Jefferson HS girls soccer: Building a dynasty and improving each season
JEFFERSON, Ga. — Just 14 years after their inaugural season in 2008, the Jefferson women鈥檚 soccer team has now made the state playoffs for 11 consecutive years, the final four twice (2017 and 2019), and were state runner ups in 2022. It鈥檚 safe to say, they are building a dynasty at JHS and in 2022-2023 all eyes are set on capturing the state title.
鈥淥f course, this past season will go down in the history books,鈥� says Head Coach Molly McCarty, 鈥淲e played in the GHSA-AAAA State Championship game against Marist. This was a first for our program!鈥�
The team traveled over 1,000 miles and beat three #1 seeds to get there. Jefferson was a #2 seed in their region. They were led by captains, Abbey Eison, Lanie McCarty, Ella Parker, Macy McGinnis, and Kate James. The seniors that ended their high school career in elite fashion include, Meg Mizenis, Macy McGinnis, Abbey Eison, Lanie McCarty, Rylie Servatius, Emily Byrd, and Carter Drake. Leading scorer in 2022 was Abbey Eison who broke a single season record and posted hat-tricks in the Elite Eight and the Final Four games. Ella Parker led the team in assists, breaking a single season record as well.
With a final record of 14-4-1, the 2022 unit built their success on the legacy of past teams, such as the 2017 squad that was the first to make it to the Final Four and the 2019 unit that repeated that feat. The 2020 team was also in mind, as they never had a chance at the post-season due to Covid-19. What is being built at Jefferson is a soccer family you never leave!
These ladies are becoming pillars in the community. Molly adds, 鈥淚t is my greatest coaching moment to watch the older girls get hugs and pictures with the younger girls and with tiny fans. It really makes this all worthwhile!鈥�
Molly is in awe when she stands back and reflects on how the sport has developed in our state. She grew up playing club and school soccer and remembers, 鈥淎t the time I graduated, there were only four colleges in the state of Georgia with a women鈥檚 soccer program. The opportunities to play at the time were nothing like they are now. Now, there are over 30!鈥�
If you play for one of Molly鈥檚 teams, you better be able to juggle. She is inspired by one of her own trainers, a Jamaican player named Ludlow Lawson. 鈥楬e built confidence in me as a player,鈥� she says, 鈥淗e taught me to juggle the soccer ball and to this day, that is one thing that every player in our program and in our skill sessions do at the beginning of training鈥�
Buoyed by her assisted coaches- Blair Springhall, Kayla Springhall, Tom McCormack, Chris Jay- and middle school coach, Diego Vacca, Molly is establishing one of the best programs in the state. 鈥淥f course, we want to win games. If we didn鈥檛 want to win, we would just be an average program,鈥� she says pragmatically, 鈥淥ne thing we have encouraged as a coaching unit is to find your failure and learn from it so that when adversity and competition finds you, you will know how to react and build on it.鈥�
Each year the Jefferson High School women鈥檚 soccer team creates a hashtag of the season. It is something the graduating seniors get to set for the following year鈥檚 team. It is called the 鈥渓egacy hashtag.鈥� Last year it was #fromthestart. Stay tuned to learn what this season鈥檚 will be!
If you want to catch the next great Jefferson High School women鈥檚 soccer team, check them out during the 2022-2023 season. This is sports entertainment at its best!
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