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Girls Soccer Team Holds Out Hope

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By DAREK SHARP

dsharp@tampatrib.com

Published: January 21, 2009

PLANT CITY - Every win from here on out will add another to a school record total for the Durant boys soccer team. For the girls squad, the actual game total is the one of most concern.

As in, the next loss might be the last game of the season.

Durant and Plant City both embarked into the District 6A-8 girls soccer tourney on Tuesday at Riverview. The Cougars entered as the third seed despite having the identical district mark as the top seed, East Bay.

Durant, East Bay and Sarasota Riverview all finished with 5-1 records in district play, but Durant came out on the short end of the tiebreaker. Still the Cougars hold realistic hopes of reaching the state playoffs.

The Cougars, 9-5-1 entering its last game of the regular season, were scheduled to play the host Sharks in a first-round game on Tuesday.

If the Cougars won, they play today at 6 p.m. against either Sarasota Riverview or Plant City.

The Raiders enter as the seventh seed. Today's semifinal winners advance to play for the district title at 7 p.m. Friday. Both finalists will be guaranteed a trip to the 6A playoffs, with the district champ gaining home-field advantage for the start of regional play.

East Bay received a first-round bye as the top seed and will face the Sarasota-Lakeland winner in today's 8 p.m. semifinal. Durant defeated East Bay 1-0 in their meeting Dec. 9.

Marissa Skindell is Durant's leading scorer with eight goals.

The Durant boys team defeated Sickles on Jan. 10 in the championship of the Wharton Invitational, giving the Cougars a school record 18th victory for the season.

Head coach Jamin Hollingsworth played on the 1998-99 team that had 17 wins.

"That team had a few great individuals, Division I players, but overall was not as strong," Hollingsworth said. "This team has no weak spots, 11 guys all playing very well."

As impressive as the offensive numbers are for forwards Billy Fanning (20 goals) and Cecil Clarke (17), the Cougars defense, led by sweeper Freeman Bass, is just as sound.

Midfielder Leo Mesquita is a brilliant passer; he assisted on all three goals in Durant's 19th win, 3-2 last week against Newsome.

Durant claimed the Wharton Invitational title with exciting wins over East Bay and Sickles. Clarke scored the game's only goal with less than three minutes to beat East Bay in the Jan. 9 semifinal, then the Cougars overcame a second-half deficit and won in penalty kicks to take the title against Sickles.

The boys district tournament starts next week.

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