East Laurens teams look back on region titles, record seasons at soccer awards banquet

East Laurens High School soccer teams handed out a haul of awards and accolades while both celebrating their 2024 region titles at a postseason awards banquet last Thursday. 

The Lady Falcons finished their campaign 18-2 overall, with an 8-0 mark in region 2-High A, advancing for a second-straight year to the state quarterfinals, where they fell to Social Circle. 

All four of their seniors are college-bound, three in Madison Johnson (Piedmont), Anna Bethea and Serenity Sparger (ABAC) to play soccer at the next level. A fourth member of the class of 2024 in Madison Cheek has signed to play softball with Columbia College. 

The team’s three top scorers each cracked the program’s top 10 in career scoring, Johnson finishing third-best all-time with 90 goals, and also second in assists with 29. Cheek wound up fourth on the goals list with 52, and fourth in assists, with 29. Sparger wraps up with 28 career goals. 

The class also finishes with a 62-15 overall record. 

Award winners were as follows: 

• Yessica Lopez, rookie of the year

• Cheek, Falcon Award 

• Bethea, Most Valuable Player, Region Defensive Player of the Year 

• Jayla Givens, Region Offensive Player of the Year 

• Johnson, Region Player of the Year 

• First-team all region: Za’Kiyah King, Erin Northcutt, Cayleigh Allen, Cheek, Sparger, Givens, Bethea and Johnson 

• Second-team all region: Zamani Williams, Jameria Walker, Maggie Foskey and Lopez

The Falcon boys wrapped up easily their greatest season in program history with a record of 13-6-1, going 7-1 against 2-High A opponents to win a first-ever region title. 

Their respective playoff wins over Bryan and Brooks counties represented just the program’s second and third postseason victories of all-time. East’s berth in the state quarterfinals, where it fell to Paideia, was also a first-ever. 

The team scored 69 total goals, and gave up a record-low 38. Drew Robinson’s 18 assists over the season also set a new program high. 

Award winners were the following: 

• Jaiden Wright, Rookie of Year 

• Blake Bass, Most Valuable Player 

• Matt Brantley, Falcon Award 

• Hunter Selby, Region Player of the Year

• Carson Smith, Region Defensive Player of Year 

• First-team all region: Robinson, Brandon McWillams, Bass, Parker Manley and Quez Harper

• Second-team all region: Lerri Lopez, Brantley, Connor Tanner, Juan Carlos Pacheco and Kamari Lagroon 

• Region honorable mention: Aiden Holton and Riley Senn