CCHS varsity soccer teams take on Oconee County

March 24, 2022

The Clarke Central High School girls varsity soccer team practices in Billy Henderson Stadium on Feb. 10. The team previously lost against Oconee County High School, and now hopes to redeem themselves in the upcoming game against OCHS on March 25. “I’m hopeful that we can win (because) last year, we lost to them,” sophomore and girls varsity soccer team goalkeeper Katherine Queen said. “It was a really tough game and we played well (but) I think that this year, our team is better than it was last year and we could probably pull out the win.” Photo by Aza Khan

The CCHS girls varsity soccer team will play against Oconee County High School for their 14th game of the 2021-22 season on March 25.

The Clarke Central High School girls varsity soccer team is preparing to play against Oconee County High School (OCHS) on March 25 at CCHS in Billy Henderson Stadium for their 14th game of the season.

After a 2-1 loss against OCHS in the 2020-21 season and losses against Walnut Grove High School and Jackson County High School in their previous two games, head girls varsity soccer coach and Assistant Athletic Director Chris Hulse is pushing the team to continue honing their skills for the competition.

“(We’re) focusing on improving our game while using what scouting information we have to prepare for the specific strengths and weaknesses of a solid Oconee team,” Hulse said.

Although the CCHS vs OCHS game is not a regional game, OCHS is a big CCHS rival, meaning the competition is strong, according to Hulse.

“Any time Clarke Central and Oconee County meet up there is a little extra to it,” Hulse said. “Even though we are not in the same region, we are regional rivals.”

For sophomore and girls varsity soccer team goalkeeper Katherine Queen, a win against Oconee would provide a sense of fulfillment.

“It’s a non-region game so it doesn’t impact our standings in any of the playoffs, but it’s just a sense of pride for our team because Oconee is our neighbor and it’s kind of a competition between the two school systems,” Queen said.

“It’s a non-region game so it doesn’t impact our standings in any of the playoffs, but it’s just a sense of pride for our team because Oconee is our neighbor and it’s kind of a competition between the two school systems”

— Katherine Queen,
girls varsity soccer team goalkeeper

Regardless of the outcome, Queen feels the team has done a great job this season and improved tremendously despite facing some challenges.

“Our team has come a long way this season with injuries,” Queen said. “We’ve had a lot of struggles, but we’ve been playing well and I’m just proud of us.”

The Clarke Central High School boys varsity soccer team practices in Billy Henderson Stadium on Feb. 17. The team has practiced hard this season and the game against Oconee County High School on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Billy Henderson Stadium will show them how they compare to another well-performing team. “The most important part of the game is that the two teams share several players on various club teams. It is always fun to see club teammates in the fall battle each other on different high school teams in the spring,” Aiken said. “The win or loss does not mean anything for playoff positioning. It is simply an opportunity for our boys to go against another great team and continue ensuring we are heading in the right direction for the playoffs.” Photo by Aza Khan

The CCHS boys varsity soccer team will play the Oconee County Warriors in Billy Henderson Stadium tomorrow before playing their final region game against the Johnson High School Warriors on April 1.

The Clarke Central High School boys varsity soccer team will face off against the Oconee County High School Warriors on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Billy Henderson Stadium.

The Gladiators are currently ranked by MaxPreps as the No. 2 8-AAAAA school in the region, while the Warriors are No. 3 for 8-AAA.

“Anytime you have two programs ranked in the top three for their classification playing this late in the season, the outcome is meaningful and helps us both prepare for state tournament runs,” CCHS boys varsity soccer coach Chris Aiken said. “The local games give us the best chance to test our skill sets versus other high-quality schools. (OCHS, North Oconee High School, Cedar Shoals High School) and Athens Academy are all elite-level programs that push our teams to bring their best effort each week. These games are critical to helping us find success in region games.”

The game against the Warriors will show the Glads how they compare to other highly ranked opponents before the last region game of the season at Johnson High School on April 1.

“If we win, it will give us good momentum going into our final region matchup against Johnson and if we lose, it will be a good reminder to take every game seriously, regardless of the opponent,” boys varsity soccer team rightwinger Cullen Bruner, a senior, said. “In addition, local competition always brings an added element because many of us know players on the other teams. There is always a sense that our pride as a team is on the line and we push ourselves to prove that we are the best in the Athens area.”

“Local competition always brings an added element because many of us know players on the other teams. There is always a sense that our pride as a team is on the line and we push ourselves to prove that we are the best in the Athens area.”

— Cullen Bruner,
boys varsity soccer team rightwinger

Regardless of Friday’s outcome, CCHS will compete at Athens Academy on Tuesday.

“A win would simply confirm we are doing all the little things every day to continue getting better. A loss would simply mean we need to get back to work Monday and refocus before we play Athens Academy and Johnson,” Aiken said.

Sofia Balsamo

Sofia Balsamo is a junior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, and a production staffer for the ODYSSEY Media Group. She hopes to improve her writing and become more involved in the community as well as establish new friendships.