By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports
HAMMOND — It has been a record year for the Shreveport-Bossier area in high school soccer, with nine total top 10-seeded teams, including six in the top 5. Then we saw a record six of those teams in the semifinals, with three going to the finals, another record.
But after both Loyola teams fell in their finals earlier this week, we are left with another perennial local powerhouse hoping to come north with a state championship. The Byrd Lady Jackets (19-3-4) take their shot in the Division I title game Saturday night.
This is Byrd’s second year in a row competing in the state final. Last year ended with a hard-fought 2-1 loss to St. Scholastica.
The Yellow Jackets have won their last three playoff games by the thin margin of 1-0, the latest of which was their lightning-delayed semifinal win over Lafayette (21-4-2) last Friday night.
Their finals opponent is No. 4-seeded Mt. Carmel (22-4-3) on Saturday night in the last championship game of the week at Strawberry Stadium on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. Kickoff is at 7:30.
These teams played to a 1-1 draw Jan. 17 on a neutral field at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette. There is playoff history between them over the last 10 years, with three one-goal wins and another victory by Mt. Carmel, including a 2016 state finals contest.
In the 2015 quarterfinals Mt. Carmel won 1-0 and two years later in the semifinals Mt. Carmel also won 1-0. In between, playing for the 2016 state championship, a last-minute goal handed Byrd a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat. In 2022 Mt. Carmel made it four in a row over the Jackets with a 2-0 decision in the round of 16.
The Lady Jackets came up just short in last year’s final, but learned some valuable lessons they can use this year.
“Don’t lose our focus. We are here to win a state championship mentality with a blend of enjoying the moment thrown in there,” said Byrd coach Lisa Levermann. “Everything is set up for you to follow the schedule the organizers set for you. Our warmup routine was severely affected last year, so we are doing other things to get mentally prepared and physically ready to play.”
What will it take to win this year? Levermann said, “our best game! Mt. Carmel is and always has been at the top. We have to solve the problems (during the game) and do it as a team.”
The Lady Jackets are led by senior forward MyJoi Anderson, a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi signee who tops Byrd 34 goals and 13 assists. Other scoring threats are Elizabeth Payne (15 goals, 9 assists) and Khaela Roraback (7G and 13A).
These are by no means the only players with scoring ability. The Lady Jackets have gotten goals from 18 different players.
Defensively Byrd is stronger this year. Sophomore keeper Riley Monclaw has gained so much confidence since being thrown into a starting role last year. The defense welcomed back junior Georgia Gulett from a torn ACL and that has been a boost joining S.K. Murrell, Lauryn Fleming and Catie Miller to form a wall in the back.
The Lady Jackets have given up only 19 goals in their 30 games, with 16 clean sheets (shutouts).
The title game will be live streamed on LHSAA Network and NFHS Network.
Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net