BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — The Auburn High School girls and boys soccer teams earned senior night wins over 7A Area 4 foes Central High School on April 7, with the No. 4 Lady Tigers (11-4-2, 5-0) cruising 10-0 over the Lady Red Devils (2-8, 0-3) and the No. 6 Tigers (14-3-2, 5-0) downing the Red Devils (3-10-1, 0-5) 3-1.
Girls game
The girls’ game was never in question as the Lady Tigers overwhelmed the Lady Red Devils with four goals in the first five minutes.
AHS girls’ and boys’ head coach Bill Ferguson said while there is still room for improvement offensively, the Lady Tigers are laser-focused on what they can control as the playoffs draw near.
He also praised his seniors for leading the team through a formation change that has forced them to adapt on the fly.
“Once we really master being calm and composed in front of the net, I really feel like they’ll be untouchable,” Ferguson said. “We very seldom focus on outcomes. The more we can focus on the process and our system of play, the more it shows up in big moments. I think there’s a reason this team’s been in three consecutive state finals. It’s because we focus on and control the things we can control and not worry about the what-ifs.”
After stonewalling the Lady Red Devils in the heart of AHS’s formation, senior midfielder and co-captain Olivia Minter took time to reflect on her experience with the Lady Tigers and the girls she shares the field with.
“There were a lot of emotions before the game, but it was so nice to come out here and have a team that calms you down and is just so selfless, positive and nice,” Minter said. “Like Coach [Ferguson] said in our talk after the game, it’s rare to have a women’s team like that. It’s just so special to have a team where we want each other to succeed and score. We wanted this night to be special for each of us, and it’s just so nice.”
Senior Camilla Bosman opened the scoring for AHS 30 seconds into the game with a cracking right-footed shot near the edge of the box.
After that, fellow senior Abigail Counts added two goals, while juniors Suzanna Roberts, Allison Cobb and Sarahbeth Roberts each scored one goal.
However, sophomore Lulabelle Hammer stole the show on senior night with a first half hat trick that she completed just 13 minutes after the opening whistle.
Since the Lady Tigers didn’t score 10 goals in the first half, they were required to continue playing after halftime in accordance with Alabama High School Athletic Association rules.
Junior Lindsey Anniuk then scored the final goal 11 minutes into the second half with a highlight reel right-footed finish from outside of the box and into the top right corner.
The head referee called the game after the 10th goal.
Boys game
While the boys’ game was much tighter in terms of the final scoreline, the Red Devils never seriously threatened the Tigers.
Ferguson attributed the performance to the leadership his seniors provide and the psychological training he incorporates into the offseason training program and in-season practices.
“It’s a player-led program. The oldest guys are stewards of their time and servant leaders,” Ferguson said. “Mental toughness is something we really talk about because it’s important. Whether you get paid $1 million a game or you’re playing in high school, there are going to be mistakes. People are going to make plays, and it’s about flushing that and just being present in the moment.”
Heading into the game, senior Whit Carter had only scored one goal for the Tigers all season. With those in attendance there to honor him and his fellow seniors on both teams, his two-goal, one-assist performance powered AHS and doubled his goal-scoring tally in one fell swoop.
“It feels amazing because I only had one goal before [tonight], so to put two in and have an assist is great in front of a couple of fans [his parents],” Carter said. “[My time here has] meant a lot. I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a person and a soccer player, from the coaches and everyone that’s been around me in the program.”
In similar fashion to the girls team, the Tigers got off to a quick start. Six minutes into the game, Carter opened the scoring after holding his run and finishing a low driven cross with a beautiful first touch left-footed finish past the diving CHS goalkeeper.
Freshman Caleb Daniel then doubled AHS’s lead 15 minutes before halftime with a gorgeous, perfectly-weighted header after a wild pass found his forehead.
After the Red Devils cut their deficit in half less than three minutes into the second half, Carter killed the game off with just over 10 minutes left to play. Despite knowing one of his teammates failed to convert a penalty earlier in the game, Carter coolly stepped to the spot and emphatically buried his shot just past the goalkeeper and inside the bottom left corner.
