LADY GOBLINS ARE FAMILY

It has been a decade in the making. The Harrison Lady Goblins have made it to at least the semifinals of the state tournament for the last 10 years. This will be the third time in four seasons that the squad has played in the finals of the event. This season the Lady Goblins will be opposite Pulaski Academy in the championship game at 2 p.m. in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas. Harrison set a record for the most wins by a Lady Goblin team. Harrison has won 24 games and come into the contest with a 24-3-1 mark. Lady Goblin basketball team might have kept that mark from being higher. The three losses by the Lady Goblin soccer team came in the first week of the regular season while the Lady Goblin basketball team was in the middle of the basketball state tournament. The basketball team finished in the semifinals and then transitioned nine players from that team onto the soccer team. With a full soccer squad, which included seven starters from basketball, the Lady Goblins have not lost another game with their only blemish being an 1-1 tie to Ozark, Mo. in the Kickapoo (Mo.) Tournament. Since that tie on April 10, the Lady Goblins have won 12 straight games. The team scored 63 straight goals before allowing Valley View to score midway through the first half in the semifinals on Saturday in Southside. The Lady Goblins have given up 16 goals this season. Eleven of those came in the first week of the season when the team was playing shorthanded. “This team has set the record already for the most wins in a season, goals in a season and shutouts in a season,” said Harrison coach Chris Pratt. “This is a special group.” The Lady Goblins have won 24 games and had 19 shutouts. The team has scored 133 goals this year. There are some intangible factors that help the Lady Goblins. “They are like family to each other and the coaches,” said Pratt. “They play their guts out every game. It is not very often that I have to coach effort with this group.” Harrison has 10 seniors on the field each game. The Class of 2019 is important to the squad. “Everything,” was Pratt’s answer when asked what the seniors mean to the team. “Most of them have played huge roles since their freshman year. They are leaders. They are the glue that keeps this team focused and rolling. They set a great example of work rate and attitude that makes it easy for the underclassmen to follow.” With the game just a day away, the seniors and team have made final preparations. “They are ready,” he said of the team. “We have finished preparations and are now reviewing daily.” Team members include: Makayla Campbell; Olivia Pall; Katie Fowler; Brylie Parker; Brynn Oleson; Makensie Gage; Marion Groberg; Kenzie Parker; Mattie Richardson; Sydney Shrum; Kaitlyn Pratt; Kaitlyn Bridges; Shaylee Cagle; Maggie Salmon; Nina Krone; Claire Doshier; Tenelle Tate; Grace Martin; Sarah Eddings; Kylie Anderson; Riley Richardson; Brooke Boyd; Justice Ford; Elise Bell; and Natalia Lopez. The team is coach by Chris Pratt, head coach, and Devin Boswell. The managers are Ella Rush and Grace Brandt.

LADY GOBLINS ARE FAMILY

JEFF BRASEL

Harrison Daily Times | 5/17/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Brasel