Lee County girls soccer falls in head coach’s finale

LEESBURG — The result of Tuesday’s GHSA Class 6A girls soccer tournament game won’t be as important for Dave Baltenberger as the memories he will have from the close of a 10-year run as Lee County’s head coach.

Baltenberger, who won 125 games as the Trojans’ head coach, said after Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Greenbrier that he is stepping aside from his coaching position, leaving the program to a new leader while remaining at the school as a physics teacher.

“It’s just time,” Baltenberger said. “It’s time for somebody else to take it to that next step.”

His final year on the sideline didn’t end quite as successfully as the one before it, when Lee County advanced to the Class 6A semifinals. But the Trojans (12-7) won another Region 1-6A title and claimed a first-round victory over Brunswick before running into a quicker Greenbrier squad.

The visiting Wolfpack (14-4) scored three goals in the first 15 minutes, a difficult margin to overcome in soccer.

Emma Stewart, Jolie Baltzegar and Tessa Wilson recorded the quick Greenbrier goals, with Kaitlyn Thompson, Kiana Tuckett and Baltzegar assisting.

“We were battling back from the beginning,” Baltenberger said. “The defense played solid. They were just the better team.”

While Lee County managed some chances throughout the contest, the Trojans were unable to keep up a consistent attack while trailing by a large margin.

Greenbrier added a goal eight minutes into the second half when Baltzegar, off an assist from Stewart, put the ball through the keeper’s outstretched hands into the net from an angle 10 yards out.

Lee County’s Sheridan Lowry denied the clean sheet with a goal with 44.5 seconds remaining.

“We had some chances that we could have finished, we just didn’t put them in,” Baltenberger said. “We played well (Tuesday). They were a good team.

“Sweet 16, we’ll take that. That’s a successful season.”