By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Two more products of the St. Cloud Soccer Club are on their way to the greener pastures of college athletics.

St. Cloud Bulldogs Alison Spry and Kelly Coughenour signed college scholarships recently to play at Brevard Community College in Melbourne and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, respectively.

Spry, a center midfielder, is part of the first-ever Titans team and the school’s first signing class for Coach Jeff Carr.

That, and the location, are what Spry said drew her to the school less than 45 minutes from home.

“It’s a full ride, and the coach told us we’d be living in houses right on the beach,” she said. “But, it will be exciting to be on the school’s first team ever.”

Spry, a team captain, led the Bulldogs to another solid season – an 11-5 record, and runners-up to Harmony in the Orange Belt Conference. The Longhorns ended St. Cloud’s season in the 4A District 6 semifinals, 3-1.

“We put on a good show,” Spry said of her final game in four years of varsity play for the Bulldogs. “Some girls just got a little nervous.”

Bulldogs Coach Melissa Jackson said Spry was the person who made the team’s offense and transition game go.

“She has a great passing ability, so she knows how to open up a field,” Jackson said. “She knows where the the pieces need to go.”

Spry said her strong suit on the field is her passing game.

“I like to look at the field and be a distributor. I’m at my best when I know where everybody’s at,” she said.

She plans to major in finance.

Coughenour, another four-year varsity player and a teammate of Spry’s on the Florida Rush club team out of Apopka, said she met the Eckerd coaching staff at a tournament in Fort Lauderdale. They invited her to visit the Division II Sunshine State Conference school and try out.

In the end, the Tritons, who are restocking the program under Coach Joe McCauley after a 2-13-1 season, presented a better offer than the other school in her mix, LaGrange College in Georgia.

Coughenour, the center fullback at St. Cloud, also will play in the defense at Eckerd – rather soon, in fact.

“He said he was bringing in five freshman to play defense, and three of them would start,” she said. “If I can play for the whole 90 minutes I’ll be able to do that, so I’ll be working out this summer and trying to get in better shape.”

Coughenour, who stands 5-10, said her size may be her biggest asset.

“I’d say my ability to play in the air is a strength, as well as my passing,” she said.

Jackson said that Coughenour is physically and mentally ready to play in the middle of a college defense.

“That size, with control, you just don’t see it that often. She’s totally equipped, and I think she’s been ready for a long time.

“She, along with Alison, will get the chance to work with one coach at one position, and they’ll get the chance to train and work out in order to help their speed.”

Coughenour said she plans to enter a pre-med program.