There wasn’t a more dominant team anywhere in the state than the Commerce Lady Tigers soccer team. Still a relatively young program, Commerce in year three was unbelievable. Consider that the program went just 2-9-2 in its inaugural 2019 season. That was followed by a stellar 2020 that was cut short with an 8-1 record. 2021 saw the girls hold a #1 state ranking from wire to wire and go 19-1 while outscoring opponents 195-8.

The season didn’t end the way they wanted it to in a second round loss to Atlanta Classical, in a 2-1 game that saw Commerce out-shoot the opponents 20-6.

“The record speaks for itself,” says coach Scott Tolbert. “The accomplishments speak for themselves. The girls did an outstanding job this year. We are blessed with some outstanding talent.”

Tolbert further spoke of the girls soccer prowess throughout North Georgia, naming programs like Lumpkin, White, Towns, etc.

The Lady Tigers were chalk full of talent, starting with the duo of Chloe Diaz and Ivy Tolbert. Diaz, a sophomore, scored an astounding 65 goals and notched 42 assists. Tolbert, a freshman and fellow all-state selection, also had 65 goals and added 58 assists, leading the nation in the latter while tying for second in the first.

“It takes a day or two to let that one sink in,” says Tolbert. “That’s not where we wanted the season to end. We started this week as a matter of fact working toward next year. We’re proceeding ahead, we’re doing what we need to do to get our team ready for next year. We’re going to be blessed with what we have coming back. I know what [the loss] has done to me. It’s going to make me work that much harder, and the girls are probably more so than I am. A very hungry group of girls. They’re going to be ready.”

“It’s fun to watch, and it’s fun to play in,” says freshman Tolbert. “The creativity that we have to have to produce those kind of numbers. It’s a fun game. The more that you can get involved as far as goal scoring, it makes it more fun. An offense that’s good at generating goals can generate goals from anyone.”

Commerce is no doubt going to be driven by the Sweet 16 loss moving forward, and will be led by that dynamic duo.

“This year our main goal we were focused on was going as far as we can, doing something that’s never been done before,” says Diaz. “When we lost in the first round, it was just so devastating. Looking back at the season we’ve had, considering all the practices…we all put in so much work, and just to go out like that, it was just really heartbreaking.”

Look out for any team on the 2022 slate, as that heartbreak will be refined to create added fuel to the fire that burns inside each member of the Lady Tigers.