Sweet firsts

Jacksonville’s girls end Donoho’s streak of Calhoun County soccer titles, give Mize her first county championship.

Calhoun County soccer tournament

BOYS’ PAIRINGS
At Choccolocco Park
March 30
No. 4 White Plains 2, No. 5 Saks 1
No. 6 Faith Christian 3, No. 3 Weaver 1
No. 2 Jacksonville 10, No. 7 Anniston 0
March 31
Winners’ bracket
No. 1 Oxford 4, White Plains 0
Jacksonville 8, Faith Christian 0
April 2
Championship
Oxford vs. Jacksonville, 6:30 p.m.|
Losers’ bracket
Saks 6, Anniston 1

GIRLS’ PAIRINGS
At Choccolocco Park
March 30
No. 4 Oxford 10, No. 4 Saks 0
No. 3 White Plains 10, No. 6 Weaver 0
March 31
Winners’ bracket
No. 1 Jacksonville 2 Oxford 0
No. 2 Donoho 3, White Plains 2 (3-1 PKs)
April 2
Championship
Jacksonville 4, Donoho 2

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD — It took nine Calhoun County soccer tournaments for Donoho’s girls to lose a match. It took long enough coaching for Chelsea Mize to experience a county title.

As Mize and her Jacksonville players celebrated their victory at Choccolocco Park on Thursday, the wait seemed worth it.

Most valuable player Emerson Weaver scored two goals, and the top seeded Golden Eagles got one apiece from Lexi Page and Jayci Taylor while overcoming a one-goal halftime deficit to win 4-2.

Donoho got a goal apiece from all-tournament picks Brooke Vandiber and Katelyn McMorris.

The ninth county tournament saw the end of No. 2 seed Donoho’s run of eight titles in eight years. For Mize, in her first season coaching Jacksonville’s boys and girls after a hiatus and seven seasons coaching at Weaver, the moment justified the wait.

“It’s surreal,” she said. “This was a goal of ours, and we achieved that today. I’m so proud of these kids. They’ve overcome so many obstacles.”

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