship
in a sport. I mean, it's just unbelievably difficult. And you know, I've talked to some other coaches like I haven't talked to Wesleyan's coach, but my sister in law teaches at Wesleyan, and he was telling her with the power ranking system that it used to be that winning a region championship is supposed to make winning a state championship just a little bit easier. It's supposed to make your path just a little bit easier. Not in power rankings.
I mean, if you looked at the bracket and kind of who was where and things like that, like number one seed didn't necessarily mean you had an easier path to it. So that's new as well. And it's not an excuse, but it's different. Yeah, but it's hard. It is hard, and I hate it for my seniors. I'm still tore up licking our wounds. I mean, I can't hardly talk to the guys. I'm taking up equipment and stuff, and we're just we didn't expect to lose in the
second round. You know, that was nobody. That was a kind of a shock for us.
So well, and I mean you look at just I've got I grabbed your bracket.
So here here's your bracket.
Yeah, in your quadrant, you have you Pike and Jackson in your quadrant one, sixteen and seventeen in your quadrant considering what your region was like.
And they're not sixteen and seventeen to be honest with you. And like East Jackson we played first round, they were the thirty two. They are not. East Jackson is not a thirty two seed. There's no way they played a tough schedule. They're they're not a thirty two. Like they should be a sixteen or seventeen. Then Jackson and Pike should be in the top eight in my opinion. Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's crazy, you know.
So.
And then like last night, Khula and Columbus are playing. I watched part of that game. I mean that Borderline has been the state championship game in the past, you know so, and that's that was a that was an Elite eight game.
Yeah, and that and you had you had that this year Cohola at team five, Columbus at team four.
And then if you we had we had.
Meghan Hill from Buford on the girls coach before you, and she's like, she's not a fan of rankings, you know, like top tens and things.
Uh huh.
If you go by top tens and look at your lower white right quadrant. Just as an example, chrisp was ranked at number ten. Heart and Callaway played each other in the opening round. Heart was ranked number seven at Team twenty three. Callaway was ranked number three at Team ten. So Mike Petite had to host the number seven ranked team in the state at Team twenty three in the
opening round. And then Tattnall County, who's listed as team two in the Power rankings, is listed number nine in the rankings rankings.
All of them were low. Right to go with the math that you're talking.
About, Tattnell County came up here and beat us in the Sacond round, like my second year making the playoffs or something like that. Tatnell's been really good the last few years. They've been knocking on that door. Yeah, it's tough, and it's got everybody says, oh, you dropped a double.
It should be a little easier. And you know because like our volleyball team and softball teams won state championship this year, so everybody's kind of looking like, all right, soccer, you'all been making noise like you drop down a class. All these other sports are girls basketball makes it to the final four and from day one people are like, man, soccer's kind of win a state championship, and I'm like, well, hold on a second, hold on, y'all need to calm down.
And I don't know if I told you this earlier in this year, but we had had I lost three starters to club ball this season. Huh huh, three guys that started on my Elite eight team last year, so I had to fill those gaps. One of them left before the season, so we kind of knew that ahead of time, but then I had two more leave after we started reaching play, so we had to patch that up and fix that, you know, which was tough.
That's crazy.
All three of which all three of which one of them would have been the goal scorer, two other ones would have been critical players and starters, you know.
So my last question for you, thanks for hanging out again this week while you're watching testing, So what is the what is the game plan for the departure for Savannah Arts tomorrow?
Since you are apparently behind the wheel, What's what's the deal.
We're gonna leave after first period with the girls. This is the first time any any soccer team in Morgan County's made it to the final four, so it's a huge big deal for us. You know, coach Stamps AND's been coaching us for She did it a year before I got here, so we've just been together like the whole time. But AND's from Morgan County. She used to catch softball here. She actually won three state championships as
a softball coach a while ago. Since the first time any of our teams have made it beyond the Elite eight, which is cool. So we're gonna leave right after first period round between nine thirty and ten. I think we're gonna go to Dublin eat and then finish the trip to Savannah get there. I think the game is at five o'clock, so, which is good, so we can get an early start and then turn around come back after the game is over. I know our girls were doing ice bass yesterday. I got it set up for him.
They've been watching a lot of film and you know, I think our girls are peaking at the right time because if you'd have told me, you know, they're in the region with Pike, who's their pikes girls are they may take the whole thing, and so they're a testament to you don't necessarily have to win region to get this far, it may may actually help you. And so the girls, if you'd told me they were going to make it to the final four a month ago, I'd have been like, Ooh, I don't know, because we had
some injuries when we started the playoffs. We had three stars out with injuries. So for our girls team, so it's about surviving.
Yep, ranked number four on the girl's side, team number seven traveling to Savannah Arts, who is ranked number six and team number three. We're talking to the head of transportation for this soccer team tomorrow, Aaron Paul. On the boy's side, great run for you guys's team, top ranked team in Class Double A. Boys, go and finish up
the testing. Make sure that everybody has everything pointed in the right direction when it comes to states rights and what the Constitution says and all that kind of We might have you come back next week to do some scouting for us in Double A when the championship is named okay, and just to kind of break things down for us as one as our Double A expert, and just have you talk about all the other championships that
you might keep an eye on as well. You're developing into one of our experts here on the noonsho.
I don't come me an expert yet. I gotta learn that title. Hey, I saw your email about Morgan County gear. I'll send you some.
Stuff so that would be epic.
Just let me know where and when, and we'll figure it out and it will be shown. It will be shown here in the office. Nice and it will be It will be here in office HD and the boss will probably take the Morgan County gear and she will probably end up wearing it around the state and it turns into an instant conversation piece. I know how it goes. The stuff ends up with her first, and I might get the chance to wear it. But fantastic stuff that you're doing this season down there. Great work by you
and Coach Stamps to get two deep playoff runs. Can't thank you enough for dropping by the noon show. Enjoy the rest of your coffee and enjoy the rest of the testing. Get out of there safe drive tomorrow as you get ready for the trip to Erin.
Is always great to.
See him, my friend, you too, Thank you John.
All right, there goes Aaron Paul and Aaron Paul is in charge of transportation for Morgan County. As they head to Savannah Arts tomorrow. On the girls side, Aaron's team team number one top ranked. On the boy's side, Class Double A boys to find out and what I wanted to do. I wanted to bring Aaron on to kind of talk about the boy's side and how tough it was considering that Jackson has made the run, talk about his region, play all of that kind of stuff to
get you ready for tomorrow. So once again, girls semis tomorrow before we get out of here, once again we'll break it all down for you. Class A D one it is Social Circle at Breamen. Great to catch up with Heather Richardson and find out what's going on. As they get ready to travel. Model is at ACE Charter. Class A D two Atlanta Classical is going to Ocilla to take on Irwin County. On the left hand side, Aaron mentioned Lake of Coney Academy LA is traveling to try on that's two heavyweights.
On the right hand side, we mentioned.
Double A Double A Region two. It is Coholla Creek Team five, ranked number five heading to Pike County to take on Zebulin number one ranked team number one in the overall, Morgan County and Savannah Arts is on the right hand side. That's double A triple A. It is Jefferson hosting Cherokee Bluff number one, hosting number three in the rankings. Team thirteen going to team number one A
Coney County traveling to Whitewater. That matchup will be on the network tomorrow, So we will be at Whitewater for Whitewater and to Coney County and it'll be great to see Judson Hanby. Team ranked number five going to Whitewater. They are ranked number two. Team fifteen travels to team number three in the power rankings. In Quada. It is Cambridge traveling to Marist so it is the number two set out of Region six. Ranked number four traveling to
the Region five Champ ranked number two. Plussed Trinity traveling to alatoona BT is ranked number one as your Region six Champ traveling to Tuna. Region seven Champ ranked number five five A. It is Greenbrier traveling to Northgate. Greenbrier unranked Region Champ out of Region one, just kind of quietly going about their business as the Region Champ had all of their playoff wins at home. They go to Northgate. Who is your Region three Champ ranked number six. Right
hand side of the bracket. Pope travels to number one Roswell, Pope rank number two, Region six Champ. Roswell ranked number one, Region seven Champ and in six A Lambert to Walton. Lambert, you're number two at A Region six, they are ranked number six. Travels to Walton your Region five Champ ranked number five, and then West for Scyth and Buford. Great to have Megan Hill on the show and got to
catch up with her about Jay Entlick. I was glad I was able to ask that question about who's on their speed dial and as it turns out, it's Jay, So she's gonna catch up with Jant. Like West for Scyth and Buford heavyweights again on the Buford campus. Go early to get a place to park. You're gonna be taking some steps unless you're in that first parking lot that's right next to the facility. And get your tickets early because anticipate at least twelve hundred people if not
more for that soccer match on campus. Brookwood traveled for the matchup against Buford that was on the network. West Verscyth is gonna travel for the matchup against Buford at Buford once again tomorrow. So that's your six eight girls, and that's your breakdown of all of the girls matchups. Tomorrow once again we'll review the girls. We'll get you set up for the boys on your Thursday and let you know what else is going on. So here's your
midweek girls tomorrow. Boys on Friday, we're gonna piece it all together for you here on Thursday and Friday, soccer is in session Playoff Daily Live presented by our friends at Kaiser Permanente. Thanks for dropping by, Thanks to the coaches at Social Circle Beauford and Morgan County, and thanks to all of you guys for hanging out with us and watching. And we break it all down here with your brackets every single day that we can break it down with our brackets here on the network. So back
at it again, nine oh five Eastern with SDHAM. Looks like tomorrow morning at nine thirty, it's gonna be Max Anderson, play by play voice for the Chicago Fire, joining us
before the Power Hour of Nino and Nico. Nino Torres, Nino Damas coming in to talk about Champions League, talk about Portugal, talk about Robertadores, and then Nico Moreno, joining us at ten thirty to break down everything going on in Major League Soccer from the Pacific perspective Friday, once again getting you ready for the weekend, and we're probably gonna have some visitors at nine thirty and or ten o'clock, and then tomorrow it is Soccer's in Session Playoff Daily,
and then Friday it's gonna be soccer is in Session Playoff Daily, and we'll break it all down for you there. So for everybody here at SDH, thanks to the coaches and thanks to you moch Plot, all played safe. And since it is the end of the show that means we get to do this, we'll be back at it again tomorrow nine oh five Eastern. Have fun.