Soccer league coming to a close
Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 28, 2016
LAGRANGE – A champion will be crowned tonight.
A seven-on-seven soccer league that has been held throughout the summer will wrap up tonight at Callaway High with a season-ending tournament.
There will be two divisions, a gold division and a silver division.
The gold division includes the boys’ teams from Callaway, LaGrange High, Troup and Lafayette Christian, and the silver division features the junior-varsity boys’ teams from Callaway and LaGrange, as well as the girls’ varsity teams from Callaway, Troup and LaGrange High.
A round-robin tournament will be held in each division, and the championship games will be played at approximately 9:45 p.m.
It’s the culmination of a summer season that began in early June.
Tuesday is league night, and teams from Callaway, LaGrange High, LaGrange Academy, Troup, Lafayette Christian and Harris County have participated throughout the summer.
Callaway boys’ coach Mike Petite has organized the league this summer, and he said it has been an overwhelming success.
“We’ve had a great turnout, and great competition,” Petite said. “The kids have enjoyed playing. They know each other. It’s competition, but it’s fun. It’s not nearly as much on the line as when we play each other in the season. And the crowds have been great. The parking lot has been full every night.”
The league was created last year to give the local teams a chance to get plenty of time on the field, and give the coaches an opportunity to become familiar with the players they’ll be leading onto the field when a new season rolls around next spring.
Keita Placide, LaGrange High’s boys’ coach, was a driving force behind getting the league started last summer, and he said it’s a nice chance for players to get some time on the field in a low-pressure environment.
“It’s one of the better parts of the summer,” he said. “You just relax and enjoy the game, and learn. You come out here and try new stuff.”
This summer, the league expanded.
Last year there were only boys’ teams, but there are girls’ teams this year, and Harris County also joined the league, although its teams will be unable to compete tonight.
The action gets under way at 6 p.m. today.
Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports