In the second year for soccer at Mountain View Preparatory Academy, head coach Michelle McFarland wants her 11 boys and 11 girls to share one quality — toughness.
“Not to be timid,” she said March 17 prior to the Ocelots’ 9-1 loss at the Oak Creek School in Cornville. “It can be hard. Some of them still really need to work on their touches on balls and passes.”
But with a stipend and field maintenance support from the Cottonwood Oak Creek School District this season, most other numbers are on McFarland’s side.
“Last year, on a good day, we had 15 kids and even though we had so small of a team, we were fairly lucky to scrape by,” McFarland said. “The girls seemed like they were tougher than the boys at times.
“Last year was pretty much all volunteer-based: We had to take care of lining the fields and getting the goals. This year, the ones we have right now are pretty ugly, but a lot of parents help out with equipment.”
For the full story and schedule, please see the Wednesday, March 25, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
