By Reese Gilcrease
On November 27th, 2023, it was discovered that the senior flags for Lady Gator Soccer were stolen. For the 2023-2024 season, it was decided that flags would be a better substitute due to games not being at Lee Hedges Stadium.
Getting pictures taken and getting the flags customized has been in the works for months. Seniors were ecstatic to see the finished product. Little did they know, it wouldn’t last long.
The flags were received and put up at Caddo Soccer Field on November 7th in preparation for the team’s first scrimmage the next day against Benton. After the game, the flags were allegedly taken down by the Junior Varsity and put into the storage container located on the practice field. Following Thanksgiving Break, girls soccer coach Erik Lane discovered that the flags were missing.
The total cast of the flags were $150 each. The senior girls paid $85 and the program covered the remaining $65. The total cost for all twelve flags was $1,800.
It was thought that the team would have to re-order the flags and replace them because they were nowhere to be found on campus. The only conclusion the team had come to was that they were stolen.
“I think it was stupid and I think the boys took them.” said Senior JV captain Bailey Collier.
Others joked saying “the Byrd girls probably took them and when we play them, they’ll be waving them in the crowd with our eyes crossed out.”
Coach Lane was very upset about the situation. He spent the whole practice trying to figure out where they could’ve gone along with the bag of balls that were also missing.
The balls were found the same day within the time frame of practice.
The next morning, November 28th, the flags were mysteriously dropped off in front of the containers. The mystery of what happened to the flags between November 8th and November 28th has yet to be solved.