Boyd-Buchanan’s Allana Barnes advances the ball against McMinn Central at Boyd-Buchanan.Like a 3-point shooter in basketball, Allana Barnes has a designated role on the Boyd-Buchanan soccer team. And also like those bombers, her role gives her the opportunity to shoot from distance — a role she relishes and usually takes advantage of.
The strong-legged senior has played an integral part in the Lady Bucs’ 8-4 record in 2011. She leads the team and ranks among area leaders with 13 goals in 12 games while adding six assists.
Barnes feels that with goalkeeper Anna Beasley, the reigning District 5-A/AA player of the year, plus midfielder Morgan Shull and her own younger sister, Laurel, the 2011 Lady Bucs are more talented and athletic than any team she’s ever been a part of.
“I feel we can be really good this year if we use our talents to the best of our abilities,” Barnes said. “We’ve got a really strong team this year, but we just have to take things one game at a time. We’ve been first place in the district every year I’ve been here, but we haven’t won the district tournament since my freshman year, and that’s a goal of ours this season.”
Barnes’ skills have been on display for four seasons at Boyd-Buchanan. She is the school’s all-time leading point producer — a stat that combines goals and assists — and will have opportunities to play collegiately if she chooses to. Her strong leg makes her an offensive threat once she crosses midfield.
“She’s been so important to us,” Lady Bucs coach Dustin Walker said. “She is not a verbal leader on this team; she just leads by the way she plays. She’s such a dangerous scorer; she’s in range to score the second she gets on the field, and to have that scoring threat is nice to have.”
Said Barnes: “I just try to approach my opponent knowing they have every ability I have; I just try to give it 110 percent. I don’t take my ability for granted, though; I’ve worked hard to get what I have.”
She was excited to hear that eighth-grader Laurel was going to be allowed to play at the varsity level. Assuredly a future standout, the younger Barnes has five goals, second on the team. Both Allana and Walker feel the younger sister has pushed Allana to play even harder and use even more of her God-given talent.
“It’s funny to see their dynamic,” Walker said. “They have that sister sense on the field to where you can see they’re getting onto each other at times, but in reality they’re just pushing each other to make the other better.”
Said Allana: “This was probably the best thing that’s happened to me this year. It was something I’d always hoped for, but I didn’t think it was allowed, so when I found out, it made me look forward to the season even more.
“She’s younger than me, but she pushes me to be better. Us getting the chance to play together has been a major highlight of my senior year.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6311. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/gh3sports.