Crossett now beginning soccer

[Eddie Goodson]

Voted last night to have both girls and boys high school teams. Will begin in the spring if possible. Details on coach and other unknowns will be shared when known.

[Maynard G Krebs]

Ugh.  No soccer fan here, but I may well be in the minority.

[sevenof400]

Come on Maynard, give the sport a try. 

Eddie (and Crossett) - best of luck in this endeavor!

[beach bum]

Soccer is headed deep into south Arkansas..  I love it!

[Eddie Goodson]

Hamburg already fields teams, so Ashley County will be in it full. This will be a process. Playing soccer on a football field will get you kicked out of heaven in some people's eyes.

[VHSCoach2]

Always great to see more school districts adding soccer!  Best of luck to the coaches and the student-athletes at Crossett!

[Jack1990]

Welcome to the world of soccer Crossett!!  If they start playing in the spring that will make a 14 team conference for the 4-4A.  With only 16 games and 2 tourneys or 18 games and 1 tourney that really limits the amount of non-conf games that can be scheduled.  Getting about time to split that classification some more. 

[sevenof400]

Just a quick note on that - conferences can elect to split for conference play if they choose to do so.

[beeroe]

Just a quick note on that - conferences can elect to split for conference play if they choose to do so.

We did that one year in the 4a-1. We did a home and away series. I Found it to be much easier on travel. However it was abandoned after one year. A few schools complained that it did not allow our conference to send our truly best schools to the state tournament.

[Eddie Goodson]

I am not sure if they will even be ready for competition in anything other than JV games this year. I am not sure if it is even possible to disrupt schedules in the middle of a cycle. Many questions and I have no answers. I just know the process is begun.

[WPWells]

Doesn't Crossett have a top-notch track program? How will they be effected?

[Arbitro]

I am not sure if they will even be ready for competition in anything other than JV games this year. I am not sure if it is even possible to disrupt schedules in the middle of a cycle. Many questions and I have no answers. I just know the process is begun.

Well, since none of the schools in that part of the state have had JV teams, any games they do play will effectively be varsity.  Hermitage eased their program in a couple of years ago with an abbreviated schedule.  Perhaps Crossett will do the same.

[sevenof400]

Doesn't Crossett have a top-notch track program? How will they be effected?

I know of at least one school that can do both well.   

In all seriousness, if your coaches can work together, soccer and track can compliment each other. 

[jimmyt]

I heard Lonoke is getting a soccer team as well... A few teams that need it are Farmington, Alma, Ozark, Bald Knob.. Any more?

[Eddie Goodson]

Doesn't Crossett have a top-notch track program? How will they be effected?

No affected that I know of. We also restarted the Cross Country program. Apparently, some of the soccer players will also run CC.

[VHSCoach2]

No affected that I know of. We also restarted the Cross Country program. Apparently, some of the soccer players will also run CC.

Which is nothing but beneficiary for both programs. Best of luck!

[Coach Sturdivant, Alma]

Don't see Crossett on there yet but the 4A conference list has been updated on the AAA Website reflecting Nashville and Lonoke as both having programs and showing that Bauxite has officially declared.

Nashville in the 2-4A, Lonoke in the 3-4A.

http://members.ahsaa.org/public/userfiles/Soccer/2017/2017_Soccer_Conferences.pdf

[Eddie Goodson]

Don't see Crossett on there yet but the 4A conference list has been updated on the AAA Website reflecting Nashville and Lonoke as both having programs and showing that Bauxite has officially declared.

Nashville in the 2-4A, Lonoke in the 3-4A.

http://members.ahsaa.org/public/userfiles/Soccer/2017/2017_Soccer_Conferences.pdf

Like I said, this may be a two year process. We knew timelines would be an issue.

[Coach Sturdivant, Alma]

I believe there have been several schools who have formed teams where it took two seasons to formally declare and get the program up and going. Nothing wrong at all with that. No rush in getting things done right.

[SportsDad]

First time I have looked at the soccer thread in a while... I am thrilled that Crossett is starting a team.
Here in Warren, the program is only 5 years old, but already one of the best in the entire state... not just in 4A. The team has shown they can compete with teams from every classification. Hamburg had a good season last year, including an upset win over Warren... So I don't think it will take long for Crossett to become competitive with the athletes that they have in other sports combined with some soccer players that will now be able to play in high school.

As far as sharing the same field with the football team, simply put in turf and then no worries

[Eddie Goodson]

I received word this week that they will begin playing THIS season.

[Eddie Goodson]

First time I have looked at the soccer thread in a while... I am thrilled that Crossett is starting a team.
Here in Warren, the program is only 5 years old, but already one of the best in the entire state... not just in 4A. The team has shown they can compete with teams from every classification. Hamburg had a good season last year, including an upset win over Warren... So I don't think it will take long for Crossett to become competitive with the athletes that they have in other sports combined with some soccer players that will now be able to play in high school.

As far as sharing the same field with the football team, simply put in turf and then no worries

For now, they are going to play at the sports complex, but you are right. Turf is the long range answer. There is an effort by some citizens to fund a turf field like you guys did at Warren.

[SportsDad]

I received word this week that they will begin playing THIS season.

Good. No need in delaying for another year if they can field a team. Will they have both girls and boys teams?

[Eddie Goodson]

Good. No need in delaying for another year if they can field a team. Will they have both girls and boys teams?

It was the plan to field both and I assume that is still the case.

[Eddie Goodson]

They are going to play this year. Schedule has been released.

March 3 Star City Home-Boys 5:00-7:00 pm
March 6 Hermitage Home- Girls 5:00pm Boys 7:00 pm
March 7 Lake Village Lake Village AR- Girls, 5:00- Pm, Boys 7:00pm
March 9 Hamburg Home- Girls 5:00 Pm, Boys 7:00 pm
March 14 Monticello Monticello AR- Girls 5:00pm, Boys 7:00 pm
March 27 Warren Warren AR- Girls 5:00pm, Boys7:00 pm
April 10 Monticello Home- maybe Girls 5:00 pm, Boys 7:00 pm
April 18 Lake village TBA 5:00
April 20 Warren Home- Girls 5:00 pm, Boys7:00 pm
April 25 Hermitage Hermitage AR- Girls 5:00, Boys 7:00 pm
May 2 Hamburg Hamburg AR- Girls 5:00 pm Boys 7:00 pm

[SportsDad]

Warren has the game listed as a JV game....

[sevenof400]

SportsDad,

It is common for beginning programs to face the 'JV' teams of other (established) programs.  For Warren, the classification of the game as a JV game allows them to get some playing time for younger or less experienced players without the game counting against the varsity max number of games in a season.  Its a win - win for both teams in terms of building a program for Crossett as it gets them games that can be hard to come by in the first seasons of a program.

Please keep this thread updated with the progress of Crossett soccer - it is always good to hear of another program beginning.

[faith]

Crossett should have a good group of players.  Hopefully it won't fall victim to the school not taking it serious and not helping it grow!  Could be a great program there. 

[chandler]

I heard Lonoke is getting a soccer team as well... A few teams that need it are Farmington, Alma, Ozark, Bald Knob.. Any more?

I've heard rumblings that Lincoln may get a team. They definitely should. They would be good right away based on a strong Hispanic population.

[chandler]

I've also heard that Pea Ridge is looking into it.