By David Shelton
•
02 Jun, 2023
James Island – May 12 was a tough day on the pitch for the James Island Charter High boys and girls soccer teams as both played for Class AAAA state championships at Irmo High School. The girls team, seeking a third consecutive state title lost an intense defensive battle to Eastside, 1-0. They ended their season with a 14-5-1 record. The boys team, state champions in 2021, lost to Riverside High. 4-1, as the Warriors won their third straight title. “There were times, at certain positions, it was man against boy,” James Island coach Todd Robinson said. “Riverside was a really veteran team (14 seniors) with nine guys committed to play college soccer. That’s almost unheard of. They were better than us today but we had some chances. We did our best.” Trailing, 1-0, at the break, James Island got a huge break in the first minute of the second half, earning a penalty kick. On the play, Riverside’s starting keeper had to leave the field and the backup entered to make a great save on the kick. Riverside responded with two goals a few minutes later to take command at 3-0. Cade Reynolds got James Island’s only tally in the 51 st minutes and Riverside’s Keagan Pace scored his second goal with just over 21 minutes remaining in the contest. “Who knows? If we get that PK, it’s 1-1 and we have a lot of confidence,” Robinson said. “Their keeper made a great save and I think their guys fed off that. “We lost today but I won’t take anything away from my team. To win two road playoff games and get to the last game, it says a lot about the kids in our program. We only had four senior starters so we have plenty to work with going forward.” In the girls game, the lone goal scored came in the 52 nd minute when Eastside’s Camille Carter tapped in a corner kick from Kennedy Craig. Eastside’s defense was stifling throughout, allowing only a few serious looks at the goal. “I am really proud of their effort and determination all season.” Coach Kim Cohn said. “We faced a lot of adversity but these girls never quit.” Like the boys, the girls team returns a bevy of talent next year. The starting lineup included only two seniors. The team’s leading scorer this spring was junior Alexis Spivey, with 12 goals. Senior Gaby Redman scored eight goals. The softball team also qualified for the AAAA Lower State playoffs but lost two games in district play to finish with a 13-12 record overall. The Trojans finished 8-2 in region play, good for second-place. Sophomore Mary Davis Hancock led the team in hitting at .456 this season. Senior Grayson Rape batted ,411 and senior Georgia Elliott hit .384. Sophomore Rachel Manchester finished the season with a .371 batting average.