MONTGOMERY, Ala. – This year’s North-South All-Star Soccer games at Montgomery’s Emory Folmar Soccer Complex wrapped up Wednesday’s Alabama High School Athletics Association (AHSAA) All-Star Week action and a Bearcat was on the field for each game. Hannah Bircheat landed on this year’s North Girls All-Star roster while Gresyon Gerding represented Cullman on the boys’ team.
The girls got things started at 5:00 and the South team quickly scored to take an early 1-0 lead and stretched their advantage to 2-0 by the half. The North squad was able to get on the board in the second half but couldn’t catch up to the South and fell 3-1.
Bircheat got the start at defender for the North team and even though it’s not her normal position, she’s happy with the way she played Wednesday.
“I feel like I played the best that I could with what I was out there for. I didn’t play the position that I usually play but I feel like I played good in the position I was in,” Bircheat said. “I know they had to switch it up a little bit to make it all fit better but I still feel like I played pretty good.”
Despite the North falling 3-1 in this year’s All-Star Game, Hannah was excited to be part of this event and get the chance to meet her peers on the field.
“It was so great. When I was told I was so shocked,” Bircheat smiled. “I was like ‘I get to meet all these great athletes and play with them’ and it was just really fun. They’re really great people, on and off the field.”
The boys’ game followed the girls shortly after 7 p.m. and another Bearcat was out on the field. The North took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break and on the defensive end, Gerding helped the North squad pull away and secure a 3-0 win over the South.
Gerding feels pretty good about the way he played in the victory but is mostly thankful for the opportunity to be part of this year’s team.
“I think as a team we all played well and got along really well. I think I played pretty good I guess but getting a shutout is nice and I just want to give all the glory to God,” Gerding said. “It’s an honor to be out here and play with a bunch of great guys who have an ability to play good soccer and it was just an honor.”
The Bearcats suffered some growing pains on the field last spring but with a young team returning to the field in 2020, Gerding wants to use this experience to build a little momentum for next season.
“I just want to take my experience here and hopefully kind of pass it on to the younger guys,” Gerding said. “We’re a young team but I think we have a lot of potential.”
Copyright 2019 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
