Mosley keeper Grammer is indeed a keeper
LYNN HAVEN — Mosley goalkeeper Emily Grammer carefully weighed a question about where she had improved the most from her freshman to sophomore season, before responding “communication.”
About 30 minutes later, Dolphins head coach Jon Rhodes was asked the same question, and his answer might have reflected the cohesiveness of a squad leaving for the Class 5A state Final Four on Thursday morning.
Rhodes, in his fourth and final season guiding his trend-setting team, basically said the same thing.
“An older head on young shoulders. She’s talking more,” he said. “Her tactical knowledge and her composure.”
Grammer, who soon will turn 16, could be asked to play a larger role when Mosley competes at state for the first time in school history. The Dolphins are only the second county soccer team, Bay girls the first in 1995, to reach this level.
Although Grammer wasn’t tested much as the Dolphins steamrolled three region opponents by a combined 12-1 score, her contribution could expand against the best 5A squads in Florida.
Like an ace reliever in baseball not summoned because the starting pitchers dominated, or a place-kicker in football on an offense that had been scoring mostly touchdowns, soccer keepers sometimes become the loneliest position in their sport under extreme pressure.
“The last couple of games, actually the whole season, our defense has not been giving up many shots,” Grammer said. “That gives me confidence. I know the defense is going to play good.”
The Dolphins bring a 19-3-0 record and 15-game winning streak into their semifinal 11:45 a.m. Friday against Seminole. Nationally ranked schools George Jenkins and Melbourne meet in the other semi.
Grammer’s presence could become critical if the Dolphins and Seminoles play to an overtime tie. Penalty kicks then would decide the outcome, just as they did last season when an unbeaten Mosley team fell to Chiles in the region semifinals.
“We’ve practiced it a couple times, but Coach always says were not going to need any” to win, Grammer said.
Thus far this season, the Dolphins haven’t required that procedure, and Rhodes, who calls shoot-outs a lottery, is calling on his superstitions, of which there are many, to ward them off .
“We didn’t practice them against Chiles (last season) and needed them, so we practiced them against Niceville and didn’t need them,” he said. “We’re going to practice them.”
Grammer said that she has faced four of five penalty kicks during the course of the season, and said she was beaten on good shots. She did note that she saved one against Chiles.
She has surrendered only 16 goals in 21 matches, missing the district opener due to a stomach virus. She has made 86 saves and has a goals-against average of 0.76.
At 5-foot-9, she feels that her height gives her an advantage on high shots. A keeper since she was 12 when a club team coach wanted to try new players at the position, she said she has watched Briana Scurry of the U.S. women’s team, and Tim Howard of the U.S. men to gain insight on the position. And Courtney Jones, a Bay graduate who went on to backstop the successful West Florida women’s team.
“I had to communicate more than last year,” she said. “Last year we had Mallory Bond, and she would tell them when to mark up, or man on.”
It doesn’t hurt that she has Anna Hall in front of her at sweeper, and another line of defense that includes Jennifer Hickman, Amber Gray and Leah Vickers.
Hall, Rhodes said, was flawless during the region tournament.
“She’s amazing,” Grammer said. “She never seems to make a mistake when she’s in front. She’s really good. She’s always communicating, her and Kat” Vogler.
