Lady Gamecock soccer looks to defend region title

Coming off the most successful season ever in a sport that began in Sylvania in 2003, the SCHS Lady Gamecock soccer team of Terry Markovcic opens its 2022 campaign on January 25 with a trip to Soperton to face the Lady Vikings of Treutlen County. The home opener is scheduled for January 28 when defending 2AA champion East Laurens will bring their Lady Falcons to Kelly Memorial Stadium to face the defending 3A champion Red and White.

Entering 2022 as the defending Region 3A champs, last spring Markovcic’s troops claimed the school’s first-ever soccer region championship while advancing to the state quarterfinals for the second consecutive season (discounting the Covid shortened 2020 year). Their final record was 18-2 and they finished in the top ten in all polls. In high-flying mode the program is 52-11-1 in the past four seasons with at least one state playoff win in each.

“After a very successful season a year ago, the message is clear,” said Markovcic. “Last year is in the record books and it's time for this year's team to leave its mark. After two weeks of practice, the team seems to be focused and hungry to do just that. We do have a lot of familiar faces returning, but we still have to come together as a team and create the chemistry that will be needed to carry us throughout the season. The schedule is tougher this year and we will need to be physically and mentally tough in order to successfully compete game in and game out.”

Continued success for the upcoming season will depend on the fast development of some new players and some veteran reserves. The Red and White set a team record with 112 goals last season as it ran the table in its Region 3A but 54 of those goals (48%) have departed. Despite the success of 2021 there were but four seniors, three of who were regulars

The 2022 roster of 21 still includes but five seniors. Said Markovcic, “Our senior class will consist of five young ladies who all played big roles in our success last year. This includes Emerson Kullberg, Rhianna Boddiford, Sarah Mesecher, Gracie Cataffo, and Emily Lariscy. Positive leadership plays a huge role in being successful and we expect these five to provide it.”

Leading offensive returnees include juniors Emma Jones (23 goals a season ago, fourth most ever), Mazlin Blessing (12 goals and a school record 14 assists), Shay Sasser (6 goals), Adairis Gomez (4 goals), and Madison Powell (4 goals) along with senior Emerson Kullberg (4 goals).

Playing the two forward positions will be a combination of Jones, Powell, Kullberg, and freshman Charley Brannen. Powell was a mainstay at defender a year ago.

Vying for the four Midfield positions will be Blessing, Gomez, Sasser, seniors Gracie Cataffo and Rhianna Boddiford, juniors Marly Moore, Erin Thompson, and Bella Maust, and freshman Kaylin Long. Boddiford has been the regular goalie for the past two seasons, posting 10 shutouts in the process. She had six a season ago despite missing nearly half of it with injury.

Defense was a key as much as anything in the success of SCHS as the team recorded shutouts in 12 of its 18 wins. In ten region games the Lady Gamecocks outscored their opponents by a 67-2 margin with eight shutouts. The hearts of the defender group return including seniors Sarah Mesecher and Emily Lariscy and sophomores Mackenzie Mitchell and Gracen Kullberg. Powell was a big part of the group a year ago but will probably be at midfield.

Joining the veterans will be freshmen Julia Dews, Cam Forehand, Emma Warren, and Lilly Doss. The goal keeper will most likely be the freshman combination of Dews or Long. Boddiford, who is expected to really beef up the midfielder position, started 12 games in goal and was 10-2 with six shutouts and 34 saves

Markovcic wanted to mention that Jay Akin returns as an assistant coach again and former Gamecock Gee Gee Beasley will also be assisting this year. “All three of us are excited about the season and can't wait to see what this version of Lady Gamecock Soccer will bring,” he added.

This will be the 20th season of Lady Gamecock soccer and will be Markovcic’s 19th as the Head Coach. Currently he holds a 181-121-4. After a horrible start in the sport as it was forced into an Area that included all of the private schools in Savannah, the program is 147-51-1in the last 11 seasons with 2014 being the only season without state playoffs in that span.

The early nonregion schedule of Treutlen County, East Laurens, and Johnson County should help prepare the team for its region schedule. Each of the three made the state playoffs a year ago. East Laurens was the Region 2AA champion. In fact, every nonregion opponent on the schedule this year is a playoff team from a year ago including AAAs SEB (defending 3AAA champion) and Harlem. A trip to Portal on February 18, the team’s second region game, should provide a very good look at the prospects for a championship repeat. The Lady Panthers were the 3A runners-up a year ago, also advancing to the state quarterfinals.

2022 SCHS Lady Gamecock Soccer Roster

Number; Name; Grade

3; Emerson Kullberg; 12

4; Adairis Gomez; 11

6; MaKenzie Mitchell; 10

7; Cam Forehand; 9

8; Emma Jones; 11

9; Rhianna Boddiford; 12

10; Mazlin Blessing; 11

11; Charley Brannen; 9

13; Marly Moore; 11

14; Lilly Doss; 9

15; Shay Sasser; 11

16; Erin Thompson; 11

17; Kaylin Long; 9

20; Sarah Mesecher; 12

21; Gracen Kullberg; 10

22; Grace Cataffo; 12

23; Julia Dews; 9

26; Emily Lariscy; 12

27; Emma Warren; 9

28; Madison Powell; 11

30; Bella Maust; 11

Head Coach: Terry Markovcic

Assistant Coaches: Jay Akin, Gee Gee Beasley

2022 SCHS Lady Gamecock Soccer Schedule

Day, Date; Opponent; Location; Time

Tuesday, Jan. 25; @Treutlen County; Soperton; 5:30

Friday, Jan. 28; East Laurens; Sylvania; 5:00

Tuesday, Feb. 1; @Johnson County; Wrightsville; 5:00

Tuesday, Feb. 8; *@Metter; Metter; 5:00

Friday, Feb. 11; Johnson County; Sylvania; 5:00

Friday, Feb. 18; *@Portal; Portal; 5:00

Tuesday, Feb. 22; *@Claxton; Claxton; 5:00

Friday, Feb. 25; *Bryan County; Sylvania; 5:00

Tuesday, March 1; *@McIntosh County; Darien; 5:00

Friday, March 4; *Metter; Sylvania; 5:00

Tuesday, March 8; @Harlem; Harlem; 6:00

Tuesday, March 15; *Portal; Sylvania; 5:00

Friday, March 18; *Claxton; Sylvania; 5:00

Tuesday, March 22; *@Bryan County; Pembroke; 5:00

Friday, March 25; *McIntosh County; Sylvania; 5:00

Tuesday, March 29; Southeast Bulloch; Sylvania; 5:00

Friday, April 8; Treutlen County; Sylvania; 5:30

Tuesday, April 12; First Round of State Bye (Region 1 has no teams)

Monday, April 18; Second Round of State TBD

*Region 3A Match

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Lady Gamecock soccer looks to defend region title