For 2A
Forwards:
Morgan Thomas – Southside Christian. She will be a sophomore this year and can really put the ball in the back of the net.
Midfielders:
Alex Bishop – Emerald. She delivers the most consistent corner kick around, can score from way out, and has amazing speed
Defenders
Kelsey McCraw - Christ Church. Very tough in the back.
Goalkeepers
Rachel Baggett - Emerald & Caitlin Williams – Pendlton
Both keepers do a great job in goal and each are versatile enough to make an impact as field players when their teams need them to do so. A huge benefit for small schools.

SCISA
Goalkeeper
Caroline Clark – Greenwood Christian. I saw her listed as 2A/1A but her school is in the SCISA league.

I take two days off and my brother Chico has not only kicked up the antbed, but thrown kerosene, monkey feces, and Lexington's 2007 program guide on it.

Now that the spotlight is on Lexington, who will be the spies who closely watch Lexington in early Jan. to see if they pull a Dutch Fork end-around early practice?
the book,
I am not saying that Satan is Chico, but given his Evil Red CESA affiliation and his past battles with NECSA,etc., he among all of us would be the one most likely alligned with that Evil of Darkness.
Or maybe...............its Kool-Aid. I have seen a lot in this forum, but have not seen any flying monkey feces yet.......thats a pretty Devilish thought.

Whatever happened to the forums with 9-15 pages worth of juicy information, banter, and arguing?

I think most folks are just waiting until we get closer to Viking Cup and then the HS discussion will pick up.

What are we going to argue about in the fall? How CESA cheats to win all those state titles?

Hurst66,

When will the Viking Cup schedule be posted?

The 2007 Taco Bell Viking Cup has been online for a good while now.

Should this be the "E-Coli Cup" now?

p&y,

No trashing the sponsor unless you have Bojangles waiting in the wings to foot the bill.

Some jokes are in bad taste—sorry—no trashing intended—the soccer world needs all the support we can get!—

Hi, My names mathew Finlay and im from liverpool in England. I am coming over to south carolina (gaffney to be specific) to be part of Limestone College mens Soccer team in august and i will spend four years there. I am currently coaching for a professional club in England called Morecambe. I was wondering if anybody can help me find a club in gaffney i can help coach with? you can let me know by emailing me on mattyfinlay04@hotmail.com
thanx!

matty,

These guys should be able to help you:

http://athletics.limestone.edu/msoc/coaches.htm

4-A defender...ali steele from lexington. lost late in playoffs last year to an injury but is a senior this year and should continue to do well

Of course, it's impossible to definitively name the best 5 players at any position, especially if one hasn't seen all the teams or players play. However when I try to recall some of the best that I have seen play that have not been mentioned, 1 that comes to my mind is Kitty Tryon, sometimes midfielder/sometimes forward for 4A Spring Valley.

Also, Ashleigh Sheets from Fort Mill comes to mind as a potential top 5 player. Don't know what position she is playing for them these days. She could probably play them all (except goalie) very well.

i noticed there's not much or none of the lowerstate teams mentioned in this..what's the deal with that? wando, west ashley, james island, summerville? how are they all looking?

Need more lowcountry people to give some thoughts. We're all yankees here.

Kira Campbell dominates the field.

Yeah

Well said Albino. Short and sweet, I love it. None of the "It's almost impossible to name the players because of blah blah blah".

Actually, looking back on one of my old posts, I see that I have proven to be a hypocrite. Darn.

Chico --

When Satan tempted the Sharpe girl, do you know if anyone might have gotten a digital photo of the lord of darkness -- maybe with a cell phone camera or such? Just about everyone has one of those things now and it would be useful to know what Beelzebub looks like, I figure. Just wondering.

Thanks in advance.

I don't think any pictures were obtained; however, rumors are that he had more than a passing resemblance to Michael Young, coach of T.L. Hanna. Why that would be, I have not a clue -- the ways of evil are a mysterious enigma wrapped in a muddle of ambiguity.

[<-- Disclaimer: This is a joke...a joke, son. I have no direct knowledge of Coach Young, or Biblical entities, or the cosmic struggle between good and evil, or of much of anything else. All I'm sure of is that T.L. Hanna is under-ranked as is Irmo.]

Chico --

Disappointed, of course, in the lack of digital photos but I understand. Although W&E may have his dark side, I doubt the devil would voluntarily assume his appearance. Good luck to Lexington this year. I'll try to watch them play at some point.

I am assembling a team of lawyers as we speak. Going down, Chico.

Lapf, I have emailed and gotten no response. I have hired your offspring to teach my team of the "Hard Way" in which she knows so much about. Still, no contact. Now I see "Folly Beach, again" and realize we are so far apart and so much time has passed. Torment me no longer...or fear the dark side.

W&E --

No more torment. Check your messages. Hope my alma mater lives up to its preseason billing.

A name that jumps to mind in the 3A division is Sophomore Bethany Marini from Blythewood High School. She is a big asset to the team and plays the majority of the team as a sweeper. She really doesnt have that much to work with on her girls team, however during the club season she produced for her team and helped her team win some games through her solid defense. Look out for her in the next 1 to 2 years.

laplageaxfolles:

I belive you are speaking of "Beezlebub" rather than "Beelzebub":

"He casteth out devils through Beezlebub, the chief of the devils. And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven. But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because ye say that I cast out devils through Beezlebub. And if I by Beezlebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." (Luke 11:14-20 King James Version)

Enough of that.....

Bethany is a good player, but I think you are being a little bit harsh saying that she "didn't have much to work with"

no doubt she is good; we all know that. but seriously who does she have to work with on b-woods team. they are very young and dont have the caliber players for her to work with like the other schools have. i believe that this can be restricting her play to some extent.

Bethany's team mates wont be as much of an asset as Bethany, its the cold, simple TRUTH

Hey...I try to keep track of players...help me out here...what club and what team in that club did Bethany Marini play for last season?

Normally I would stay out of such bantering about a team that I coach, however I think in this case there are a few things that need to be pointed out for both the sake of general information and the team as a whole. Yes Bethany is a very solid player and over the past three years I’ve seen her improve greatly both in skill and poise on the field, however, for Blythewood her primary roll is as an offensive player not at sweeper. Those wishing to see her play should look to see her at Offensive Center Mid or possibly Forward where her style of play best compliments the team. Sara Graber is actually our Sweeper having won that position last year and does an absolutely great job there. As far as other talent on the team- yes we are young with Sophomore and Freshmen looking to hold most of the starting positions but there is definitely other talent to be found on the team scattered all around from top to bottom. Please understand that this is not a personal criticism of anyone that has posted their opinion on this page- that is what this open forum is for after all- however I would suggest my own opinion that the person posting has most likely not seen the entire team play a match and is basing their opinion on faulty or incomplete information. Being a Second Year Program we are definitely still going through some growing pains and I don’t portend that we are on par with the ‘big girls’- !Yet! but we are definitely more than just a one dimensional/one player team. Come watch us play sometime, especially once the regular season begins, and make your own assessment. Heck come see us tonight against Aiken at home 6:00, but realize that this is only a scrimmage- a time for playing around with lineups and trying new/different things- but you should still be able to determine for yourself if we are just a one dimensional/one player team.

I thank you!

Tony King, i understand that you are their coach and heck i've seen every game that ya'll have played that i have been able to see but i believe that you are trying to defend some of your players in their playing ability. This is bethany's first year being on the offensive side b/c last year you thought that she would benefit ya'll in the back... i think that you have come to realize that once you did that you took away the majority of your offense seeing as how ya'll scored very few goals last season...not to trash any of your players but ya'll are young and with that comes a sense of majurity on the soccer field...i believe that ya'll have some talent on the team that will emerge as the team gets older...at this moment though they are not quite at the level but i can see them becoming a decent team in the next few years...ne way i just dont understand why you would decide to keep her in the back last year and suddenly push her forward into the midfield like you did against Ridge View...also from what i understand was that she was upset about playing in the back and wanted to push up last year but you wouldnt let her.

A player thinking they know better than their coach????? No way!!!! Ahhhh haaaa haaaa!!!!! You play your best in the back, it keeps scores down. You play them in the midfield or up top and you can get blown out...but might score a goal. Pick your poison, PK.

So you're either her dad or her boyfriend...which one?

PK,

I'm sure Coach King is quite competent and doesn't need me defending him. If Bethany is "The Man", and the rest of the team as inexperienced as you have described it, then why wouldn't you start her near the back, keep the score down, stay in the game....and move her up when you have to? If the team was as bad last year as you describe it....Bethany would have been "starving" up top. She would have never seen a ball.

Put much better than I could have, Hurst.

its not whether you choose your poison or not...you are not going to win games unless you can put the ball in the net...blythewood is not strong up top without bethany...Coach King even said that Graber stepped up last year and became the sweeper...now that blythewood has an ok back that can get the ball to the better player(bethany) they will start to do better than they did last year...you dont need to start your best offensive player near the back...put her in the mid to where she can score and defend therefore you are getting both sides out of her...her offensive and defensive side...this is how you are going to get the best out of her.

Offense can fail 100 times and succeed only once, and you can win; defense can succeed 100 times and fail only once, and you can lose. I always say build your team from back to front, then move players forward only after you can do so without sacrificing the defense that gives them their opportunities. Sounds like that's what Coach King has done...all part of developing a team.

This is why I should have kept my mouth shut. The point I was trying to make was that Bethany- while a very good player- is not the only player with skill that we have and quite quickly my words have been turned around in an attempt to prove the other point of view and therefore after this post I will try my best to take my own advice and remain mute on such things.

First of all- Bethany actually played the majority of the time last year in a forward position while the year previous at Ridgeview she did in fact anchor the defense as an 8th grader for the entire season. Last year she was not moved forward at the expense of the defense or a “realization” as it was that I had lost the majority of my offense. Put quite simply that was where she best fit the rest of the team, just as Sara’s best fit was and is at sweeper where she best worked with the other girls on the team. Even at this point, nothing is set in stone as to who will play where for any given game or even part of a game. I am beginning to wonder how many games you may have seen last year and if you are simply basing your decision on a few early games. (I am also beginning to have a very good idea of who you actually are.) Almost everyone on the team played in different positions early on in the season to simply gauge and assess talent and chemistry. Heck- my starting keeper actually served time on the field before being settled up on to play goal just to give everyone a look at every possible position. I am a firm believer in the “complete soccer player” as opposed to the position specific player. If you came to me and said you were a forward, I’d say nice to meet you- go play defense so we can have a look at you. The decision to move Bethany forward against the other day RV was not a “sudden” one, or knee jerk reaction, but rather according to a previously scripted scenario. Ask the girls that you know on the team and they should be able to tell you the same.

I understand that you are basing your opinion on what you feel to be accurate and true, however- with no malice intended- I must state that in my opinion, which is hopefully just a bit more informed than yours, that you are way off base in your assessment of the other players on the team. Yes- Bethany is good- no argument there, I have told her so, just as I tell her and all the girls on the team when they make a great play or a poor decision/mistake in hopes that they will become better players - and yes she is one to watch, but please do not do the rest of the girls the disservice to state that she is the only player of merit on the team. Yes the other girls are young, but then again so is Bethany and given time and hopefully the opportunity to continue working with Bethany and the rest of the girls along with the necessary wisdom, humility, and awareness on my own part we will be a very good team in the very near future.

I have no objection to the statement that Bethany is one to watch, I in fact concur. However she is not the only one to watch and that is the only point I want to make.

Oh- and if this is who I think it might be- See you soon and thanks for the opportunity to brag on ‘the girls!’

Sorry folks for the long post!

…and with that- I bid adieu…

Coach King

I've been to your games and seen how you coach, and your good at what you do and I believe you'll place your girls in the necessary positions to win games. While I dont know all the girls on the team, I do know Bethany's got talent along with other girls. Where players played a previous year shouldn't matter, because this years a new season and a new opportunity to either win your old position, or find a new one. All I'm trying to say is good luck Coach and get some W's

Well put Coach King and keep up the good work. It's hard to find good coaches who care about player development instead of winning.

I'm sure he cares about winning a little bit

Bingo, Coach Chass—too many fail to realize the value of solid defending—among ALL players on the field—while we might want to call some players attackers—EVERYONE is a defender in soccer—or your team will lose. . .

In response to the posts about Bethany Marini and the Blythewood team. Bethany is a good player yes, i've seen her play, but if she is an outstanding player like you make her out to be PK_KING or 69boss302 which ever name you decide one, why did she not play elite fro the CUFC club, she was merely a challenge player. Bethany also doesn't give 100% of her effort all the time, she gets her head stuck up her butt when things aren't going her way. One player teams don't finish second in their region. Blythewood finished second in their region. I think Taylor Coulter was region player of the year, she is also an amazing player. Along with Sara Graber in the back.

But obviously you are doing something right Coach King, mediocre teams don't get their teams talked about this early. Good luck to you and your team this season, and I hope to see yall playing in the third round this year.

Best of luck, and see you on the field.

i dont think pk_king ever said she was the best player in the world.he just said she was one to watch and then his whole team was attacked.

well i think coach king knows what he is doing and shouldnt be criticized for his executive decisions, hes a good coach and his team deserves the recognition.

Good Luck Blythewood

No, he said she had no support and without her the team was weak in attack. Without her in an advanced position, the team had no offense. Not to mention the fact that the team was "restricting" her play. He put her on a pedastool and turned the rest of the team into grunting, one legged marsupials that can't step on the field without tripping over themselves.

Coach King and company were stating that the team is valuable and that Blythewood is headed in the right direction under his leadership.

Valentine's Day is around the corner so lets all show some loooooooooove...

One person cannot make up an entire team. You have to work together to win games.