BY MATT VINES, DESOTO PARISH JOURNAL
STONEWALL – The North DeSoto girls soccer team is attempting to build a program that can challenge for district and state championships, and this year, the foundation of that structure is defense.
The Griffins (11-2-3, 1-0 District II-1) have allowed just 12 goals in their 16 matches, which include seven shutout wins.
NDHS is unbeaten in its last six matches (5-0-1) with a pair of shutouts against Division I members Airline and Haughton (both 2-0 wins).
“We have been defending well as a team,” said NDHS coach Morgan Ersoff. “Even when one person makes a mistake, the girls have really understood and applied the defensive shape that there is always someone to cover.
“Lately I’ve challenged the girls to put the ball in the back of the net, and we have had great success doing that coming off a slower start with scoring (in the beginning of the season).”
The Griffins will face one of their toughest stretches to date when they head to West Monroe (10-5-3) on Friday followed by a home date with Episcopal (12-0-1) on Saturday.
Victories in those matches will boost an already high Division II power rating, which ranks No. 3 in the division at 8.87.
While Ersoff isn’t concerned about playoff seeding midway through the season, a higher seed means not seeing state powers like St. Thomas More until later in the playoffs. St. Thomas More knocked the Griffins out in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.
“We’re more concerned about winning the next game on our schedule, and West Monroe (No. 12 in Division I power ratings) will be a good test for us,” Ersoff said. “They are similar to us, so it could be anyone’s game.
“We have to show up and play well if we want to win. Episcopal is a top Division IV team (No. 2 in power ratings) and is a state contender once again this year. They’ve only given up four goals this season, so scoring on them is a huge goal of ours.”
District play heats up Tuesday with a home date against Parkway (8-6), who ranks No. 9 in Division II.
Win that match, and there’s almost surely a de facto district title matchup with Caddo Magnet on Jan. 16. The Mustangs are ranked No. 2 in the Division II power ratings as this district is the only in the state with three teams in the Top 10.
“Having Magnet specifically in our district is a huge test for the playoffs,” Ersoff said. “They will force us to be at our best to compete with them.”
Magnet advanced to the Division II semifinals last year, falling to St. Thomas More, 7-0. STM shut out all five of its playoff opponents en route to a state title, outscoring its foes 36-0.
But North DeSoto is an emerging power both locally and regionally in its second season in Division II, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
The Griffins have just two seniors and are powered by a large group of sophomores and juniors.
“Our captains are definitely our leaders – Ella Cosby, Chloe Phillips and Emily Long,” Ersoff said. “That being said, it’s not just one specific group that leads us – it’s the overall chemistry of the team and their teamwork that have created our success.”
While defense has been at its core, North DeSoto has charged its offense as of late.
The Griffins have scored 15 goals in their last five matches, netting at least two goals in each contest. Four of those matches have been on the road, proving that NDHS can load up the bus and still get the job done.
Melanie Windham leads the team with 21 goals scored, accounting for nearly half of NDHS’s 45 goals this season.
But 10 different players have scored a goal this season, meaning defenses can’t key just on Windham.
That’ll be a factor for a Griffin squad that has advanced to the second round of the playoffs in each of the past four seasons but are shooting for a deeper playoff run with this bunch.