Jordan Sinclair scored two first-half goals off assists by Matt Tabor and Fairhope made sure that was enough in a 2-1 win over visiting McGill-Toolen in the first round of the Class 6A sub-state playoffs at W.C. Majors Field on Tuesday night.

"We just hung on," Fairhope coach Paul Stroud said. "They put three strikers up in the second half and they really found another gear. They were coming with everything and we were tired. I could have possibly went to our bench but at this point I'm not comfortable with it. We just hung on. McGill's got a great team.

"I'm real proud of my guys, real proud. They have fought hard all year, and we have lost starter after starter after starter. We just dug and dug and found a way and I'm so proud, especially of my senior leadership. They are a great group of kids."

The No. 8-ranked Pirates improved to 18-4-3 overall and will travel to face No. 7-ranked Prattville -- a 5-0 winner on Tuesday night over Northview-Dothan -- on Saturday. "We are on the road," Stroud said. "The way the state does, it rotates. Last year we were going to host and this year we travel."

The Yellow Jackets finished the season 17-6-3 overall. "All year long we got plenty of opportunities and we couldn't put the ball into the net, and that's exactly what happened tonight," McGill-Toolen coach Travis Stone said. "If you can't score you can't win soccer games. It's unfortunate. I feel, honestly, for the second year in a row we should have been the better team and we should have moved on, but again, if we can't score then it's not going to happen. Good luck to Fairhope and I hope they represent the area well for us."

In the first half, Tabor sent the ball over to Sinclair, who spun around and got a kick past the goal keeper to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead at the 17:21 mark.

Seven minutes later, Fairhope got the goal it would need to seal the win. With 10:13 left in the opening half, Tabor fed the ball to Sinclair again, who punched in a header from the left into the right side of the goal as Fairhope built a 2-0 advantage.

"It wasn't (all) me," Sinclair said. "My teammates made the space for me and I ran into it, they played me the ball and I just did what I could. Both times it was Tabor. He just picked me out, played it to me and my instincts took over."

Stroud was pleased with his offense in the first 40 minutes of play. "We played real well in the first half and we earned those two goals we got," Stroud said.

Things looked to be well in hand for the home team until late in the second half. With 14:51 left in the contest, Mike Francis scored off an assist by Shawn Hester to pull McGill to within one goal at 2-1. Less than three minutes later, a Yellow Jacket player ran into Pirate goal keeper Steven Pearson, drawing a whistle prior to a shot going into the net that could have tied the contest.

Pearson, who stopped 10 shots on the night, made a leaping save with only 38 seconds left in the contest to preserve the Fairhope victory. "Steve Pearson didn't save two penalty kicks like he did last year but he had three nice saves in those last 15 minutes," Stroud said. "I really thought they had done enough to get them in but Steve pulls it out."

The loss was disappointing for Stone. "(There were) a couple of questionable calls from the referees as far as offsides goes, but we'll let that slide," Stone said. "None of the officiating is going to be perfect but when we get opportunities we have to learn how to score. That's the No. 1 thing in the game, if you can't score goals then you're not going to win."

Stroud commended his team for its stamina in both the game and the season. "The first and second half we played real well, we just didn't get another goal." Stroud said. "When they got that goal it was 14 minutes (left) and I didn't know if we could hang on for another 15, but we did. "We have done everything we set out to do."

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From the Mobile Register

Thursday, May 04, 2006

By ROBERT LADNIER

Sports Reporter

FAIRHOPE -- A second-half adjustment reaped big dividends for the Fairhope High girls soccer team on Tuesday. The Lady Pirates went to their wide game and scored five second-half goals to take a 6-1 come-from-behind win over visiting Mary Montgomery in the first round of the Class 6A sub-state playoffs at W.C. Majors Field on Tuesday.

"In the first half we were going straight down the middle and that's exactly what Mary Montgomery designed their defense to do -- to draw us down the middle," Fairhope coach Tim Alford said. "So at half-time we reminded the girls we play a wide game. I think we learned a lot about playing the game that we've been studying all year long -- playing the ball wide, spreading the defense and not playing into the traps they are setting for us but playing our game."

The Lady Pirates improved to 12-10-2 overall and will advance to Prattville for the second-round playoff on Saturday. "We are so very excited to be going to Prattville on Saturday," Alford said.

The Lady Vikings ended the season at 12-7 overall. "We pretty much ran out of gas," MGM coach Joe Moody said. "Fairhope played a great game. Fairhope did a good job of maintaining possession with good passes, and whenever you pass as effectively as they do then the other team has to do a lot of running. We had a great season and I'm really proud of what we accomplished. I don't think many people gave us the time of day as far as getting to where we were."

Lauren Marsh scored two goals and had two assists, Cristen Crawley, Mandie Martin, Eve Tilley-Coulson and Baley Murphy one goal apiece and Sidney Morgan two assists and Katie Jorgenson one to lead the Lady Pirates on offense.

"Lauren is one of the finest soccer players in the state of Alabama and she's only a sophomore, and that thrills us to death," Alford said. "She played under great difficulties and she was being marked man-to-man, she was being held constantly -- soccer is a contact sport but you have to protect the girls when you are the referee and you don't want to let things get out of hand. Lauren didn't let it get to her and she hung in there, got the goals and got the assists and she is just a spark plug that drives this motor of a team we have."

Eryka Linsley scored on a direct kick with 34:22 left in the opening half to give Mary Montgomery a 1-0 lead. Fairhope then tied game when Marsh scored on a penalty kick with 5:18 to go until halftime to knot the score at 1-all.

Things started quickly for the home team in the second half as Marsh took an assist from Morgan, came in from the right to beat three defenders and then punched the ball past the goal keeper at the 36:34 mark to give the Lady Pirates a 2-1 lead.

Crawley scored off an assist by Marsh, taking a pass from the right and punching it in from the left side with 25:34 showing on the clock to up the lead to 3-1. Martin then scored off a pass from Marsh with 11:27 left to give Fairhope a 4-1 advantage.

The Lady Pirates capped the scoring with two goals with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Morgan served up a shot on a direct free kick from the right side and Tilley-Coulson scored on a header at the 1:43 mark, while Jorgenson assisted Murphy for the final goal with only 14 seconds left to play for a five-goal advantage.

"We have a fine offensive midfielder, Sidney Morgan, who can receive the ball and play it anywhere around the goal area," Alford said. "That was the reminder that we gave the girls at half-time so that Sidney Morgan -- and Katie Jorgenson on the left side --could deliver the ball to the attackers who are learning to lay back and wait on the ball and score."

Pirates nip Robertsdale in shootout

Strachan ties state scoring record as Fairhope takes a 2-1 win over Golden Bears

Monday, April 03, 2006

By ROBERT LADNIER

Sports Reporter

FAIRHOPE -- Jordan Sinclair, Ryan Strachan and Brian Keyser all scored on penalty kicks for Fairhope while goal keeper Steven Pearson blocked the first two Robertsdale attempts and the third sailed too high as the Pirates took a 2-1 double-overtime shootout victory over the Golden Bears at W.C. Majors Field on Friday night.

"First I'm going to say that (Robertsdale) coach (B.D.) Daughtery straight out out-coached me," Fairhope coach Paul Stroud said. "His team had a perfect plan -- they had five in the back and playing three and four (up front) and subbing people in and out. He knew what we liked to do. He's been watching us for three or four weeks and he couldn't have gotten a better plan. "We were very fortunate to win. I don't really want to give them another match next Friday."

Fairhope improved to 12-2-2 overall, 4-1 in 6A Section 2 and will have a rematch with the Bears on Friday, while Robertsdale (13-6-1, 4-2) will play host to St. Paul's at 6:30 tonight.

"It was another tough one," Daughtery said. "You come over to Fairhope -- which is rich with talent and soccer tradition -- and you play them level for 90 minutes and you let another one slip through your hands. "Hat's off to them; they played a great game. They played hard in the second half, but I want to give our guys some credit, too. They didn't back down, they got down early but they fought back. They played the second half a lot better." The Bears also lost in a penalty-kick shootout at home against Satsuma on Monday. "These are just heartbreakers anytime you go to penalty kicks and lose out," Daughtery said. "This is our fourth time going to penalty kicks, and we've won two and lost two."

As if the excitement of the game weren't enough, Strachan tied the Alabama High School Athletic Association varsity career goals record at 143 with a first-half goal. "Ryan did tie a state record tonight," Stroud said. "The goal he got in regulation, that was a good goal."

For Strachan, it was like a burden being lifted from his shoulders. "It felt great, just finally getting at least tying out of the way so I can concentrate on going back to playing and have some of the pressure off now," Strachan said. "All day today, that's all people were talking about, and if I didn't do it that I was going to let everybody down and it would be a disappointment. It's out of the way and now I can concentrate on making the playoffs and making our way to state."

Prior to the contest, Strachan was honored with a plaque for winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award for the state of Alabama. "That was awarded in the beginning of the season, probably in mid-February," Strachan said. "I guess I was nominated by somebody because I had to fill out a form and turn that in. Winning the award was a good thing for south Alabama because it hadn't been won anywhere south of Birmingham, I think, for almost 15 years, so that is good to have that down here. Plus, knowing the state record is going to be held by someone down here in south Alabama is good, just so it will bring some respect down to this part of the state."

Strachan scored less than four minutes into the contest to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. At the 23:16 mark, David Adams had a goal negated by an offsides call that would have tied the contest in the opening half. Zack Hadley punched in a goal with 29:34 left in regulation to tie the contest 1-all for the Golden Bears and neither team could gain an offensive advantage for the balance of the contest.

"We were real unfortunate not to get a few more (goals)," Stroud said. "We're still missing opportunities but a good team like that is going to make you miss opportunities. They got into us, they knocked us off rhythm all night and they were ready to play and they did it with good, clean, hard play."

The game then went into two five-minute overtime periods that were scoreless before moving on to the penalty-kick phase.

"My goal keeper had two saves and a force-over," Stroud said. "The three shooters -- Jordan, Ryan and Brian -- when you hit the first three and the keeper makes the saves, it's real hard to lose. That was good. "What that officially goes into, it's 4-1 (on the scoreboard), but it goes in as a collective goal (for a 2-1 win)," Stroud said.

Stroud said the rematch will be tough. "I've got my work cut out for me because we didn't figure it out," Stroud said. "We played 90 minutes and we still couldn't solve it. I've got a week to prepare for it again. "The kids played hard. We didn't play our best match but sometimes just gutting it and grinding it out when you're not playing well counts more than playing well."

From the Mobile Register

Sunday, February 19, 2006

The Fairhope High boys soccer team took a 3-0 victory over Davidson on Thursday night. "It was a very physical game between two good teams, and we play good, solid and smart in the defensive half," Fairhope coach Paul Stroud said. "In the attacking third we forced the issue and carved three goals away from a very good Davidson side." Ryan Strachan scored two goals and Jordan Sinclair one for the Pirates, who improved to 2-0-1 overall.

"The defense was outstanding tonight with Ben Kuyk, Colin McBrearty, Stewart Garner and Nathan Haywood," Stroud said. "They played an exceptional game, and Steven Pearson made nine saves with most coming late in the game."

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From the Mobile Register

Fairhope wins two matches

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Two teams, including Fairhope, won a pair of matches each Friday in the boys division of the Southern Shootout high school soccer tournament.

Catholic of Huntsville beat Robertsdale 3-2 and Thompson 3-1 in the Blue Flight. Fairhope beat Davidson 3-0 and Northridge 5-1 in the Red Flight.

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From the Mobile Register

Pirates tie Dolphins at Sportsplex

Thursday, February 16, 2006

By DEREK BELT

ORANGE BEACH -- Fairhope's Stewart Garner and Gulf Shores' Carlos Cavalcanti each scored first-half goals to propel the Pirates and Dolphins to a 1-1 tie Tuesday at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. Stewart put his goal past Gulf Shores keeper David Linkenhoker in the fifth minute, and Cavalcanti sent one past Fairhope's back-up keeper, Steven Ard, in the 27th minute. Both teams had several scoring opportunities in the second half -- the Pirates had two shots hit the post -- but neither could convert.

Fairhope (1-0-1) had 18 shots in the game, whereas Gulf Shores (1-0-1) had only six.

"We put a lot of pressure on them, but we didn't follow our shots," said Fairhope coach Paul Stroud. "That's something that we talked about but haven't done a lot with. Overall, I was pleased with our effort. The kids played with a lot of pride, but those are the breaks."

There was no extra session played, as overtime is only played in sectional games.

"I was proud of their hustle, and I was proud they came out and played to win," Gulf Shores coach John Repoll said of his club. "Defensively, we stepped up and made some good plays. Offensively, we had a few chances to put the ball in the net but we didn't make those plays." Repoll said he was most pleased with the way the Dolphins bounced back after going down by a goal early in the game. "Here they are playing a top-ranked team and they go down 1-0 early, but they didn't back off," he said. "They hustled, they fought and they came back and scored a goal to tie it up. As long as we can keep that attitude, we can do a lot with them."

Fairhope plays Davidson today in the first round of the Southern Shootout, while Gulf Shores hosts Foley Friday at 6 p.m.

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From the Mobile Register

Fairhope boys open season with victory

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

By ROBERT LADNIER

The Fairhope boys soccer team opened the 2006 season with a 4-2 come-from-behind victory at Davidson on Monday. "I am very proud of my boys for fighting through hostile situations with many things working against them," Fairhope coach Paul Stroud said. "It would have been real easy to after we went down two goals to pack it in, but instead we rose to the occasion and pulled out a victory."

Seniors Ryan Strachan and Jordan Sinclair scored two goals apiece and one assist each, while Colin McBrearty and Nathan Haywood added an assist apiece to lead the Pirates offensively.

The Warriors scored the first two goals of the contest to take a 2-0 lead in the opening half, the first of which came with the aid of an offsides no-call. Just before halftime, Strachan was fouled inside the box and scored on a penalty kick to cut the lead to 2-1.

Fairhope then scored three unanswered goals in the second half to seal the victory. Sinclair scored off an assist by Strachan, then Davidson began playing one man down due to a red card on the keeper. Strachan scored on an assist from Haywood before Sinclair closed out the scoring with the final goal.

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From the Mobile Register

Top players return

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

By MIKE HERNDON

Paul Stroud won't exactly be a new coach with the Fairhope soccer program this year. But he might still need an adjustment period. Stroud took over the Pirate program in 2001, but has missed the past two seasons while serving with his national guard unit in Iraq. Stroud is now back in Fairhope and hoping his team will be back in Huntsville after missing the state tournament last year with a second-round loss to Prattville. But first, had some new names to learn.

"The real hard part about this is there are only two kids on this team that I have any memory of: Ryan Strachan and Jordan Sinclair," Stroud said. "Other than that, I had to learn every kid, and it was a huge disadvantage in this preseason."

Having Strachan on the field should be a disadvantage for Fairhope's opponents. The two-time Mobile Register player of the year -- whose father, Eddie, filled in as the Pirates' coach while Stroud was in Iraq -- has 125 career varsity goals, only 18 away from tying the state record of 143, set by Sam Tvrdy of St. Bernard in 1999. "We are going to be very, very good in the attacking third," Stroud said. "I think we've got two seniors who could start for any team south of Birmingham."

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From the Mobile Register

Boys soccer set to begin today

Monday, February 13, 2006

By DEREK BELT and ROBERT LADNIER

Daphne and Fairhope ruled the roost in boys soccer last year, as the Trojans and Pirates both made trips to the state tournament in Huntsville. This time around, all area schools will be shooting for state, including first-year program Spanish Fort, which is set to begin its inaugural season under the direction of coach Marko Sebastiani.

Fairhope should once again be a contender for the area title. Coach Paul Stroud returns to the sideline after a two-year absence while serving his country in the armed forces. "The real hard part about this is there are only two kids on this team that I have any memory of: Ryan Strachan and Jordan Sinclair," Stroud said. "Other than that, I had to learn every kid, and it was a huge disadvantage in this pre-season."

Even so, Stroud believes his team will be very strong offensively. "We are going to be very, very good in the attacking third," Stroud said. "I think we've got two seniors who could start for any team south of Birmingham." The Pirates advanced to the Elite Eight last season and to the championship game in 2004. With 125 career varsity goals, Strachan is only 18 away from tying the state record of 143, set by Sam Tvrdy of St. Bernard of Cullman in 1999.

Senior Matt Tabor and junior Brian Keyser will anchor the middle. The question marks may reside on the defensive side. "If we can somehow figure out how to stop people from scoring goals we will find some success," Stroud said. "That is going to be the real challenge this year."

Read the entire article here.

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From the Mobile Register

Baldwin girls soccer teams to be strong

Daphne, Fairhope and Bayside Academy hoping to build on last year's success

Monday, February 13, 2006

By DEREK BELT and ROBERT LADNIER

Last year, Daphne, Fairhope and Bayside Academy all sent their girls soccer teams to the state tournament in Huntsville, and with the season starting today it's finally time for area squads to begin that quest once again.

Fairhope coach Tim Alford hopes his three seniors will pass on the importance of success to his younger players. "We have some good senior leadership Kay Douglass, Eve Tilley-Coulson and Addie McKee," Alford said. "The seniors want all these girls to know what it is like to go to the state finals. "We want to try to win every game that we play and try to make every practice and game better than the previous."

The offense should be potent. "We are definitely excited about our strikers," Alford said. "Lauren Marsh is returning and we know she is going to be ably supported by Bailey Murphy, and together they will make quite an offensive weapon." McKee returns in goal, while the rest of the defense should be quite solid, as well. "Eve Tilley-Coulson is anchoring our defense," Alford said. "We have some good talent. Linde Stejskal is going to see a lot of playing time this year." The Lady Pirates will play an ambitious schedule, including games against Auburn, Indian Springs, Mountain Brook, Oak Mountain and Bob Jones. "We are playing a tough schedule and the strategy behind that is we want to see what we are up against," Alford said.

Fairhope opens the season by playing host to Mary G. Montgomery at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Read the entire article here.

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