Seth Good understands the challenges ahead of him.
First-year boys soccer coach Mellor Hyde has been given the unenviable task of replacing Sumner County's legendary leader, former Hawks coach Daniel Brooks.
It's a job that carries some “weight,” Good said. But this fresh-faced young man happily accepts.
“There are no words to accurately describe how much Daniel Brooks meant to this program,” Good said. “Whether during his tenure as head coach or assistant coach, he guided Mellor Hyde in a positive direction. I am very happy to be able to coach them.”
During his time at Mellor Hyde, Brooks led the Hawks to heights not seen since the school's inception in 2003.
He led the team to three district and regional titles from 2021-2023, including three consecutive trips to the Class A state tournament.
Mellor Hyde's 2021 state berth is the first in program history.
“Daniel has created a great culture and established a tradition within the program,” Good said. “He took care of the boys and invested in them. That's what made him special, so I want to build on that and build my own tradition.”
The Hawks (2-1-1) showed midseason form with a 5-1 victory over the Greenbrier (0-2) on Thursday at Louise Martin Field.
The three-time Class A semifinalists surged past Mark Thompson and the defending District 9-AA champion Bobcats on first-half goals from Kieran Stam and Austin White.
“We started fast and focused on setting the tempo of the game,” Good said. “I have to give credit to our players for coming out and playing well. The veterans and the young players are contributing consistently and it's great to see.
“It was a physical game tonight, so it was nice to see some freshmen come in and embrace their roles. This was a great team effort and something we can continue to build on. .”
Mellor Hyde took the lead less than two minutes after the opening whistle when Stamm fired a shot past Greenbrier goaltender Brian Salas.
It was the first of four goals the Hawks scored before 25 minutes were up, with Stam, White and freshman Matthew Henderson scoring from the back of the net.
Greenbrier's only goal was the last to be scored before intermission.
Senior Danny Retana chipped a free kick pass from winger Will Carr past goalie Bennett Artepeater by one. It was the first goal of the season for Retana, who scored 25 points a year ago.
“We're a young team and we have a lot of underclassmen starting,” Thompson said. “I thought the players fought well after a tough start. They could have easily stopped playing, but they kept fighting and looked good in the second half.
“Melor Hyde is a talented team. Playing them will help us grow and prepare us for district play. That's when the games really start to matter.”
Colby Hitchcock scored the winning goal in the second half to end the night. Freshman Mellor Hyde got past Salas with a left-footed kick in the 23rd minute.
“We're going to have some mental adversity ahead of us,” Good said. “We are playing against good opponents, but we still have to play under pressure and adversity.
“It’s going to make us even better and hopefully set us up for another deep run in the playoffs.”
