Under new head coach, Lady Hawks soccer opens Aug. 24
HARDIN VALLEY --- The high school girls soccer season for Hardin Valley Academy opens on the road versus Powell at 7 p.m., Thursday Aug. 24.
New head coach Masey Fox got the HVA job “at the end of the (TSSAA-imposed) dead period ... called me (in early July) and asked if I could start practice the next day.”
If that wasn’t tough enough, “My girls told me that this was the ‘district of death’” in 4-AAA with the likes of defending national champ and two-time Class AAA state No. 1 Bearden, plus perennial powers West, Maryville and always dangerous Farragut.
“Obviously, I want to win ... but if I can prepare these girls for college soccer and life, then I’ve had a successful season,” said Fox, who played semi-pro soccer and works remotely as an academic advisor at the University of Cincinnati.
While the Lady Hawks went 10-5-2 last season, “We have an extremely young team,” she said about her 37 players. “We only have five seniors, and I don’t know how many juniors, but the rest of the team is freshmen and sophomores.”
Top returners include Reese Wilson (a versatile senior who can play at forward, midfielder and defender), Abigail Davis (senior, defender), Lauren Gray (junior, defender), Morgan Holloway (sophomore, forward/midfielder) and Sophia Roberts (sophomore, forward/midfielder).
Key newcomers are Anna Ogle (freshman, defender), Marely Ortega (freshman, forward/midfielder) and Jaelyn Jiminez (freshman, forward).
