By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
CHOCOWINITY — After nearly a decade, the world’s most popular sport has finally arrived at Southside High School.
This year, the Chocowinity-based high school which opened in 1999, will feature a soccer team for the first time in school history.
And the players are genuinely excited about it.
The Seahawks have high-expectations for a first-year program. They don’t plan on being a doormat for other teams to walk all over this season.
When the Seahawks opened tryouts earlier this month, more than 20 students showed up. That’s more than Lohman had anticipated.
The first-year program is offered to both boys and girls. While there’s no rule that says girls must be on the field, Southside will likely have three female starters. According to coach John Lohman, the trio of Dee Dee Stanley, Shakeira Lomax and Bailey Hobbs have all earned the right to be in the starting lineup.
The key to this Seahawks’ success this season will be on the defensive side of the field.
Huggins — who’s father Paul was the soccer coach at Kinston High School for eight years — has several years of soccer experience and will man the goalie postition for the Seahawks. He’ll be joined by Jennings a center fullback, and Michael Ward, a center midfielder in anchoring Southside’s defense.
Lohman is looking forward to next Wednesday when the Seahawks travel to Washington for a scrimmage. He thinks it will be a good test for his team.
Southside will open the regular season on Aug. 25 when they take on North Pitt at 6 p.m.