Several players on the Putnam County girls’ soccer team achieved a significant milestone this year, earning prestigious All-Region 4-AA honors.
The Lady War Eagles had five players—Gracie Bird, Lily Frisch, Allison Stone, Elizabeth Haley, and Regina Espin—earn first-team team honors. Erika Sanchez, Laura Ruiz, and Nancy Gonzalez were named to the second team for their performances on the field this year.
Former Putnam County girls’ soccer coach Brandi Barling, who recently retired from her position after 10 years at the helm, was proud of her players for making the All-Region first and second teams.
“The entire team worked hard this season, but these girls stood out for the entire region,” Barling told The Eatonton Messenger. “I’m proud of all the hard work they put in to help us be successful this year.”
Bird, Frisch, Stone, and Haley were all seniors this past season. They helped lead Putnam County back to the state playoffs for a fourth-straight season and capture another region title this year.
Barling was blessed to see her final senior class win a third league championship in four years.
“This senior class won three region championships in four years and played in the state playoffs all four years,” Barling said after the season. “This year, we had a terrific season. It started slow, but then we came back and beat all our region opponents, which was really special for our team.”
Putnam County went 10-5 and a perfect 9-0 in the region. The Lady War Eagles started the season 1-4 but won nine out of their last 10 matches. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round of the Georgia High School Classification’s Class AA state playoffs by No. 4 seed Jeff Davis.