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PAGE 10 November E-Edition 2025
SEC 2025 Soccer Awards The Southeastern Conference has unveiled the soccer coaches’ postseason awards. Arkansas’ Colby Hale was named SEC Coach of the Year, Tennessee’s Ally Brown was voted SEC Scholar- Athlete of the Year, Vanderbilt’s Sydney Watts was selected as SEC Forward of the Year, Mississippi State’s Ally Perry was named SEC Midfielder of the Year, South Carolina’s Gracie Falla was voted SEC Defender of the Year, Vanderbilt’s Sara Wojdelko was picked as the SEC Goalkeeper of the Year, Texas’ Ava McDonald was awarded SEC Freshman of the Year, and Alabama’s Larkin Thomason was tabbed SEC Newcomer of the Year. All voting was conducted by the league’s 16 coaches. 2025 SEC Soccer Awards First Team All-SEC Forward: Katie Shea Collins, South Carolina Forward: Ava Galligan, LSU Forward: Gianna Paul, Alabama Forward: Sydney Watts, Vanderbilt Midfielder: Kennedy Ball, Arkansas Midfielder: Summer Denigan, Georgia Midfielder: Courtney Jones, Vanderbilt Midfielder: Ally Perry, Mississippi State Defender: Ally Brown, Tennessee Defender: Hayden Colson, Auburn Defender: Gracie Falla, South Carolina Defender: Hannah McLaughlin, Vanderbilt Goalkeeper: Sara Wojdelko, Vanderbilt Second Team All-SEC Forward: Bella Field, Arkansas Forward: Ida Hermannsdottir, LSU Forward: Ava McDonald, Texas Forward: Vailana Tu’ua, Arkansas Midfielder: Mac Midgley, Tennessee Midfielder: Nadia Ramadan, Alabama Midfielder: Kiera Staude, Georgia Midfielder: Amalia Villarreal, Texas Defender: Sydney Cheesman, LSU Defender: Cate Hardin, Georgia Defender: Grace Hoytink, Kentucky Defender: Makenzie Malham, Arkansas Goalkeeper: Cayden Norris, Tennessee Third Team All-SEC Forward: Sariyah Bailey, LSU Forward: Zoe Main, Mississippi State Forward: Jenna Stayart, Tennessee Forward: Tanner Strickland, Kentucky Midfielder: Erin Flurey, Auburn Midfielder: Melina Rebimbas, Alabama Midfielder: Kai Tsakiris, Florida Midfielder: Cuyler Zulauf, South Carolina Defender: Taylor Bloom, South Carolina Defender: Riley Brown, Oklahoma Defender: Jazmin Ferguson, LSU Defender: Hannah Jibril, Mississippi State Defender: Avery Wren, Arkansas Goalkeeper: Caroline Duffy, Oklahoma All-Freshman Team Sariyah Bailey, LSU Mya Townes, Georgia Kai Tsakiris, Florida Vailana Tu’ua, Arkansas Coach of the Year: Colby Hale, Arkansas Forward of the Year: Sydney Watts, Vanderbilt Midfielder of the Year: Ally Perry, Mississippi State Defender of the Year: Gracie Falla, South Carolina Goalkeeper of the Year: Sara Wojdelko, Vanderbilt Freshman of the Year: Ava McDonald, Texas Newcomer of the Year: Larkin Thomason, Alabama Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ally Brown, Tennessee SEC Soccer Community Service Team The members of the 2025 SEC Soccer Community Service Team were recently announced. They include: • Isabel Smith, Alabama • Peyton Whipple, Arkansas • Dylan Driver, Auburn, • Paris Bice, Florida • Cate Hardin, Georgia • Dana Dahm, Kentucky • Morgan Witz, LSU • Kate Smith, Ole Miss • Kennedy Husbands, Mississippi State • Morgan Schaefer, Missouri • Cassie Clifton, Oklahoma • Amanda Patrick, South Carolina • Jenna Stayart, Tennessee • Breana Thompson, Texas • Sydney Fuller, Texas A&M • Kenadie Marchand, Vanderbilt Riley Crooks, Texas A&M Lily Devereaux, Auburn Hannah Folliard, Georgia Mackenzie Johnson, South Carolina Ally Laccinole, Oklahoma Ava McDonald, Texas Reagan Pentz, Vanderbilt Gabi Poretto, Kentucky Olivia Stafford, Vanderbilt Adia Symmonds, Mississippi State
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Several college football coaches have already found themselves on the unemployment list instead of the gridiron this season. This includes former Notre Dame and LSU head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly, who led Notre Dame to a 21-17 victory over LSU in the 2018 Citrus Bowl Championship, ironically became the Tiger's Head Coach in 2022. However, after a 5-3 start to the 2025 season, LSU and Kelly have parted ways. He is one of several head coaches that have been relived of their coaching duties mid-season. Some of the other former head college coaches fired this season include: Trent Difler (UAB), James Franklin (Penn State), Deshaun Foster (UCLA), Billy Napier (Florida), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech), Jay Norvell (Colorado State), Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Mike Grundy (Oklahoma State), and Hugh Freeze (Auburn). College Coaching Conundrum Georgia Defeats Florida
University of Georgia running back Chauncey Bowens broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run with 4:36 to play in the fourth quarter to lift the fifth-ranked UGA football team to a 24-20 win over Florida on Saturday. November 1, 2025 at EverBank Stadium. It was Georgia’s fifth straight win over the Gators and the Bulldogs’ fourth come-from-behind win in SEC play this season. Georgia trailed 20-17 midway through the final period when its defense got a big stop on fourth-and-1 at the UGA 18-yard line, and the offense responded by driving for the go-ahead score. The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) had to rally in the second half to beat then-No. 15 Tennessee, Auburn and then-No. 5 Ole Miss, and they did it again against Florida. Florida (3-5, 2-3) took the lead early in the fourth, but the Georgia defense turned the Gators over on downs on their final two possessions. The Bulldogs out-gained the Gators 361-281. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton was 20-for- 29 passing for 223 yards and two touchdowns, and wide receiver Zachariah Branch had a big day with 10 catches for 112 yards. Georgia rushed for 138 yards on 39 carries, with Bowens leading the way with 70 yards on nine attempts. Linebacker CJ Allen led the defense with 13 tackles. Due to upcoming major renovations at EverBank Stadium, this was the final game in Jacksonville until 2028. Next season’s game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, followed by Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in 2027. Georgia got the ball to start the game and moved the 75 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. A 12-yard pass from Stockton to wide receiver Dillon Bell on third-and-7 at the UGA 28-yard line kept the drive going, and the two connected again later to end the drive. On second-and-7 at the Florida 8, Stockton hit Bell in the end zone on a quick slant to put the Bulldogs in front early. Florida tied the game with 6:32 left in the first quarter on a one-play drive, completing a 40-yard touchdown pass from DJ Lagway to Eugene Wilson III. The Gators got the ball back soon after, when a Stockton pass was intercepted by defensive back Devin Moore, giving Florida the ball
at the Georgia 38. The Gators took a 10-7 lead on Trey Smack’s 22-yard field goal with 3:02 to go in the quarter. The Bulldogs tied the game 10-10 with 12 seconds remaining in the first half on Peyton Woodring’s 39-yard field goal. At halftime, Georgia had a 197-127 advantage in total offense, with 12 first downs to Florida’s six. After Georgia’s defense forced a three-and-out to open the second half, the Bulldog offense went 74 yards in five plays and took a 17-10 lead on Stockton’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Noah Thomas. Earlier in the drive, on third-and-5 at the UGA 31, Stockton hit Branch down the middle for a 42-yard gain. The Gators tied the game on the ensuing drive, going 79 yards in 12 plays and scoring on a 2-yard Jadan Baugh run with 3:37 to play in the third quarter. Florida took a 20-17 lead with 14:52 left in the game on a 54-yard Smack field goal. Midway through the fourth, Florida had the ball at the Georgia 18 and went for it on fourth-and-1. The Bulldogs’ Raylen Wilson and Elijah Griffin stopped the run short of the first down, and the offense took the field down three with 7:54 remaining. Georgia made the most of the stop, regaining the lead, 24-20, on Bowens’ 36-yard touchdown run up the middle. Stockton and Branch did a lot of the work on the drive, connecting for 18 yards on third-and-8 at the UGA 20 and 13 yards later in the drive. The Bulldog defense stopped the Gators again on fourth down on the next drive, with defensive back Ellis Robinson IV breaking up a pass on fourth-and-4 at the Florida 31 with 3:13 to play. Facing third-and-7 at the Gator 28, Bowens got free on the left side for a 14-yard gain to the 14 with less than three minutes remaining. Georgia was then able to run out the clock and secure the win. The Bulldogs are back on the road next Saturday, November 8 at Mississippi State. Georgia leads the all-time series 21-6 and has won the past five meetings. Florida will travel to Kentucky (3-5) to battle the Wildcats on November 8 at 6:30 p.m. CT. Kentucky is coming off a 10-3 victory at Auburn (4-5).
Photo by Austin Perryman, Auburn Athletics
Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk (#15) attempts to tackle Kentucky's Seth McGowan during SEC action on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The visiting Wildcats upset Auburn 10-3. The Tigers are 4-5 overall and need two more wins this season to become bowl eligible. Auburn will be seeking one of those wins at Vanderbilt on November 8. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. CT.
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