Olivia And Soccer -- March 2, 2024

Olivia is a high school senior this year. One of mom and dad's great-grandchildren.

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Soccer

Grapevine, TX, girls soccer homecoming this past week:

• Grapevine: 8
• opponents: 0

It was 2 - 0 at the half. Final, 8 - 0.

The Grapevine girls soccer team took Texas state championship last year; Olivia was a junior last year, and the first-ever junior to be named one of four captains on the team. That needs to be fact-checked, but right. or wrong, it was a big deal last year and a surprise she took a captain's spot from a senior. No hard feelings. That player was a captain of her club team (separate from high school soccer.)

Olivia is one of four captains on the teams and as the first junior captain (last year) is the senior captain this year of the four (it that makes sense). She is probably the third best player on the team and as captain-player-coach, she is probably the best member of the team. She is a defensive player and doesn't see a lot of action which frustrates her but the coach puts her where he needs her. In the homecoming game, when the score was 6 - 0, the coach moved Olivia and the best player on the team, both defensive players, to striker positions. We didn't know it at the time, but the coach wanted the four team captains to all have a chance to score.

Two captains had scored earlier; now the third captain, not Olivia, scored. Three of four captains scored. With a minute or so left in the game, Olivia scored -- all four team captains scored. In the last homecoming game they would play for their high school.

As incredible as that was, it was even more incredible that the photographer caught Olivia's scoring shot.

In the photo below, Olivia is #23. Note how high she jumped, to kick the ball, which you can see  just behind the player with the yellow bib and headed toward the goal.

Night game under the lights.

Mustang-Panther Stadium, Grapevine / Colleyville, Grapevine, Texas: video. Still photos.