The 2024 Blair High School girls soccer season is many months away, but the Bears are already working toward the spring.
Coach Ashley Brown joined her players at Omaha Burke on July 19 for the The Lady Ei8hts Wednesday Girls League Tournament. Blair was the No. 1 seed after a 10-match regular season.
“It's been going great,” the coach said.
The Bears went 9-1 to claim top tourney billing, outscoring their opposition 45-15. They finished second in the tourney, dropping the finals match to Omaha Marian after three-straight wins.
With an influx of freshmen set to join the team for the upcoming season, Brown said she and fellow coach Nick Hall thought it was important to get the girls together for summer work together.
“We're trying to get them playing together and getting to know each other,” Brown said, explaining that the players were discovering their teammates' strengths and weaknesses through competition. “Just kind of gelling a little bit this summer, I think, will make things easier as we get going in the spring.”
In addition to Lady Ei8hts play, Blair girls soccer will host its two-day youth camp for players in kindergarten through eighth grade this Wednesday and Thursday at Krantz Field. Brown said they worked with Blair Football Club (FC) on the dates, which lead into the club's fall campaign.
“We're excited to have the older girls come and help, and I think we've got about 60 kids registered right now,” Brown said. “We're looking forward to getting everybody together.”
All-in-all, July has been a busy soccer month for the Bears, she agreed.
Boys plays in Ei8hts League, too
A Blair boys soccer team went 5-4-1 during the 10-match The Ei8hts Thursday Boys League this summer, too.
According to the league website, the Washington County team finished fourth out of 14 teams in the standings, outscoring its opposition 62 goals to 44. In tournament play on July 13, Blair topped Council Bluffs Lewis Central 4-2, but lost 4-0 to Conestoga.
