DEMOPOLIS &045; Though the varsity girl’s soccer team is facing an opponent from a higher class, coach Peter Keen isn’t sweating the game too much. In fact he is pretty sure his scrappy team of veterans will emerge with another victory notch to add to their belt.

Of course with a record of 13-2 and a team fielding eight seniors and four juniors, it is pretty easy to have confidence in your team against all comers. This is especially true when the majority of your upperclassman have seen a good deal of playing time on a varsity level for the past four years &045; the duration of the time Demopolis High School has offered soccer as a sport.

Keen also points out that the two games the team has lost, both against John Carroll High School out of Birmingham, have been lost by a margin of one point. Not only have they been lost by a margin of one point, but the goals against Demopolis have come off deflections from defenders of the Tigers. Technically John Carroll, the No. 2 team in the state in the Tigers’ division, has yet to score against the team.

So though the Tigers face a team that is in a higher division Keen isn’t terribly worried, though he points out that, as with all games, anything can happen depending on which team shows up to play.

Keen said there was a time he scheduled Hillcrest to give his fledgling team practice against a stronger opponent, but those times are no more. He said as the team has matured over four years, the level of competition between the to schools has reversed, giving Demopolis the upper hand.

Keen said during the game with Hillcrest he would make the team work on finishing. This would benefit the team as it faces tough defenses aimed at shutting down scoring in the playoffs. He said, as he has all year, he would also like to see more pass communication come from the upcoming match.

The match up between the Tigers and Hillcrest High School will be held at 5 p.m. today at the Demopolis Sportsplex. The game will be followed by a match between the varsity boy’s soccer team and Hillcrest’s varsity squad.