By Erica Singleton
The Charlotte Weekly
May 22-28, 2009 Issue
After winning the state championship in 2008, the Charlotte Latin girls team had one objective this season.
"Our motto for the year was to repeat the feat," Hawks coach Lee Horton said.
"And the mission has been accomplished."
On May 16, the Hawks defeated highly regarded Raleigh Ravenscroft 3-2 to win their second consecutive N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A championship.
With a tie against public-school 4A power Weddington, Latin was undefeated (18-0-1). As defending champs, the Hawks knew teams would be more determined to beat them, but the pressure never deterred them from their goal.
"Traditionally, we're one of the better teams in the state, so (other) teams tend to circle us on their calendar," Horton said. "(Our) girls were focused. It was one of the best groups of girls, in terms of everyone just enjoying each other. They genuinely had fun all the way to the end. They believed in themselves."
This season, Latin had a team-record 15 shutouts. Junior goalie Kristin Horton, who didn't play in the first game of the season, had 14 shutouts and only allowed six goals.
The Hawks scored 77 goals this season, averaging 4.3 per game, led by McCallie Jones, McKay Kirkland and Juliet Waller.
"Those three girls were pretty dynamic as a unit up top for us," said Horton.
Jones was the leading scorer this season with 23 goals and 16 assists. Kirkland had 21 goals and 13 assists, while Waller added 10 goals and 15 assists.
"We've been fortunate the last three years to be peaking at the end of the season," said Horton.
In the state semifinals against Durham Academy, Kirkland had a goal and two assists, while Jones kicked in two goals. But it was freshman Amma Okwara who scored the decisive goal, pushing the team to a 4-3 win.
Jones finished the season with another goal in the 3-2 championship win over Ravenscroft. Waller added one, as did sophomore Sophia Hilliard--her second goal of the season.
Jones, Kirkland and Kristin Horton were named to the all-state team.
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