• The Raptors '94 placed second in the U16 2008 SoccerElite GRRRLS tournament this past weekend in Memphis, TN. 
   
• The Raptors '93 team placed third in that same U16 group. 
   
• The '97 Orange team finished third in their age bracket. 

• Here is an on-line article about our own Anna Zellner.  It is from the Birmingham-Southern website.  Anna had to overcome a cracked vertebrate in both 2005 and in 2006. Most players would have quit, which shows a lot about Anna's determination and spirit.  Anna is an excellent student and also helped coach the Raptors '98 club team last fall.

    

   

  Women's Soccer receives another commitment for 2008

               

             

  

  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham-Southern women's soccer program has gotten another commitment for the 2008 season, as Anna Zellner has enrolled in the college and completed her intent to play for the Panthers, head coach Benji Walton announced today.

   

  Zellner, a defender out of Decatur, Ala., played with the Alabama State ODP team in 2005. Since then she has been a key member of the River City Raptors club team, which finished first in the DI state league in 2006 and 2007.

   

   Zellner was also a four-year starter for the varsity team at Austin High School in Decatur where she was named to the All-Morgan County Tournament First Team as a sophomore and as a senior. In 2007 she served as a team captain and was named Morgan County Tournament MVP and Austin High School Varsity MVP, and received Decatur Daily All-Area honors.

   

  “Anna is a solid defender, who is amazingly smart and calm with the ball at her feet," Walton said. "She does a great job of finding a pass to transition the team from defense to the attack. In addition, her ball winning abilities will make our defense unbelievably strong in 2008."

   

  Zellner joins Jodi Cochran, Morgan Hosea, Sara Menton and Lauren Metzger in the incoming class for the upcoming season.

   

• Cindy Varner passed along this story in the Decatur Daily in which a number of Raptors players and ex-players are listed:
  Madison runners hot at Frosty Freeze
   

• Interview with Sally Adams "The most uncoordinated coordinated person" in the Decatur Daily. 
  

• Raptors win Class 5A Cross Country Sectionals: Decatur won the girls title behind the performances of Raptor members: Sally Adams (first), Meg Adams (second), Kylie Peebles (eighth), and Megan Schmidt (10th).
  
   

• Raptors U18 Girls Finish Atop the Division I State League for the first time ever!

  With one game still left on their state league schedule, the Raptors ’90 wrapped up the U18 AYSA state league championship with a 1-0 win over the Columbus, Georgia U18 team at Phenix City on Sunday.   The Region 3 teams in the U18 state league were limited to 4 state league games so they could only accumulate 12 total points maximum.
  
  CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNERS

  Meg & Sally do well in the Dew It on the Trails 5-kilometer meet Saturday at Point Mallard Park.  There is a great photo in the sports section (Page B-3) of today’s Decatur Daily.  Look at the muscle definition in those arms from all the push-ups they’ve done all year at Raptor’s practice.  Sally finished 5th overall. 

  ROBOTICS:

  Priceville High was third in the robotics competition, but won the BEST competition with Hoover High finishing second. The four teams advance to the South BEST Regional competition Dec. 6-8 at Auburn University.  The Raptors Stephanie Varner is a big part of the Priceville team.  This will be her second year to advance to the Auburn competition.

  HOMECOMING BEAUTIES:
  
  Claire and Megan were in Decatur High School’s 2007 homecoming court and Anna will be in Austin’s court this coming week.  Hopefully Anna will be in a beautiful dress WITHOUT a matching ankle cast.

  COVER GIRL:

  
  Every resident of Decatur recently received a copy of the Decatur Parks & Recreation Fall 2007 magazine.  The Raptors club should get some terrific publicity as the front cover photo was Raptors ’90 Georgia Gamble in her Raptors Orange uniform.
   

• The Raptors ’90 (U18) were champions at the Huntsville Soccer Club Summer Classic Tournament.
  
  The Raptors ’90 team went through the entire tournament without conceding a single goal proving that if the other team can't score, they can't beat you.
  
  

ALL-STARS

• Claire Walker (Raptors '90) plays for the North squad in the 11th annual All-Star Sports Week. Also on the North squad were former Raptors '90 players Stephanie White and Megan Eskridge.  [article] 
   
• Congratulations to Kaeci Libarios (Raptors '90) Catholic High School Junior Goalkeeper for being named to the Huntsville All-Metro Super Team - Helped team win school's first area championship en route to a spot in the Class 1A-4A championship game, named All-Area in basketball, member National Honor Society.  
   
• Congratulations to Jennifer Zellner, Raptors '90, as she was chosen to the Camp All-Star team at the University of Louisville Elite High School Camp week of June 18th.
   
• Congratulations to Meg Adams (Raptors '90) who was selected as the Decatur Daily's High School Soccer Player of the Year for the second year in a row. (6-22-2007)
  
  
   
• Congratulations to the Raptors '90 players who were selected to the Decatur Daily All-Area High School Soccer Team for 2007. (6-22-2007)
  • Meg Adams
  • Georgia Gamble
  • Leah Kelly
  • Anna Zellner
  • Stephanie Varner
  • Claire Walker
  • Megan Schmidt
  • Annie McNamara
  • Also selected were 2005-06 Raptors '90 players Shannon Laughlin and Stephanie White.
     
• Congratulations to Arlee Sowder of the Raptors '92 team who was selected to the first team Decatur Daily All-Area High School Soccer Team for 2007. (6-22-2007)

• Congratulation to Lindsey Hawkins (2006 Raptors '90) who was selected to the 2007 North-South All-Star High School Softball Game.  Softball's gain is soccer's loss.  (5-29-2007)
   
• Congratulations to the Raptors '90 players who were recently selected to the Birmingham News (6-16-2007) High School All-State Teams. Selected were Raptors '90 players:
  • Meg Adams
  • Megan Schmidt
  • Claire Walker
  • Georgia Gamble
  • Kaeci Librarios
  • Megan Eskridge
  • Also selected were 2005-06 Raptors '90 players Shannon Laughlin and Stephanie White.
     
• 5-29-2007 - Congratulations to Claire Walker for being selected to the 2007 North-South All-Star High School Soccer Game.  The girls' teams will play in a Tuesday doubleheader (July 10) at John Hunt Park, at 5 p.m. Also selected was 2005-06 Raptors '90 player Stephanie White.
   
• 4-17-2007 - Congratulations to the current and former Raptors players who were selected to the 2007 Morgan County All-County High School Tournament Team
  • Jennifer Neill
  • Meg Adams
  • Georgia Gamble
  • Rachel Brown
  • Stephanie White
  • Arlee Sowder
  • Alexandra Morris
  • Leighann McNamara
  • Stephanie Varner
  • Anna Zellner (Tourney MVP)

• The U15 Raptors ‘93 came in 3rd place in the Grrrls tournament in Memphis September 9^th.

• The Raptors ’93 finished in a three-way tie for first place in the U15/U16 brackets at the Huntsville Soccer Club Summer Classic but lost out narrowly on tie-breakers. 

• Raptors ’97 Orange win 2007 Kicks Invitational Tournament. 

  The Raptors ’97 Orange lost their first game 4-0, tied their second game 1-1; but finished with two shut-out victories to become the 2007 Kicks Invitational Tournament U11 Red Division CHAMPIONS!
   

• Raptors ’97 White are Semi-Finalists at 2007 Kicks Invitational Tournament.  The Raptors ‘97 White (coached by Tom Boonarkat) narrowly missed the championships when they lost by one goal in overtime in the semi-finals.
   

• The Raptors 97 Orange were FINALISTS of the U11 GOLD Division at the 2007 Adidas Cup of Champions this past weekend in Goodlettsville, TN.  Placing 2nd in their bracket (to the eventual Champion), the Raptors 97 Orange won a tough semi-final match against the #1 team of the other bracket, Signal Mountain Storm 97.  After a scoreless game and OT, it came down to the 7th KFTM to determine the winner that moved onto the FINALS.  For the second time in this tournament (also lost to this team in the Finals of the Summer Classic), the Raptors 97 Orange played KFC Lady Courage Blue 97 a tough match, losing by one goal. 

  • KFC Lady Courage 97 Blue (3) - Raptors 97 (1)        
  • Raptors 97 (2) - Tennessee Rush Nike 97 (2)      
  • Semi-Finals - Raptors 97 (1) - Signal Mountain Storm 97 (0) (KFTM)
  • Finals - KFC Lady Courage 97 Blue (1) - Raptors 97 (0)
     

• Raptors ’97 White win the U11 Bronze Division in the TUSC Adidas Cup of Champions Tournament in Tennessee. In the championship match against the VFC Lady Rockets, Raptors ’97 White scored the winning goal with 20 seconds left in the match.  In the tournament, Raptors ’97 White played the following teams:
  Raptors ’97 White (6) - Lady Wolves (0)
  Raptors ’97 White (5) - Clarksville Lady Impact (0)
  Raptors ’97 White (5) - SRFC Lady Rapids White (1) Raptors ’97 White (4) - VFC Lady Rockets (3)
   

•  
  Raptors 97 Orange win the Liberty Cup Soccerfest. 
  
  (9-2-2007)
  
  Defense gives up just one goal in tournament.

  • Won 3-1 over VHSC Attack 97 AMS 1

  • Won 1-0 over Lady Ambassadors 97 Blue 0

  • (Semifinals) - Raptors 97 won 4-0 over the VHSC Attack 97 CPT 

  • Championship - Raptors 97 won 1-0 over the Laurel Blue Crush

  
   
• The Raptors ’97 tied for first place on points and lost in the finals of the U11 Gold bracket to the Knoxville Football Courage and finished as finalists (runners-up). 
   
• Congratulations to the Raptors Orange '97 team who were the 2006 Liberty Cup Champions!
   

• Congratulations to the U-10 Raptors who were the 2006 Liberty Cup Champions!