DEMOTTE | The Kouts players surrounded head coach Tim Schwartz for a group hug following Monday night’s opening game of the Class A Covenant Christian Sectional.
Never mind defending sectional champ Argos eliminated the Fillies 7-0, because it was a milestone for the first-year program Kouts (5-7-2).
“That’s the style of play we need to emulate,” Schwartz said to his team, praising Argos, a school that was playing soccer years before it became on IHSAA sanctioned sport in 1994.
“They‘re really well organized, they really attack the flanks hard, and then they put pressure on the weak side, and that’s where they killed us.”
Argos’ Jami Patterson scored two of her three goals in the first half as the Dragons took a 3-0 lead into halftime.
“We had a pretty good defensive scheme, but the speed of play and the aggressiveness and how quickly they moved the ball was really nice to see,” Schwartz said. “That’s really nice soccer, and we hope to attain that level as our program grows.”
Argos (10-5-2) kept Kouts’ goalkeeper Deliyah Garner busy throughout the game, adding four goals in the second half. Garner, one of just three seniors, made 14 saves.
“I’m very proud of my team,” Garner said. “We really stepped it up this year.”
Schwartz said his team improved immensely since its first game against Marquette.
“Oh my gosh, we were standing, and it was just awful,” he said. “We’ve come a long way. Hats off to the ladies. They’ve really worked hard.”
Schwartz said the seniors provided leadership through the ups and downs of the season.
“For a team that was this young, it was important to have those seniors,” he said.
Garner said they had a lot of fun playing and being part of history.
“I look forward to the team improving,” Garner said.
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