In his 16 years coaching the Saint James girls soccer team, coach Charlie Brightwell brought home the first ever girls soccer state championship last weekend.
Saint James (17-1-1) defeated Donoho 3-0 in 1A/3A state championship in Huntsville. This was the Trojans' third straight appearance in the state tournament and second straight championship game.
“With an amazing blend of team offense and team defense, this team made a run no other team could ever complete,” Brightwell said of his squad.
Tuesday morning, Saint James school celebrated the girls soccer team's success along with the individual tennis state champions. Brightwell reflected on winning the blue map by describing the journey.
“The culmination of this year is a lot of the work they put in everyday and the foundation of previous teams,” Brightwell said. “We set the level and expectations higher and higher every year, and this team just raised that level again. As much as this is an individual team award this year, this was something that the program and team in general has established as a goal we wanted to reach.”
”It’s been a long journey, we finally broke that hurdle and got to Huntsville for the first time three years ago. Losing in a semifinal that year and raising the bar to get to a final the following year, we made a big decision that we wanted to comeback and correct what we didn’t finish last year.”
This was a record-setting season for the Trojans girls soccer team. Their senior group alone made school and state history in route to winning the state title.
They scored a total of 112 goals and allowed seven all season — almost mirroring the record for the least goals allowed in a season at six. In 19 matches, the team finished with 14 total shutouts. They did not allow a goal in their final eight contests of the season, including all four rounds of the playoffs. Senior twin sisters Hope and Hannah McCain were the anchors behind the Trojan defense, along with goalkeeper Katie Irving — who finished with a .368 goals against average.
Senior Katie Brightwell, became the AHSAA all-time leading goal scorer this year finishing with 71 goals this season. That was the largest number of goals scored by a player in a single season in Saint James history. She ended her career with 259 career goals. In addition, Senior Mary Grace Hixon became the only player in Saint James history to record 30 assists in a season.
“The senior class is a special group. They had six kids starting since the seventh grade so they been playing together since they were young,” Charlie Brightwell said. “To watch them just mature over the years and learn from the older kids as they came along. … This team just really came together this year and ultimately when you play for each other with desire the sky is the limit.”
Brightwell added the feeling of winning, alongside his daughter Katie in her final season, made the ultimate triumph more special. He coached both of his daughters at Saint James and has experienced both winning and losing in the postseason with them.
“It was unbelievable. My other daughter (Haley Brightwell) graduated two years ago and she was the first class to get us the state tournament in Huntsville,” Charlie Brightwell said. “That was truly a special moment and heartbreak because we did bounce out early. To finally get over that last hurdle and accomplish that goal is hard to say, but doing it with kid on the field is special.”
With the first state championship secured, the Trojans are not finished. Already setting a higher level every year for this year, Charlie Brightwell wants this year’s success to be the motivation on maintaining the standard.
“We have reached the pinnacle of what high school soccer has to offer,” Charlie Brightwell said. “Now it’s up to all future classes to maintain the success and that does not start with this year’s team. It started 16 years ago when I got here trying to build a culture of desire, effort and teamwork. Those are the things we can control everyday."
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