Goal Setters, Goal Getters part 2: Gibson, Jones helped lead CHS girls soccer to new heights

 The Corbin Lady Hounds soccer team made all kinds of history during the course of the recently completed 2022 season. With a 17-5-1 final record, the team set a record for most wins in a season. They captured 49th District and 13th Region championship crowns, and they advanced to the Elite Eight of this year’s KHSAA state championship tournament.

The 2022 season was also highlighted by several exceptional individual efforts, most notably by senior Grace Gibson, who set the record for most goals scored in a single season (55), and senior Olivia Jones, who set the single-season assists record (36).

Gibson and Jones, along with fellow seniors Riley Childers, Kaitlyn Will and Kaiden Walden, led the charge for the Lady Hounds in their history-making campaign, setting a high bar for all teams that will follow.

“There is no other group of girls that I would have wanted to do this with,” said Gibson, who received Region Player of the Year and First Team All-State honors for her efforts on the pitch this fall. “We all worked extremely hard, and I feel like we were a deserving group. The chemistry that we all shared was so special. None of us were out there playing for ourselves. We all played for the team.”

Gibson said that, although she tried not to focus too much on her personal stats during the course of the season, achieving the single-season goals record was a thrilling moment. “Getting the record was very special,” she said. “A lot of prayer went into this season, and I feel like God had His hand on this team. All glory goes to Him. Without Him, neither myself nor the team could’ve accomplished what we did.”

Speaking specifically about her record-breaking teammate, Gibson said, “Olivia is an amazing player, and probably the hardest worker that I know. We have always been close on and off the field, and I am thankful that we were able to put both of our strengths together this season.”

“We’ve played together our entire lives,” Gibson continued. “Getting to celebrate all of these special moments with her has been very special. We played for each other, and remained each other’s biggest fans.”

For her efforts, Jones received First Team All-Region honors in 2022, as well as receiving a Second Team All-State nod.

When asked to recount some of her most memorable goals from the past season, Gibson said the game at Russell County stands out because of the fact that the Lady Hounds had to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the second half to pull off the 3-2 comeback win.

“We were exhausted, and we played a very good team,” Gibson said. “With seconds left, Olivia passed to me and I was able to score the winning goal. That game showed how hard we all worked together, and how we never gave up. It really showed the character of our team.”

Gibson also mentioned Senior Night as a special memory, with all five senior players scoring a goal during the contest.

“I am just super proud of this team,” commented CHS girls soccer Head Coach Hannah Goins. “They accomplished so much this season, and they are an extremely special group. They are talented, and worked very hard to accomplish their goals. To be one of the final eight teams left playing in the whole state is no easy feat.”

As for Gibson and Jones and their respective records, Goins said, “Grace and Olivia are both very talented players. They came out very strong for us this year. They’ve both been big contributors for us for the past four years, but they were really able to connect with each other out there this year.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Goins said of her senior group. “They are all strong leaders, and it will obviously hurt to lose them, but the younger girls have really learned a lot from them. I think we still have a lot of potential as a team moving forward.”

“The girls who will be coming up to fill those spots are talented as well, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can do.”