04.02.10

Highly ranked Hawks have perfect pitch

By C. Jemal Horton

South Charlotte Weekly

Charlotte Latin girls soccer coach Lee Horton probably wasn’t trying to scare future Hawks opponents when he answered a reporter’s question about his team recently. But considering Charlotte Latin has won two consecutive state championships, posting a 43-3-2 record since the 2008 season, the following comments could make some teams a bit uneasy.

“This is the best high school girls team I’ve ever had,” Horton said flatly. “We have so many girls who can play.

“We have 19 girls on the roster, but I’ve used every girl in every game, other than when someone was injured.”

That’s the other thing about these Hawks: They’ve posted a perfect 8-0 record this season, even though they’ve played much of it without a pair of 2009 all-state selections who both scored at least 20 goals.

Standout McCallie Jones suffered a separated shoulder in the preseason, and McKay Kirkland injured her ankle in the first game of the season. Still, the Hawks have marched on to dominance, in large part because of the leadership of captains Anne Grigg, Cameron Johnson, Becky Green and Georgia Walker.

Currently, the Hawks are the top-ranked team in Eurosportscoreboard.com’s state poll, but they also have gotten the attention of those outside North Carolina. ­Charlotte Latin is No. 5 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Region II rankings. And after pounding the second-ranked team in South Carolina on March 30 – a 9-1 win over St. Joseph’s Academy – the Hawks appear to be in line to improve their position.

“I’m excited about the (NSCAA ranking) for the kids,” Horton said. “I think being the two-time defending champions helps us out, but (the ranking) also adds more of a target on your back. But I think that was already there anyway.”

Charlotte Latin has outscored its opponents 47-3 this season. Senior ­Kristin ­Horton, the coach’s daughter, hasn’t allowed a goal as the starting keeper. And while the Hawks have benefited from an abundance of veteran leadership on defense, a corps of young players ignited the offense while Jones and Kirkland were on the mend. Heading into the St. Joseph’s matchup, sophomore Mia Kane and freshman Ashley Finke had scored nine goals apiece.

“I’m proud of the young girls,” Horton said. “I was worried about our depth going into the season, but because of the injuries, these (underclassmen) had to play tons of minutes right off the bat. Adversity is going to end up making us stronger.”

As if Charlotte Latin’s future opponents needed to hear that.

 

To view online, click here.