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Free Kicks: Southern Fulton to start girls soccer program


The number of area schools with girls soccer will increase by one - to seven - starting next fall.

At its last board meeting, Southern Fulton approved the start of a girls soccer program beginning in the fall of 2017.

"We had some good community support and they requested it," SF athletic director Kent Hendershot said. "The board looked at the numbers and we're rolling with it."

The SF boys soccer team has included many female players over the years, but that will change.

Hendershot said, "There are four girls on the varsity this year and the two team managers both have played, too. There are quite a few kids in the school who played soccer at the lower levels. I'd expect us to have around 15 next year for sure."

The addition of the Indians will give the Sideling Hill League six teams - McConnellsburg, Everett, Chestnut Ridge, Northern Bedford and Tussey Mountain already have teams.

"The only thing I'm worried about a little is to see how affects (the numbers for) volleyball," Hendershot said. "We'll see. Hopefully we can make it work."

SPECIAL TITLE: Shalom Christian completed a fine boys soccer season (17-3) with another Mason-Dixon Christian Conference championship Saturday night on the Flames' home field. It took an overtime goal by Jonah Stains to complete the journey.

It was a nice way to end a very emotional week for the Shalom students.

Earlier, a sixth-grader was killed in a freak accident at home and the school took it hard.

Flames coach Chris Lehman said, "Each and every championship is special in its own way, but it definitely was special to be on our home field and to be in front of our fans and the Shalom community.

"We have had a rough week this week with the passing away of one of our sixth-graders, Silas Bland, so to win it for him and his family and for our whole Shalom community, it really means a lot. This one is definitely special.”

DISTRICT 5 PLAYOFFS: No matter the result of any games this week - the last of the regular season - the top four teams in the District 5 Class 1A boys rankings will not change.

So that means McConnellsburg has already sewed up the No. 1 ranking and will host the No. 8 seed on Saturday, with time still TBA in a quarterfinal playoff game. Fannett-Metal will be No. 4 and hosts the No. 5 team Saturday at 1 p.m.

And Southern Fulton has been assured of its first-ever district playoff berth. The Indians will be the No. 6, 7 or 8 seed.

McConnellsburg's girls pretty much assured themselves of a playoff berth by knocking off North Star 1-0 Monday. The Spartans had been No. 6 and North Star was No. 5, but they reversed places. McConnellsburg hosted No. 4 Northern Bedford on Tuesday night and a win there could bump the Spartans into the No. 4 spot.

Only six teams qualify for the district tournament, so the No. 3 and 4 seeds will host games Saturday, while No. 1 and 2 receive byes.

TOUGH DRAW: Greencastle-Antrim can't be accused of playing a weak non-league boys soccer schedule.

The Blue Devils have six losses - two at the hands of unbeaten Lower Dauphin (No. 1 seed in District 3 Class 3A), one to Chambersburg (No. 8 seed in 4A), one to Susquehannock (No. 2 seed in 3A), and the others to Carlisle and Waynesboro, which nearly made the 4A playoffs.

And G-A will see LD (21-0) again Thursday in a 3A quarterfinal at 5 p.m. at Seibert Park in Camp Hill.

Gettysburg, another 3A contender, hopes to meet the Falcons in the final. And they know what they could face.

Warrior co-coach Ian Hancock said of LD, "They might be the best team in the state - they have enough talent to win 4A."