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Season Recap: MS Girls Soccer
Finish without blemish. That's what Tallulah Falls did in 2023. The MS girls soccer team, guided by head coach Laura Higbie, had an unforgettable season that culminated in a gritty win over its rivals to secure perfection.
With eight eighth-graders forming a solid, experienced core, TFS left no doubt they were the superior team every time they left the pitch. It started with a 2-0 opening win over Franklin County on February 8. That was just the beginning, as the next three wins over Stephens County, White County, and Hart County produced 22 goals and 3 allowed.
Rabun County provided the first real test of adversity for the Lady Indians. It was a gutsy 3-2 win for Tallulah, and it came on the road. From there, the team won the next four matches with clean sheets over Rabun Gap, White County, Stephens County, and Murphy (NC). In that four-match stretch, Tallulah Falls outscored opponents 20-0.
A 5-1 victory over Towns County in the home finale on March 24 made winners of eighth-graders Olivia Bonner, Narissa Dawson, Amari Ernst, LB Kafsky, Avery Keim, Haylen McGugan, Adelaide Tatum, and Ryleigh Wilson in their final home game in middle school.
Days later, TFS closed the season on March 29 with a 1-0 battle with rivals Rabun Gap, putting the finishing touches on a sensational 2023 campaign. Overall, the Lady Indians were 11-0 and posted 53 goals and allowed only 6. The entire defense and back line played exceptionally well, and Savana Owensby unselfishly took on the role of goalkeeper early on and was unwilling to let anything by her.
Offensively, the girls were paced by Kafsky's historic 30-goal season. She regularly notched hat tricks and showed how bright her future will be at the varsity level. Ernst had 9 goals, and Wilson and Tatum had 5 apiece, while Betsey Orr produced 4. Wilson and Ernst led the team with 8 assists each.
While 93% of the scoring from this team moves on to the high school, the example those girls left for the younger players give the blueprint for success. Betsey Orr (4 G, 1 A), Mylah McGugan (2 A), Nora Mitchell (1 A), and others will be counted on to fill the gaps next season and build on this winning foundation.
GOALS
30 - LB Kafsky
9 - Amari Ernst
5 - Ryleigh Wilson, Adelaide Tatum
4 - Betsey Orr
ASSISTS
8 - Ryleigh Wilson, Amari Ernst
5 - Adelaide Tatum, LB Kafsky
3 - Haylen McGugan
2 - Mylah McGugan
1 - Nora Mitchell, Betsey Orr, Avery Keim, Olivia Bonner