LINCOLN -- The 2019 Lady Wolves venture into unprecedented territory Thursday, reaching the state girls soccer tournament in their very first year of varsity competition.
The venture also represents new ground for first-year coach Austin Lewis striving to uphold standards of excellence instilled by head football coach Don Harrison in the Wolves' staff.
"He keeps us all on our toes," Lewis said, noting that filters on down through the staff with defensive coordinator Beau Collins holding him accountable.
"Coach Collins expects me to have the D-line up to par," Lewis said.
Lewis absorbs all of that intensity and translates it into winning soccer matches.
"In girls soccer we're in our second year here at Lincoln. I really want to set standards high and be professional at all times," Lewis said.
Lewis wants the Lincoln girls to know when it's game time to look professional and act professional and do that also in practice.
"Hopefully from the first two years of setting up this program, we can continue to meet high expectations," Lewis said.
Lewis took over the program from Emilianne Slammons, whose main focus is working as head girls basketball coach.
"Last year she took a first-year program (playing a junior varsity schedule) and put it upon herself to set everything up," Lewis said.
He appreciates the foundation.
"I think she knew she wouldn't do it for a long run," Lewis said.
He wanted some head coaching experience on his personal resume and decided he'd learn the game having interned at Lincoln under boys head coach Paul Crouch. Lewis realized an opportunity to grow as a coach and contribute to Lincoln.
"I thought I'd get my soccer wings," Lewis said.
Despite an 0-5 start playing tough nonconference opponents such as 6A Springdale (1-0 loss in season-opener), 5A Siloam Springs (3-0 loss on March 14), and 4A neighbor and rival Prairie Grove (6-0 loss on March 15), Lewis and the Lady Wolves persisted.
The low-point came March 25 with an 8-0 setback at border rival, Westville, Okla., followed by a quick turnaround three days later when Lincoln broke into the win column with a 2-1 conference win at Eureka Springs.
Beyond that the Lady Wolves closed out the regular season winning 3 of 5 remaining conference games developing confidence in the process. Lewis admits soccer is growing on him.
"It's just a different beast from football to fotbohl. It's a different environment, but I still want to bring my very high expectations. I want the soccer program to be great, to take off, to stay high," Lewis said.
He aims to do that through drawing more girls into the JV level and developing soccer skills.
"We've got to get the word out and tell kids it's a great program to be part of," Lewis said.
"Tania, she's a great player. I rely on her a lot when she's the middle center mid."
When anything gets put her way we can go on the counterattack pretty good because she can handle the ball and she can distribute it out from there along with Ari Ortiz, who is the side center mid, definitely good handler of the ball. She takes great touches and she's so squirrelly she can get by anybody 1-on-1 and she's off to the races and we're on the attack there. Both of them have been playing real well. They've been taking shots on goals and getting a few of them in and that's what we need and they've been doing a great job of it."
Likes chances at state.
"I like our matchup potential. It's all about just getting the girls ready and pumped up for next week's game.
We got this week and three days at the start of next week to practice. Sometimes that can get a little monotonous, but just got to try to find that spark to get them going for that Thursday afternoon game. We're hoping to play. We're hoping to get a win out of it.
We try to get the pep bus going from the school. We get the word out to parents and everybody in the community to come out and watch us play and watch us win. We love their support."
Lincoln's first-round opponent at the 3A State tournament Thursday is Riverview at 1 p.m. at Harrison Parks & Recreation Complex.
Sports on 05/08/2019