Hendersonville Standard
HENDERSONVILLE WEATHER

Hawks off to hot start; hopeful 2021 is their year




Connor Flatt tallied three goals in the Hawks 9-0 win over KIPP. ZACH WOMBLE

Connor Flatt tallied three goals in the Hawks 9-0 win over KIPP. ZACH WOMBLE

Merrol Hyde boys soccer is still looking to break through and into the Class A State Soccer Championships, and they are hopeful 2021 will be their year.

The Hawks boast a healthy eight-man senior class and a wealth of experience with their underclassmen.

Daniel Brooks’ squad is off to a 2-1 start to the season with wins over JPII and district rival KIPP, with the only loss to Sumner County Class AAA foes Beech.

The challenging out-of-conference schedule features eight foes in Class AA or higher, but Brooks knows the complicated schedule will only benefit his team moving forward.

“I’d rather play a tough game against the Station Camp’s and Hendersonville’s of the world than win an out-of-conference game 9-0,” Brooks said. “Those tough teams always make you better and is the type of competition you will see in Murfreesboro.”

Against JPII, the Hawks played only 12 the entire 80 minutes, possessed the ball, passed well, defended at a high clip and created more opportunities than their counterpart. For their efforts, they were rewarded with a 2-0 victory over the Knights.

Trevor Keele with the free kick against KIPP.

Trevor Keele with the free kick against KIPP.

“Our defense played amazing that game and we improved what we talked about from the Beech game,” Merrol Hyde coach Daniel Brooks said. “Joshua Lynch, our senior keeper, was amazing in goal all game. That was a big win for our boys, our program and our school.”

After having last season taken from them, the Hawks’ biggest obstacle this season may not be on the pitch but instead in between their ears.

“We use last season as motivation,” Brooks said. “Yes, last year was tough, especially considering the type of talent we had, but we have to focus on the positives. We get the opportunity to play this year, so let’s make the most of our opportunity. We are playing for this year’s senior class, but we are also playing for last year’s senior class.”

Despite not having a season to learn under last year’s senior class, this crop of seniors knows precisely how to lead both on and off the pitch.

Michael Johnson sends a ball into the box for the Hawks.

Michael Johnson sends a ball into the box for the Hawks.

“We may not have played a ton of game together, but there is no doubt this senior class learned from last year’s team. Despite not having a full season, we still had conditioning and a full off-season of training together. We have true leaders on this year’s team.”

Time will tell how this season ends for the Hawks, but belief is firm.

“Every day is a new day,” Brooks said. “Whether we are training, playing, whatever, let’s maximize each day. If we handle business and improve each day, we will give ourselves a chance to play in Murfreesboro. Once you are in, anything can happen.”

Drew Miller pushes possession towards the KIPP goal.

Drew Miller pushes possession towards the KIPP goal.

Seth Whitley steps through a KIPP tackle.

Seth Whitley steps through a KIPP tackle.

Leave a Reply