The Lamar County soccer teams traveled to Dublin last Thursday to play in the first round of the GHSA AA tournament at the Shamrock Bowl. Though both teams lost, they came together to show support for a teammate, classmate and friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Senior boys player Taylor Davis learned he had leukemia a week prior to the state playoffs. To honor him, the Lady Trojans wore orange ribbons in their hair and tape on their socks. They painted their fingernails orange and even wore orange ‘eye black’. Orange is the universal color for leukemia awareness. ‘The soccer teams (boys and girls) are a very close group,’ said Lady Trojan coach Timothy Calvert. ‘I’m proud of the way they come together for one another. This season has been hard on our players. Taylor was diagnosed with leukemia, one of our girls had her father pass away during the season, a couple other girls had close family members pass away, and we’ve had numerous hard injuries as well. Every time something happens to one of our players, the rest of the team is there for them.’ The youth and inexperience of the young Lamar girls team was exposed by the fourth ranked Lady Irish who took advantage of breakdowns for easy goals in a 4-0 win. In the boys match, Dublin scored on a penalty kick with four minutes to play in the first half and added another goal with 42 seconds to go before intermission. The Irish scored their third and final goal late in the second half on a cross pass near the Lamar goal that a Trojan defender tried to clear with a header but misdirected the ball into the net for an own goal. Lamar’s Tyler Scandrett scored on a shot from 25 yards out two minutes later but it was too little too late. Dublin advanced with a 3-1 win. Both the Trojans and Lady Trojans end the season with 8-11 records. ’We didn’t win as many games as we wanted but this season has produced a group of young men and women who’ll be winners throughout life,’ said Calvert. ‘They’re more like family than teammates. In today’s society, young people tend to have a mindset of ‘˜it’s all about me.’ That’s not the case for our players; they’re truly a great example of what a team should be.’ The two teams have gotten together and will hold a benefit car wash for Davis Saturday at United Bank.
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