ENGLEWOOD, Tenn. – It has become a familiar pattern for McMinn Central senior Ashley Johnson.
Should the Chargerettes establish a lead in the second half of a postseason soccer game, coach Bill McConkey moves his top scorer back to a sweeper position in hopes that Johnson’s addition to an already-solid defense will prevent anything from getting through.
With the postseason they’ve had, Johnson has spent a lot of time on defense.
“It’s something that we talk about in practice,” she said. “We don’t do it in the season, but I don’t mind it in the playoffs.
“I do tend to freak out, because I don’t want to make a mistake with the game on the line, but that’s the only situation in which I would play back there.”
The senior co-captain and her McMinn Central teammates will get an opportunity to improve on the best season in school history today as the Region 3-A/AA champions host 11th-ranked Livingston Academy at 1 p.m. in a sectional match.
“We just prep for whoever we play the same way,” she said. “We have the same mindset going in – that if we play our team, we can play with most anybody. I think we’ve proven that this year.”
Johnson, a four-year starter for the Chargerettes (10-5-2) and the team’s leader with 14 goals, said the road toward the Class A/AA state sectional – their deepest advancement ever – has been a gradual, steady process.
“I thought we would be pretty good my last year,” she said. “We’ve improved every season, and as a result this season has been the best.”
She’s done so as the team’s only two-year captain, as McConkey elects one junior captain to go along with the seniors every year. Johnson noted that being able to work alongside the seniors last year as a captain has helped her develop into more of a leader this season.
“Last year, we had seniors that were very good influences,” Johnson said. “Before the year, Coach told me I was going to be the speaking captain and that I was going to have to be vocal.
“I learned a lot from my elders, so that’s made it easier for me to lead this year.”
TODAY’S SOCCER SCHEDULE
Division II-AA state quarterfinals
Brentwood Academy at Baylor, 11
Class A/AA state sectionals
Livingston Academy at McMinn Central, 1
Boyd-Buchanan at Notre Dame, 4
Class AAA state sectionals
Cleveland at Oakland, 5
Siegel at Soddy-Daisy, 7