DUNN – Four players from East Bladen – senior Acee Campbell, juniors Heidi Rebollar and Molly Evans, and sophomore Jackie Medina-Leal – and 3 West Bladen seniors – Lainey Autry, Kaden Thurman and Eva Ayala-Martinez – have been named to the All-Southeastern Athletic Conference girls soccer team.
East Bladen Coach Jay Raynor praised all 4 of the Lady Eagle selections as being “instrumental in the success and growth of our program this year.” East Bladen advanced to the 3rd round of the playoffs with a 15-4-1 record.
“As a team leader/captain, Acee guided this group to one of our most successful years in the history of our program,” stated Raynor. “Acee led just as she played, with 110% effort at all times and with a determination to be the best every time out. Just as much as her leadership was a factor to our success, so was her play in midfield.”
“Heidi is one of the best that I have coached as far as being able to contribute on both sides of the ball,” said Raynor. “Heidi was a catalyst for our attack coming out of midfield and can hurt you with her ability on the ball while attacking. Heidi can also lock you down defensively. We found out early on that we were going to have to change our system and the way we played. We had to learn quickly how to knock the ball around and play the game while being on the ball.”
Raynor continued, “Previously we could knock and run but this year we didn’t have those personalities on the field to be successful with that system of play. Without Heidi in midfield, I’m not so sure we would’ve been able to change our system of play, be successful, and accomplish it all as quickly as the girls did.”
“Molly is the definition of hard work and brings a blue-collar mentality to our team,” said Raynor. “Whatever the team needs, she will do. Molly played a majority of the season at right back for us. She is a key reason why we were able to produce 13 shutouts over the course of the season. Molly was another factor in our ability to keep the ball and change our system.”
Raynor added, “Molly was used as an option to get forward to help us keep the ball as well as produce scoring chances. Towards the back end of the season, we needed more of an attack and Molly was the one we put up front. Molly scored 7-8 goals in a short time frame. It doesn’t matter which side of the ball she is on, Molly gets the job done.”
“Jackie was a huge factor in our success on the attacking side of the ball,” noted Raynor. “Jackie is only a sophomore but is already getting interest from college coaches. Her 1-v-1 ability as well as her toughness are what separate her from others.”
Raynor continued, “Jackie played with physical issues throughout the season and never complained or wanted to sit out. Jackie is a competitor who hates to lose more than she wants to win. That attribute isn’t just reserved for games, but also carries over into training and life. Jackie produced several goals and assists in crucial elements of our matches during the season.”
The Lady Knights finished with a 7-14 record but 5 of those losses were to Clinton and East Bladen. A 3-game winning streak after Easter earned West a playoff berth.
“Eva was a force on our left side playing her first few seasons as a left back, and this year having an opportunity to play more in our attack,” said Lady Knight Coach Kristen Parker. “She was a key part of our offense but some injuries forced us to drop her back mid-season where her speed, consistency and awareness helped anchor our defense. She ended up recording the most steals (159) for us this season.” Ayala-Martinez also scored 4 goals and dished out 1 assist.
“Lainey has been a starter and a goal-scorer throughout her soccer career,” stated Parker. “She caught everyone’s attention early this season, I believe. Every team we played had done their homework on Lainey Autry and tried to prevent the ball from getting to her feet. She’s fast and she has the ability to find the back of the net.”
Autry finished with 17 goals, 4 assists and 87 steals. Four times during the season the speedy senior posted ‘Hat Tricks’ of 3 goals in a game.
“Kaden’s presence on the field is going to be missed,” shared Parker. “What she brought to the table can’t be recorded in the stat book. She loves the game, and she knows the game. Her directive and (most times) hilarious chatter on the field was our ‘navigation,’ but even more, she was our glue.”
Thurman was 3rd on the team with 159 steals, scored 4 goals and delivered 3 assists.
Clinton won the SAC-7 championship and suffered their only loss of the season in the Eastern Regional finals 2-1 to Manteo. Clinton’s Anna Perry Sinclair was the SAC-7 Player of the Year, and Coach Jeff Smith was the Coach of the Year.
About Author
