Hornets buzzing after first ever win

(Published in The Evening News & The Tribune, September 11, 2007)

It was the second Friday of September 2006 when Henryville played its first ever soccer game against Restoration Christian School.


And it was the first Friday of September 2007 when the Hornets won their first-ever game — a memorable 1-0 victory against Rock Creek. Matt Smith scored the second-half winner, with Jacqueline Guthrie making the assist in what was also Henryville’s first-ever home contest.

“We had a great turnout for the game,” said Henryville’s coed coach, Joey Farmer. “Everything about the night was perfect. Most of our fans were watching their first-ever soccer game, we were playing our very first home game, and we won our first game.”

Coach Farmer, a former Campbellsville University player, started building the Hornets’ soccer nest last year at the junior varsity level and a first season saw them end with an 0-4-3 record, having played all their games on the road. Moving to varsity level this season, the Hornets now have a record of 1-2-1 and Farmer says he can see a definite improvement in the team.

“Without having a little league team in Henryville and all but one player had played before last year, I think that we are coming right along,” he said. “It takes time to build a program from scratch. To continue to grow, I need an assistant coach.”

If you think you can help, you can contact Henryville High School at 812-294-1455 or e-mail coach Farmer at jfarmer@henryville.wclark.k12.in.us.

Meanwhile, Henryville’s next game is at home against Southwestern Thursday.

Do yourself a favor — watch the Women’s World Cup

When out getting my weekly fix of high school soccer games recently, I remarked — not to anyone in particular — that the girls of a certain school may very well do better than its boys this fall, having seen both squads in action.

Someone responded, “I hope not.” Now, I would expect that comment from someone who maybe had a few dollars riding on the outcome of who progressed further with their local bookmaker for the fun of it. Only they don’t have bookmakers in Indiana (legal ones anyway), and I’m sure if they did they wouldn’t have odds on such scenarios.

So I can only put it down to what I call “begrudgeryism.” You probably won’t find that word in the dictionary because I made it up, but basically what it means to me is that the parent of Little Johnny has no interest in seeing the girls’ team at Little Johnny’s school outperform him and his teammates. Self-interest is another phrase that springs to mind.

Personally, this sort of attitude disgusts me and is not confined to this area. If the girls of high school teams go on a longer run than the boys during the state tournament this year — or any year — great. I’ll be waving their colors on the sideline in the regionals and beyond if they do, just like I would the boys.

And I feel that is more of a possibility this year because, despite the increasing popularity of the game in this area, I am disheartened that the standard of boys’ soccer doesn’t seem to have improved from last year (that’s another story for another day), but I am alternatively encouraged by the improvement on the girls’ side.

Just as a matter of interest, the only player in these parts to go professional in any sort of capacity as far as I am aware is a female (Floyd Central graduate Jaime Halas, English Premier League). And it’s the USA’s women’s team which has won two World Cups.
Starting today, USA goes go for a third title — and a first prize of $1 million — as it enters the China-hosted tournament as the No. 1 seed. It plays powerhouse North Korea this morning (re-aired ESPN2, 7 p.m.) before games against Sweden (Friday, 5 a.m.) and Nigeria (Tuesday, Sept. 18, 8 a.m.) in Group B.


You can follow all the action on the ESPN network (live and re-aired) over the next three weeks. You are bound to learn something from the skill, technical acumen and display of heart that will be on show — and that goes for whether you’re a boy or a girl.


Girlpower

Speaking of women’s soccer, Jeffersonville High School graduate Chelsea Grover opened the regular season at Western Kentucky University with 25 minutes as a reserve defender in a 3-0 win over Georgetown last week.

And Halas has helped Keynsham Town (mentioned above) remain unbeaten in four games in the English FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division. Keynsham beat Newquay Ladies 2-0 on Sunday and is now joint third in the table.

Transy's Karaffa hopeful of comeback

Recently, we reported that New Albany High School graduate Matt Karaffa was looking forward to his senior year at Transylvania University, a soccer program fancied to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and put up a bold showing in the NCAA Division III championship.

Unfortunately, disaster struck for Matt before the season even began, as he broke his collarbone in a scrimmage against Campbellsville.

“Our outside midfielder played a through ball for me to run onto and while going after the ball, the defender and I collided in a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, where I then fell onto the ground right on my left shoulder,” he said.

Team doctor Pete Hester inserted a plate and seven screws to stabilize the bone, and last week he had the stitches removed. He is hoping with plenty of physical therapy that he can be fit enough to play a part in Transy’s important end of season campaign.

“If all goes well, I am shooting for a comeback date somewhere around the middle of October or maybe a little later in October,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get some games in before we start our conference tournament. Every day on the sideline gets me more eager to recover faster. Our victory against Muskingum was a great start to what we think can be a phenomenal and very successful year.”

Pioneers top at Firefigthers' Cup

Providence proved best at the junior varsity Firefighters’ Cup, hosted by Jeffersonville last week.


The Pioneers got off to the best possible start last Wednesday when putting four past Floyd Central in the first half of the tournament opener. Scorers included Evan Coombs, Jared Hennessy, who had two goals, and Justin Throckmorton.

A 1-1 tie with Jeffersonville on Friday was enough to secure the tournament for Providence for the fourth year in a row, as Floyd Central defeated Jeffersonville in the 2-1 in the third game.