High-scoring Kailey Burrell leads surprising Dade County girls' soccer team

Soccer ball
Soccer ball

TRENTON, Ga. - Dade County High School girls' soccer coach Aaron Stanton began the year feeling a bit sorry for the team's three returning starters.

In retrospect he should have felt compassion for the Lady Wolverines' opponents.

A year after graduating nine seniors and with a few other defections, Dade is having its best season as that returning trio have combined with a slew of newcomers to fashion a 13-2 record.

The Lady Wolverines romped to the program's first playoff win last week, 10-0 in a mercy-rule defeat of Jordan, and in doing so continued to blow their coach's mind.

GHSA soccer second-round playoffs

Today (Girls)Class AAASonoraville at Pike CountyClass AADade County at FitzgeraldWednesday (Boys)Class AAAAAAEffingham County at DaltonClass AAAAWoodward at Southeast WhitfieldDruid Hills at Northwest WhitfieldClass AAAPeach County at North Murray

"Going into the season I didn't quite know what to expect after losing nine seniors and four that would have been starters deciding to not play," Stanton said. "We had three starters back and essentially a whole new squad.

"I felt bad for the ones who have had me for four years because we had to start from scratch, including with a couple of girls who have never played. But they are very good athletes who picked it up very quickly. It's been very exciting."

One of the returning players, Kailey Burrell, has had a dream season. The junior striker has 57 goals - four-plus per game - and 14 assists. She scored seven times in the win over Jordan and frequently finishes blowout wins on the bench or standing off to the side.

"Kailey eats, breathes and lives the game," Stanton said. "She has great touch on the ball and is fast, and she is really relentless on the field. When we have a chance to score, she is either going to put something on goal or set somebody else up. She's been a key part of it all, and she has ridiculous stats."

Burrell, like her coach, had very little expectations for the season. She was, in fact, dreading it.

"After the first couple of games - I didn't expect to win any, to be honest - I started to gain hope," said Burrell, a left-footer who plays CFC Premier soccer in Chattanooga during the summer. "I was surprised and excited. I figured I was going to end my career poorly because we had so many new players."

She's gotten offensive help from senior Hannah Monday, who has 17 goals and leads the team with 21 assists. The defense is led by a pair of seniors, Jessica Vaughn and Taylor Cox, while sisters Morgan and Megan Schuaer give the Lady Wolverines top athletic ability in the midfield.

Dade's challenge today will be steep, facing a 16-2-1 Fitzgerald team ranked No. 2 in Georgia Class AA. The Purple Hurricanes have their own phenom in freshman Noelia Martinez, who has scored 46 goals, while four others have reached double figures.

"They have a girl who is a very good player, so it will be interesting to see how our girls do with her," Stanton said. "Having watched Kailey every day they should have an idea, though I certainly hope she's not that good."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.

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