BUFORD — Buford’s soccer program held its annual Green and Gold scrimmages on Friday, January 24 at Buford High School. The rain held off long enough to get those two games in. The scrimmages are a great way for the coaches to identify areas that need improvement before the season starts. Each team is a mix of both varsity and JV players.
The green team emerged as the victors of the girls’ scrimmage. “It was a fun opportunity for me to get to know my players and see them all play together,” says Megan Hill, the new BHS Head Girls Soccer Coach. Coach Hill is in her first year at Buford. She previously coached at Peachtree Ridge, Shiloh, and at the collegiate level at Columbus State University.
Boys Head Coach Victor Lane described their scrimmage as “spirited” with the gold team winning 5-3. “I was proud to see the way each team adapted and learned to play together,” Lane claims.
I had the opportunity to get the thoughts of both Hill and Lane on their teams’ upcoming season.
Girls
Head Coach: Megan Hill
2019 Record: 12-5-3, 5-0
Team: The team is a good mix of experience levels but they are a little heavy on seniors at nine.
Expected Key Playmakers: Coach Hill says it’s too early for her to pick those out. The coaching staff is still getting to know each player and trying to figure out what position is the right fit for each girl.
Schedule: The regular season begins on Feb. 4 at Lanier and ends on Apr. 14 at Clarke Central with a total of 18 games. She is most excited about their games against St. Pius and Mountain View. “This year our schedule will give us a good idea of where we need to be in order to have a run in the playoffs,” explains Hill.
Player Notes: Senior goalkeeper Maggie Leland has committed to play for Eastern Carolina University. Midfielder/forward Sydney Borgelt will play for Kennesaw State University next Fall.
Coach’s Outlook on the Upcoming Season: “Even though we are very heavily loaded with seniors this is a new season for Buford soccer. There is a lot of change and to see how the girls embrace that change will hopefully make us stronger as a team,” relates Hill.
Boys
Head Coach: Victor Lane
2019 Record: 2-16-1, 1-4
Team: Returning Starters: Carlos Alvarado (senior, STR), Saul Olvera (senior, STR), Caden Tarala (junior, DEF), Rigo Garcia (junior DEF), Edgar Ramirez (junior, STR/MF), Caleb Mott (sophomore, CM), Nathan Montini (sophomore MF/DEF), Lucas Stevenson (sophomore MF), Ian McManners (sophomore DEF), Hayden Crane (sophomore DEF/MF), Juan Borrego (sophomore MF/DEF), Marco Borrego (sophomore GK) New Additions: Michael Graves (senior, MF & STR), Josh Mott (freshman, MF), Aiden Anderson (freshman, GK)
Schedule: The regular season begins on Feb. 4 at Lanier and ends on Apr. 14 at Clarke Central with a total of 18 games. 2020 Combined Opponent Record: (170-148-15) including 1 state champion (Wesleyan), 2 Final Fours (Jefferson, Johnson), 1 Elite 8 (Blessed Trinity), and 8 other state playoff teams. “It is a challenging schedule that is designed to prepare our boys for what they would see in the playoffs,” claims Lane.
Coach’s Outlook on the Upcoming Season: “We have a young team, but it is a squad that I see much potential in. After a 2 win 2019 season, we are aiming to compete against strong 2020 region and non-region regular season opposition with our eyes on getting back into the playoffs,” Lane says of his team and their upcoming season.
— By Alicia Couch Payne
