Sherwood Christian soccer teams host Tournament Under the Cross

ALBANY — After the Sherwood Christian Academy girls soccer team drilled Dominion Christian 6-0 in its first game Friday morning in the Tournament Under the Cross at Legacy Park, coach Jayson Davidson didn’t get too upset with his team in an afternoon contest against Georgia Christian.

The Lady Eagles won 2-0 behind a goal apiece from Aubri Hughes and Mollie Kate McClearn but could have tacked on many more.

“I asked them to go hard and they got after it right out of the gate,” Davidson said. “These girls work hard and they’ve been a very dedicated group.”

Hughes netted the game’s first goal midway through the first half off an assistant from Maddie Evans. Then after Davidson urged them to slow down and make better decisions at halftime, McClearn nailed the team’s second goal early in the second half off a corner kick from Hughes.

That was all the back-to-back defending state champions needed to win their 38th straight game dating back to the 2014 season. Their defense handled the rest.

The Sherwood boys also played a pair of games Friday afternoon.

The tournament continues today with games at all of the Legacy Park facilities. The Lady Eagles will play again at 9:30 a.m., but Davidson said it isn’t as much about the winning as it is the fellowship between competing schools and exposure the tournament brings for college coaches.

Davidson’s brother Jeremy, who coaches the boys soccer team and also serves as the tournament director, was pleased with the turnout. Before a few schools cancelled, the tournament was set to boast its largest field with 16 boys and 16 girls teams. The tournament uses all four of the fields at Legacy Park on the Sherwood campus.

“My goal is to turn it into a college showcase tournament for Christian colleges where we invest in these kids not just academically and athletically, but spiritually, and there’s a focus in our education program on Christ and the cross, ” he said. “So we want to pass these kids on to colleges who have the same focus.”

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