COVINGTON, Ga. — The Alcovy Tigers’ 2023 has been rough sledding for the majority of the year. However, there are two seniors, Nikilis Johnson and Caleb Tondee who believe that the Tigers have accomplished more than their record may indicate. 

Tondee even stated that the number of participants for Alcovy soccer has seen a huge boost in recent years. 

“It is definitely getting more popular. Our main roster has around 20-22 players on it,” Tondee said. “And that’s the most I’ve seen out here in a while. The numbers are definitely going up.” 

Alcovy stands at 0-8 overall with a 0-5 record in Region 3-AAAAAA. 

The Tigers have had some close matches along the way, though. They lost to McDonough 5-2 on Feb. 7 followed by a 3-2 defeat against Region 3-AAAAAA foe Morrow on Feb. 13. 

Johnson highlighted a main reason why the Tigers’ haven’t cracked the win column yet. 

“One of our biggest challenges is getting in sync with each other,” Johnson said. “Our communication on the field and positioning can be improved. And generally just growing together as a unit on and off the field will be huge for us.” 

But, with more student-athletes coming out and wanting to play for the Tigers, Johnson believes Alcovy soccer can be much better the next few seasons. 

“With the rise in popularity, I feel like Alcovy soccer will bring in more people and maybe those people can have more potential for better success,” Johnson said. “And from there, they can continue to move the program forward.” 

Johnson plays center back for the Tigers while Tondee has played all over the field for the Tigers in his four-year career. Next up for the Tigers are matches against Woodward Academy and Jonesboro, both at home. 

And, even though his senior season is about to wrap up, Tondee is optimistic of what the future holds for the Tigers. 

“I feel like in the future, we’re going to come back in a few years and see more success,” Tondee said. “I feel like we’re setting the groundwork now for them to succeed in the future.”