By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
CHOCOWINITY — For the first time in school history, the Seahawks of Southside will field a soccer team.
This fall, Southside will begin participation in the Atlantic Conference as a co-ed soccer team.
The past two years, Southside has had a club soccer team. The club soccer team generated 17 kids last season. With that kind of participation, first-year Athletic Director Sean White gave Coach Lohman the green light to launch the program.
The program will be a complete varsity sport that will be eligible for conference and postseason play.
Both Lohman and White believe that the soccer program will be around for the long haul. White points to cross-county rival Northside’s ability to field a program.
We hope this is something we can keep around forever. Our enrollment has increased the last few years so we should have more and more interest.”
The Seahawks will hold their first official practice on Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. On Aug. 20 they will play Washington’s junior varsity team in a scrimmage, before hosting the first game in school history at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25, when they welcome North Pitt to town.
And for those opponents licking their chops at the thought of pummeling the first-year program, Lohman urges to use caution.