Lady Blues enjoy program firsts in 2022 season
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(MIKE WILLIAMS | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Braylee Mayes (shown in a match against Burkburnett) was one of several younger players on the Lady Blues soccer roster this season. Eight freshman players, including Mayes, earned spots on the varsity roster. The team was comprised of eight freshmen and two sophomores joining a group of five juniors and four seniors.
With school out for the summer and the end of the high school sports year, The Graham Leader will take a look back at the year that was before taking a look at the year ahead. In this edition of The Graham Leader, we will look back at the 2022 season for Lady Blues soccer.
The 2022 season was a season of growing pains, but also a season of program firsts. For the first time in program history, the team climbed out of the bottom of the district standings. In August, the Lady Blues will be sending its first alumnus to play college soccer.
The team entered the season with eight freshmen and two sophomores joining a group of five juniors and three seniors. Senior Katie Coyac played just one game following the basketball season due to surgery required on her shoulder.
The first sixteen minutes of the season opener looked promising for the Lady Blues. The team amassed four shots, including three shots on goal in that span. Senior Aliayah Saldivar emerged as a possible scoring threat for the Lady Blues with each of the four shots early in the match against Burkburnett.
The match moved more into the defensive third of the Lady Blues as the half wore on. While the Lady Bulldogs were getting several shots off throughout the half, it wasn’t until their fifth shot, with 22 minutes remaining in the half that the Lady Bulldogs earned a shot on goal. That shot found the back of the net and put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 1-0. It was not for a lack of effort, but a mental mistake that led to the goal.
For the full story, see the Saturday, June 18 edition of The Graham Leader.
