School is back in session, meaning the Lady Pounders soccer season has been set in motion. Head Coach John Brittingham and Assistant Coach Sam Jones have been preparing the girls for their 2022-2023 season. The team began practicing 2 days a week before and after the dead period in June and July. The teams roster currently consists of 13 players.

“We lost some talented seniors last year, but from top to bottom we have more skill and talent on the roster this year,” Brittingham commented.

This season, there will only be one player on defense playing the position they played last season. This is a concern for Brittingham; however, the Lady Pounders have lots of depth in the attacking and offensive positions.

The season was originally scheduled to begin on Tuesday, August 16; however, this game was cancelled due to weather. The first game of the season was on Thursday, August 18. The team hosted their first game of the season against Bradley Central High School. For the first game of the season, the team played decent, but they hit a lull when the Bears scored multiple goals in a short period of time. The Pounders were not able to recover, and ended up losing with a score of 5-0.

A few days later, on Monday, August 22 the team traveled to Grace Baptist Academy. According to Brittingham, Central was not playing well as a team and there were times where they did not show their normal level of effort. The Pounders lost to the Golden Eagles with a final score of 9-0.

Senior Midfielder, Khloi Sandidge, had a few words to say about the game:

“This was a game that gave us a good feel for how we play with each other, and our strengths and weaknesses. I feel like we need to improve each other’s communication on the field. Every day is a learning experience, and Grace was a good game to provide that,” shared Sandidge.

The next day, the girls traveled to play Sequatchie County High School. The team was shorthanded and had to play with only 10 players. There was a ten minute stretch where the Indians scored 4 goals. Outside of that, Central played very well, the best they have yet. The girls were not able to make a come back so they lost the game with a score of 6-0.

Overall, the Lady Pounders didn’t have a great start to their season; however, they continue to strive as they go into their next couple games.

Readers can view the latest sports updates on the sports center page. This is where schedules, scores, and rosters will be posted. All sports, including Girls Soccer, will be updated frequently so be sure to check back up here at the Central Digest.