FLOWERY BRANCH — Just looking at the recent achievements of the Flowery Branch girls soccer team, you might think the Lady Falcons were already flying high and firing on all cylinders.
Not even close yet says Branch girls coach Anel Lilic.
Yes, the Lady Falcons are are coming off a 2017 a state semifinal appearance. And, yes, Flowery Branch is 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class 5A.
And yet Lilic says his squad is just scratching the surface of some tremendous potential.
"We're young -- they are only four seniors on the team -- there's a lot of talent and high expectations," Lilic said. "But we're still in the beginning of building a culture here. We're slowly starting to get there, and the girls have shown tremendous work ethic and willingness, but we're still working on some things."
It is a statement that, frankly, may scare the heck out of some of the Branch's opponents when considering that this season the Lady Falcons (11-0, 3-0 Region 8-AAAAA) have outscored their 11 opponents 79-6.
Lilic says it's about more than just stats, however, and he wants his program to aim for lofty standards both in play and mindset.
"There's been moments in some games where we've been brilliant for 10-15 minutes and scored a bunch of goals in that span. Consistency is something to strive for right now," said Lilic, who is in his first season with the Lady Falcons. "You look at the Buford game (a 4-1 win on March 9); it was 1-1 at the half and we were only up 2-1 until there were six minutes remaining. We played well, but we can play better."
The aim is to play exciting, offensive-minded soccer -- the kind of free-flowing style that will not only provide success, but enjoyment both in playing and watching.
"We like to attack, be brave and courageous, and joy is a big part of it," Lilic said. "I want these girls to have fun playing and know that they can take risks without having to worry about being yelled at for trying something."
Thanks to a solid base of experienced leadership and young talent -- it appears that the Branch is certainly heading in the direction Lilic wants.
To play with an offensive abandon requires a trustworthy defensive base that can both repel opposing attacks and kick the offense into gear after winning possession, and Lilic inherited two centerbacks more than capable of fulifilling that role.
"Our two captains Alexis Kent and Elise Lewis, both seniors, are great people and role models," Lilic said. "We have great leadership on and off the field."
The combination of Kent and Lewis, along with fullbacks Madi Shewbert and Ella Reilly -- not to mention the appearance of Hannah Pimentel at goalkeeper -- frees the Lady Falcons' playmakers to focus on scoring.
"Hannah moved in from Utah and has been huge for us," said Lilic, whose squad has yielded just six goals and produced and seven shutouts so far this season. "Hannah gives us a safety net back there."
Meanwhile, youth dots the attack, as freshmen Larsyn Reid and Abby Grainger, along with sophomore McKenzie Kent help provide a lethal tip to the Lady Falcons' talons. A churning midfield engine of sophomores Anna Grady and Glorismel Chavez, as well as juniors Callie Huff and Caroline Wysocki, are also playing key roles.
"We're starting to get there," said Lilic, whose team notched a key, 2-0 win over Johnson on Friday to take a firm grip of Region 8-AAAAA. "We're starting to see self-born leaders out there, and we have an abundance of talented girls. But we're still just trying to take it game by game."
It's certainly hard to argue with the results.
