Lady Eagles Soccer Progresses with Coach Payne

In his first season as a head high school soccer coach, Drew Payne seems right at home in Seymour.
The Gibbs High graduate is starting his coaching career at the early age of 25. That was about the age that Gary Householder started his Seymour football coaching career of 31 years.
Payne coaches both the Seymour Eagles girls and boys teams. They are in the Inter Mountain Athletic Conference (IMAC) along with Sevier County, Jefferson County, Cocke County, South-Doyle, Morristown East and West and Daniel Boone.
Currently the Lady Eagles have won four, lost seven and tied one. Coach Payne feels they are a much better team than their record indicates. He cites an overly tough schedule as one of the reasons. “We are playing an extremely tough schedule which was made by the previous coach.”
When asked about practices Coach Payne responded, “We are making good progress. I was a late hire so our conditioning is a little behind.” The conditioning is a mostly running and weight lifting.
Senior leaders include Courtney Suttles, Debra Huddleston, Lauren Johnson and Kelsey Fleming. They are key players but according to Payne, last year’s team which won the district and went to the state was stacked with talent. Many were lost off that team to graduation.
One addition to this year’s staff is assistance coach Francois Pierre from Liberia.
Coach Payne has changed systems from last year’s American style to a Brazilian style which he learned playing in college for LMU. The American style focuses more on fast break style soccer versus the Brazilian style which is more ball possession and short passes.
The Lady Eagles will be hit hard again with graduation this year but according to Payne the talent level is good coming in from Seymour Middle School soccer.
Asked how it felt to be a head soccer coach at such an early age, Payne responded, “Pretty good; it’s great to have the opportunity. Soccer is still a young sport. It’s not too rare to be a head coach especially with my playing experience in college.” Besides coaching soccer, Coach Payne also teaches Bible History and ALC.
Although the regular season is winding down, the main events are still ahead. The Lady Eagles face Sevier County on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Sevier County. That game will conclude the regular season. After that, preparation will begin for the all important post season. The District will be October 19-23, the Regional on October 27 and 29 and the Sectional game on October 31. If Seymour advances to the State Tournament, it will be November 3-7.