Gilmer Soccer Falls to Hurricanes, Dragons

A busy week of Gilmer High School soccer action concluded last Friday at Jasper Middle School, with a region rivalry match against Pickens.

The Lady Cats fell to the Dragonettes, 2-0. A first half goal from Alex LeMieux and a second half goal from Kelsie Wise provided Pickens with enough of a lead to pick up a hard-fought victory.

Starting Gilmer goalkeeper Briana McClure recorded 18 saves for the Lady Cats, while Tylea Hernandez had one. Lizzie Houghwout nabbed 13 for the Dragonettes.

The boys match also went to Pickens, 1-0. Corbin Johnson scored the only goal of the affair with 6:24 remaining before halftime.

Dillan Ledford had 14 saves for the Bobcats, while fellow Cat Christian Hernandez recorded three. Adam Leicht had 15.

Gilmer started region play Tuesday at Cartersville. The Lady Cats fell 4-0, while the Bobcats dropped a 3-0 match.

“It goes without saying that Cartersville dominates in virtually every sport, so we knew this was going to be a tough match,” said head Lady Cats coach April Nicholson. “The long drive and heat, although a nice change of pace from the snow, were two other factors we had to keep in mind. Sophomore Grace Henderson had one of the best games of her high school career. She was pivotal in keeping the ball in the middle third of the field. Our defense did a great job of protecting Bri McClure, our keeper. Our girls were physical and aggressive, and to go from an 0-10 upset to two legitimately earned goals shows a huge improvement on our side.”

“We started a bit slow and conceded an early goal, which shook us a bit,” head Bobcats coach Simon Phipps said about the boys match against the Hurricanes. “I was very happy with the boys they never gave up and fought really hard.”

JV Bobcats win twice

The JV squads also saw two matches last week, against Fannin and Pickens.

In the Fannin affair, the JV Lady Cats dropped a 3-0 contest to the Lady Rebels.

“We came out pretty strong and played a very physical game,” Nicholson said. “We really enjoyed playing Fannin because we are typically an evenly matched team. I think some of our younger girls got a lot of much needed time on the field.”

The JV Bobcats went on to down the Rebels, 6-3. Fernando Ramirez punched in three goals, while Coady Cobb, Raul Garcia and Elias Velasquez supplemented the outcome with one each.

“It was nice to return the favor,” Phipps boasted. “They came here at the start of the season, first game and won 4-2, so it was time for payback. I was really happy with the way the boys played, especially in the second half. They created lots of chances and passed the ball around well.”

At home against Pickens Thursday, the JV Lady Cats fell 2-1 to the Dragonettes. Elsa Francisco scored the lone Gilmer goal in the match.

Meanwhile, the JV Bobcats fanned the Dragons 2-0, with Garcia and Cobb scoring for Gilmer.

After the hectic week, the varsity Lady Cats are now 2-7 (0-5 in region play), while the varsity Bobcats sit at 2-6-1 (1-4 in region play). The JV Bobcats now boast a 3-3 mark, while the JV Lady Cats sit at 2-2.

#TeamFYNSports, “Always looking to spotlight young athletes in a positive manner,” is sponsored by: