Future Olympian? Oak Grove’s Henry kicks it up a notch

By: Andrew Adams

Staff Reporter

Oak Grove junior Kayleigh Henry is one of the Warriors’ most well known soccer players for the girls’ team.

As a junior, she has achieved a high level in soccer: the possibility of making the National team. Henry started playing soccer when she was five years old. “When I was little, I just wanted to play every sport, like most kids do when they are young. I did dance and soccer and just about all the sports,” she said.

When she is not playing with Oak Grove, she is with her travel team. “I recently went to  Boca Raton for the national event, and

HAVING A BALL
Junior Kayleigh Henry, who hopes to soon be named to the USA National team, dribbles down the field.

I went to Germany last summer. Just about every weekend I go somewhere different for soccer games. I’ve been to Alabama, and soon I’ll be in New Jersey. A while back I went to Arizona and California. Since it’s with an East Coast National League Team, we travel a lot,” Henry said. With her ODP (Olympic Developement Team), which is part of U.S. Youth Soccer, team, she meets many different people. “I’m on so many different teams. I’ve never been on a team, besides Oak Grove, that has not changed within a year because new girls come in or girls fall off the team. I just get to play soccer with such a sundry array of girls.”

Henry’s final goal is to earn a spot on the highly-competitive U.S. National team. To get that spot, she worked her way through many workouts including an event where she was selected for the regional team. Just making the regional time has taken a lot of hard work. There are only two other girls from Mississippi who are on the regional team, so this is a huge step for Henry. “I’ve worked really hard, and it has been paying off,” Henry said.

Many girls came out to try out for the state team. If players make the state team, then they are sent to a state camp where hundreds of girls are trying to make the regional pool. This year 32 girls were chosen for the regional pool, and from that 32, a final 18 players are selected for the final regional team roster. This group then traveled to Boca Raton, FL, with hopes of making the National pool.

Henry’s dream is to make the National pool, and eventually be named an official member of the U.S. National team. The team will be announced over the Christmas holidays, and even if she isn’t chosen this time around, officials will continue to track her progress and pursue her as a potential player in the future.

Henry plans to play soccer in college regardless of the outcome of this adventure. She is being recruited by many schools, but isn’t  sure where she’ll end up. She just hopes that one day it will be on an Olympic soccer field.

Warrior soccer falls short in playoffs despite succesful season

by: Nan Buti

The Warrior soccer teams have practiced energetically and played games vigorously almost every week since November of last year. Their hard work definitely paid off and both the boys’ and girls’ teams earned the right to be named District Champions. The Lady Warriors finished the season at 4-4-4 and the boys finished at 4-2-4. Both teams faced tough opponents throughout the season in powerhouses like Ocean Springs and Biloxi.
Despite putting up tough fights in the playoffs, both teams’ seasons came to a close in January. The Lady Warriors, who made it to South State last year, were put out in the playoffs by Biloxi 3-2. The boys’ team progressed to South State beating Biloxi in the first game 1-0. They fell short in the second game losing to Gulfport 0-1.
This season’s games kept fans and players on edge with very close scores and a couple of ties with West Jones, Poplarville, and Clinton. The boys’ team faced a talented Brandon team that also ended in a tie.
Success on the soccer field requires dedication and a lot of hard work, and many players feel this year’s season was very rewarding. “I think soccer prepared me to be competitive and has helped me learn to think in different ways,” junior Hayley Allen said. “Soccer teaches you to make decisions quicker and definitely gets you in shape,” junior Clay Richardson said. The teams faced a lot of challenges this season and felt prepared by enduring tough practices and learning to work together. “I think when we played with heart, we did our best,” Allen said. “We aren’t just a team; we are a family, and we are carrying on the Lady Warrior soccer tradition. I love my team, and they are the best people to play with because they understand me.”The intense games and cheering fans definitely encouraged the teams to play their hardest this season. The players and coaches feel fan support provided them with motivation the whole season. “We really appreciate all of the support the students have given us this year,” girls’ coach Kayla Lalley said. “We are tremendously proud of the teams’ performances and efforts this year. They represented Oak Grove very well.”

Soccer teams start district play with victories

By: JoAnna Gunnufsen
Staff Reporter

After a few weeks of preparing for their division games, the Oak Grove soccer teams are proving to be fierce competition. Both varsity teams dominated their Hattiesburg High School opponents on November 29th in the first division game of the promising season.

Kyle Roblin (#3) boots a ball out of trouble as Brooks Becton (#2) and Mauricio Hernandez (#9) look on in a recent match against Biloxi. / Submitted Photo

The varsity girls’ team started off the night with a 7-0 win against the Tigers. Despite the freezing temperatures, the girls remained focused. Freshman Isabella McVeagh, sophomore Ashley Bryant, and junior Suzanne Copeland each scored a goal for the Warriors. To add even more to the scoreboard, sophomore Kayleigh Henry and senior Kayla Stricker both scored twice over the course of the game.

After the first win of the evening, the varsity boys took the field. Junior Kyle Roblin, senior Josh Hinton, and senior Nathan Tavai each scored in the first half, giving the Warriors a three-point advantage over the Tigers.

In the second half, Nathan Tavai continued to make his way past the Tigers’ defense to score three more goals for the team. Already six points ahead, the Warriors weren’t about to let the Tigers show up on the scoreboard. Sophomore Andrew Glaze and junior Jakob Muller added to the Warriors’ victory and scored two more points in the opening of the second half.  At the end of the game, the varsity boys won 8-0.

However, this isn’t the first game the Warriors have played so far. Both teams recently had a strong showing against Poplarville at the November 14th home game. The girls’ team defeated their opponents 4-0, and the boys’ team claimed a 6-0 win.

This year, the soccer teams host a wide range of talent among their players. Despite the amount of individual skill, the players have been focusing on another important key to their success: teamwork. Senior Brooks Becton said, “We have a really strong group of guys who have played together for years. We all get along well, which is something we couldn’t say in the previous years.” The varsity girls have also been focusing on working together. “We have spent time getting to know each other because there are so many new girls on the team. It’s going to help us have a good season,” senior Olivia Shook said.

Fans of Oak Grove soccer can look forward to another exciting home game on Friday, December 16th. The varsity boys’ and girls’ teams will face Petal in the fourth division game of the season.

Soccer teams prepare for new season

By: JoAnna Gunnufsen
Staff Reporter
On November 8th, the Oak Grove varsity soccer teams will take on West Jones in their first home games of the season. Though they have an entire season ahead of them, both teams have been preparing for what’s to come.

Jay Lang, senior, directs a shot into the top corner of the net at a recent OG boys soccer practice.

The boys’ soccer team has been working out and conditioning since June. They practice five days a week and have also started practicing twice a day. Eventually, the boys will compete against the top five teams in the state. Coach Lang, head of the boys’ team, said, “We have a large group of seniors playing for their fourth year. This is their opportunity to step up and be leaders.”

The girls’ team also has high expectations for the next few months. Olivia Shook, a senior on the team, said, “We have so much talent on the team, and as long as we work together, I think we can win.” The girls have been preparing by running, lifting weights, and perfecting technical work like dribbling.
With the start of the season just around the corner, the teams are more than ready to compete against their toughest competition.

Warrior Sports Notes

Football

The Warriors ended this year with a winning regular season advancing to the play-offs. With a record of 8-2 in regular season, the players were proud of their achievements, especially both big wins against the Meridian Wildcats.
A number of star Warriors have been nominated for the All-Area Team.  Steve McNair, Jr. finished the season leading the team in a number of categories on both offense and defense.  Other offensive players such as quarterback James McMahon, Jonathan Duncan, Jay Hughes, Dillon Fedora, and Robert Johnson all posted impressive numbers on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensive lineman Vince Taylor led the team in tackles and other key defensive areas.  In addition, LeBrandon Moseley, Charles Bolton, Cort Brinson, and Trey Barnes were key contributors to the Warrior’s defensive success.
Despite the many ups and downs as well as injuries, the Warriors managed to end the season successfully.

Soccer

The boys’ soccer team started the season off strong with a 1-0 victory over rival Petal.  The lone goal was scored by center midfielder Garrett Head.  The following weekend the team continued its success with a huge upset win over the preseason number six team and defending state champion, Clinton.  The Warriors toppled the Clinton Arrows 4-1.  The third game of the season turned out to have a drastically different result with the Warriors falling to the Pascagoula Panthers 3-0.  This weekend the Warriors look to bounce back with games in a Gulfport tournament against two very tough opponents: Long Beach and St. Patrick High School.  Although their focus will be on these two games this weekend, the team plans to use the games to prepare for the most important game of the season.  Next Tuesday, the team will play a crucial district game at home against the team’s arch-rival, Brandon.  The girls soccer team also promises a successful season with a current record of 4-0.

Basketball

The varsity boys’, junior varsity boys’, and girls’ basketball teams are off to great starts with records of 5-0, 3-0, and 4-5, respectively.  With great season starts so far, the boys and girls look foward to continuing their successes.
In their last two games, the Lady Warriors defeated both Bassfield High School and Laurel High School with scores of 59-29 and 60-35.  In the most recent games against Gulfport High School, the varsity boys’ came up short 29-50, varsity girls’ fought hard but in the end lost 46-49, and junior varsity boys’ were defeated 24-30.
The next game is the first district game of the season against Hattiesburg High School in the Oak Grove High School gym on December 15 with games beginning at 5:00 p.m.  The teams will also face off against George County, and will compete in the Hattiesburg Tournament over the Christmas holidays.

Senior soccer player shines on and off the field

By: Lauren Pace

Senior, Danny Hanson, is the captain of the 2009-2010 boys soccer team.  Hanson not only shines on the field, but he also excels in the classroom.

Hanson is the starting defender for the varsity boys team. With a record of 3-2, the team is sure to have an exciting season. “It started off good, but it got a little rocky” Hanson said, though he remains positive.  “It will be an excellent season.”

Hanson has been playing soccer since he was four years old. With the influence of his two older brothers, Hanson has always had a passion for soccer. Both of his older brothers were also varsity players on the Oak Grove boys’ soccer team. “Soccer wasn’t always a big deal for our family, but as we played it more and got older, it turned into one,” Hanson said.

Hanson is also a dedicated student who successfully balances academics with athletics. He is ranked in the top 30 students of the senior class and scored 32 on the ACT.  With graduation approaching, Hanson is preparing for life after high school.  “I am still undecided as to what I will do after graduating. I will either go to Mississippi State University or to an out of state college. I plan to major in some sort of engineering,” Hanson said.

Aside from school and sports, Hanson enjoys sleeping and cooking. “I like to sleep a lot,” Hanson said.

Soccer teams get a running start

By: Lauren Pace

After having an okay season last year, both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams feel confident that they will be much more successful this season. “We have come a long way since last year and we have real potential. I think we are going to go far in the playoffs this year,” boys captain, Danny Hanson, said.

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams kicked off the 2009-2010 season with a tournament at Gulfport High School. The girls’ team dominated Ocean Springs with a score of 2-0 and Gulfport with a score of 4-0. The boys, however, were not as successful. The team lost to Ocean Springs, 1-4, and to Gulfport, 0-2.

Both teams began the home season on November 10 by playing Petal High School. The girls defeated the Lady Panthers 1-0. After the game, varsity girls defender, Nikki Robinson, felt very confident about the season.  “I think we have enough talent to go to state and we’re excited about the season,” she said. In an intense rivalry, the boys were also victorious with a score of 1-0. Both games were filled with many heartpounding moments that made the game very enjoyable for fans.

“The girls have really worked hard and have the potential to do great things if they play together.  We have a lot of talent and athleticism and both Coach Smith and I are excited about this year’s season,” Coach Jill Breland, Assistant Girls Coach, said.

The girls play the Clinton Arrows at home on Saturday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. The boys will also play the Arrows at their home turf on the same day at 12:30 p.m.