GOBLINS BEGIN STATE AT TOP OF BRACKET

BATESVILLE — The Golden Goblins are looking to add to their total of six state soccer titles. Thursday begins the opening round of the Class 4A State Soccer Tournament begin held at Batesville. Harrison will open the action on the field at Lyon College at 11 a.m. as the top seed from the 4A-West against Brookland who is the fourth seed from the 4A-North. advertisement The Goblins are 17-4-1 on the season while Brookland sits at 10-11-1 for the year. Brookland is coming off a loss to Valley View in the third-place game after defeating Lonoke in the opening round of the district tournament. The Bearcats are considered an up-and-coming team despite not being a traditional soccer powerhouse. Harrison coach Chris Pratt commented about the opponent, “They are getting there. They are quickly attracting solid club players to their school and will get better each year.” Pratt noted about what he expects to see from Brookland, “They are a very athletic team with a solid go-to player. They will play according to what gives them an advantage. I think that they will try to slow down the game for us and then counter quickly to try and get behind our defense.” Harrison’s last appearance in the state tournament was in 2017 at Jonesboro when they won a 4-0 shutout over Green County Tech before falling to De Queen in the same day. The Goblins are riding an 11-game winning streak leading up to this game but the coach believes that they still have better games ahead, “We are finding ways to win and it seems like a new way every game. The boys have stepped up well and have really done a great job at keeping our solid defensive effort going.” Should Harrison defeat Brookland on Thursday, then they would play in the quarterfinals on Friday at 12 p.m. against the winner of Warren and Pulaski Academy.

GOBLINS BEGIN STATE AT TOP OF BRACKET

RODNEY BEAVER

Harrison Daily Times | 5/13/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Rodney Beaver