Beard best on the pitch

When Morganne Beard graduated this spring, Hibriten saw the last member of its 2004 state finalist team exit. Caldwell County saw its top player from 2007 put a close to an impressive prep career.

For her superb efforts in 2007, Beard has been named the Caldwell County Girls Soccer Player of the Year. The award is presented by the News-Topic and sponsored by Kelley's Sports and Awards.

A four-year varsity player, Beard led the Panthers in scoring for the second straight year, netting 24 goals as a senior. She also dished out eight assists from the forward position, was named team captain and team co-MVP. She was named to the all-conference team in the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference (CVAC) and to the Region 11 team.

Panther coach Shea Bridges says Beard continued to distinguish herself as a legitimate offensive threat this spring.

"She has an inate ability to finish the ball," he says. "She creates a lot of opportunities and of those opportunities, she's often the one putting the ball in the back of the net. ŠShe kept us in a lot of ball games and won a lot of ball games for us."

Beard developed a knack for heading in goals, especially on corner kicks.

"She was pretty much deadly on all corner kicks," Bridges says.

Bridges says one game really stands out to him in reference to Beard's talents. Though the Panthers eventually lost, Beard kept the team in a game with 3-A power St. Stephens this season. On one play during overtime, she wove through the Indian defense, beat two defenders up close and ripped a shot. Only an extraordinary save by the Indian keeper kept the shot from going in. It was a phenomenal exchange and display of talent on both teams.

Aside from her talents, Bridges speaks to Beard's leadership. She was the most veteran Panther in uniform and acted like it.

"She kind of came into her own and took on a leadership role," Bridges says. "Morganne's always been a great leader, but in a positive way. She took the burden on herself for a lot of our losses."

Beard is also an excellent student, evidenced by her college of choice: Duke University. Beard will likely play club soccer at Duke, while studying to be a doctor.

All-County Soccer Team

The girls' soccer teams from Hibriten, South Caldwell and West Caldwell all progressed in 2007.

Perennially strong Hibriten continued its reign inside the boundaries of Caldwell County, going 3-0 against West and South. But the margin of victory in the three matches was just four goals.

Hibriten had the best season among the Caldwell schools, reaching the second round of the 2-A state playoffs before losing to Brevard.

However, South made strides under a new coach and was competitive throughout the season. Meanwhile, West increased its win total to five after a one-win season in 2006. And the three county teams combined to have a total of eight members on the Region 11 team. Hibriten coach Shea Bridges and South coach Roy Shulman were named Region 11 Coaches of the Year for the 2-A and 4-A ranks, respectively, and recently retired Hibriten principal Buzz Sims was named Region 11 Administrator of the Year.

During the 2007 spring season, the following players stood out on the Caldwell County pitch:

Aleeshia Fisher (Hibriten)- A senior midfielder/sweeper, Fisher earned all-conference honors in the CVAC and was named to the All-Region 11 team. A team captain, she scored 10 goals and had 12 assists. Fisher will play soccer next season at Lees-McRae University.

Rebecca Smith (Hibriten)- Smith, a sophomore midfielder, was a team captain and all-conference selection in the CVAC. She earned the Panthers' coaches award for her scrappy defensive play.

Holli Schwartz (Hibriten)- Schwartz earned all-region honors in Region 11 as a sophomore playing in the midfield. She netted 13 goals and dished out nine assists. Was honored with a Panthers coaches award.

Nicole Bennett (Hibriten)- A tenacious defender, Bennett was a team captain and was awarded the Panthers' defensive player of the year in her final prep season.

Caitlin Overton (Hibriten)- A senior midfielder, Overton scored 11 goals and had four assists. She was honored as the team's offensive player of the year and developed a knack for success on set plays.

Andrea Baldwin (South Caldwell)- One of the top keepers around, Baldwin was named to the all-conference team in the Northwestern 4-A Conference. The senior Spartan was also an all-region selection in Region 11. A team captain, Baldwin tallied nearly 300 saves this spring. She has signed to play at Salem College.

Kelly Fox (South Caldwell)- A junior midfielder, Fox was named to the all-conference team in the N-W 4-A. Emerged as a playmaker and team leader. Was a team captain. Scored a pair of goals and had six assists.

Courtney Bowen (South Caldwell)- A team captain, Bowen controlled the Spartan defense from the center. A junior, Bowen brought a toughness quality to the Spartans' back.

Brooke Parker (South Caldwell)- A junior, Parker became a strong force in the middle for the Spartans. She scored three goals and had four assists. Mostly a midfielder, she also plays the forward position.

Ericha Bryant (West Caldwell)- A senior captain, Bryant was an all-conference selection in the CVAC and a member of the Region 11 team. Was voted team MVP and scored four goals. Also dished out four assists. Bryant played four varsity seasons. Intends to walk on at Western Carolina.

Alisha Deal (West Caldwell)- Playing from the forward position, Deal scored eight goals and had three assists in her final prep campaign. Was named to the all-CVAC team and was honored with the Warrior coaches award. Will play soccer and basketball at Bryan College (Tenn.).

Beverley Coffey (West Caldwell)- Named the Warriors' most consistent player, Coffey solidified the Warrior defense. A junior stopper, Coffey figures to again be one of West's top players next season.

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