Central Fellowship begins quest for third straight title with Gatewood match

Central Fellowship girls soccer coach Teddy Tanner knows what his team is capable of.

After all, the Lancers have won the last two GIAA Class 2A State Championships and are seeking a third as the playoffs begin this week.

But he also knows, perhaps more importantly, why the team has found so much success.

“We’re very lucky to have a balance,” Tanner said. “We’ve got players who can finish but also a great goalkeeper and a solid defense. Not many teams have that. Some teams will stay in games with defense … other teams can score but then they can’t defend.”

CFCA certainly does have a balance, one that has suffocated opponents during yet another dominant season under Tanner. The Lancers are 20-1 — their only loss came against Stratford, a team that is undefeated and two classifications higher in GIAA — and are the No. 1 team in the Class 2A state tournament.

Tanner credited his strikers and goalkeeper for helping his team achieve that chemistry. Scorers like Layla Wagner and Morgan Riley, the latter of whom is also a phenom when it comes to assists, are lethal in the final third. Senior keeper Emory Andrews “plays like a big-time keeper in big-time moments,” Tanner said.

There’s one other player that Tanner must commend, though, one he’s not always so quick to praise. That would be his daughter, Lois Tanner, who has an incredible 70 goals this year, according to MaxPreps.

“I’m not gonna shy away from it, I guess — Lois is a pretty good player. I’m pretty tough on her at times because she’s my daughter, but she is a great teammate for us,” the elder Tanner said. “She would probably get a whole lot more love from other coaches.

With Lois at the forefront and the Wagner-Riley duo right behind her, the rest of the pieces fall into place rather easily for Tanner and the Lancers. 

The rest of the squad are some of the hardest workers he’s ever coached. Players like midfielder Morgan Gunningham “do the dirty work” that keeps Central Fellowship in control. The team’s young defense would “run through a wall for me,” Tanner said. Central Fellowship limited its opponent to one goal or less in 19 of its 21 games.

“Having players who are incredibly talented but also hard-working is rare,” the head coach said. “I think that’s what I’ve really wanted, is a mix of talent and hard work. This group of seniors has that … it will serve them well. It’s going to be a big loss when they move on to greater things in life.”

That senior class graduates this Friday, which is why CFCA’s first-round playoff game with Gatewood — a match Tanner and the Lancers are not taking lightly — got moved up to Wednesday.

Gatewood enters the match as the No. 8 seed with a 7-8 record after defeating the No. 9 team, First Preparatory Christian, in the first round. Central Fellowship got a bye as the top seed.

“Gatewood is a tough team, they scheduled really tough matchups in the season. This game is gonna be a war,” Tanner said. “They have those hard-working players. They’re motivated. I think in metaphors sometimes — it’s like a horse that’s a long shot to win. If they win, it’s a shocker, it’s awesome. If we win, we’re supposed to.”

The Lancers saw that toughness firsthand in their final game of the season, their closest of the year by far. Gatewood took Central Fellowship down to the wire, forcing two overtimes before Wagner netted the game-winning goal with only a few minutes left.

Tanner has stressed to his squad the importance of coming out strong to begin the playoffs. Staying focused has also been a point of emphasis for the head coach, as the playoffs will stretch all the way through the end of May should the Lancers advance that far.

“I think they want it really bad,” Tanner said of the team eying its third consecutive state trophy. “It’s a long season, a long grind. I think they’re ready. … That’s my favorite thing in my players, when they want it.”

Central Fellowship hosts the Gatewood Gators at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs.