By Jon Johnson
The chartered bus was parked next to the players’ entrance of Rip Hewes Stadium, soon to be filled with members of the Dothan United Dragons soccer club.
Inside the locker room, players, coaches and support personnel had their bags packed for a road trip to Montgomery in what would be an important United Soccer League Two battle last week.
By 3 o’clock, the Dragons’ traveling party was boarded, situated in their seats and settled in for the two-hour drive ahead.
Three coaches sat towards the front of the bus – interim head coach Connor Goldrick and assistants Tommy Shepherd and Mike White. Head coach Ricky Davey was absent for this trip due to a previously planned vacation that was in place before he signed a contract with the Dragons.
Behind the coaches sat General Manager Aaron McCreight, who oversees the day-to-day duties of the team. If the Dragons are anywhere in the community or beyond, you can be sure McCreight isn’t far behind.
Before departing, Kelli Pylant, who regularly helps the club with hospitality, entered the bus to wish the team good luck. In turn, one of the players asked her to lead them in a word of prayer, which she did.
As the trip began, some listened to music, some watched a World Cup match on their laptop computer and others simply chilled out. The aroma of catered Italian food circulated throughout the bus.
Only 30 minutes into the trip, pasta with red sauce in plastic containers was handed out by team manager Wes Neenan. With the game scheduled for 7 p.m., it was time for the players to get some carbs in their body in preparation for the night ahead.
It was unusually quiet during the trek to Montgomery. The coaches talked about some strategy, but there was little chat among the players.
The bus pulled into the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex a little after 5 p.m. It’s a nice facility located near the Auburn University at Montgomery campus.
Players first filed into the visitor’s locker room and then went out to the field to stretch a bit and get a feel for their surroundings. Not long after, they changed into their pre-game attire and went through drills on the field.
Fans began arriving, many of them being supporters of the Dragons. It’s refreshing to see how many fans from Dothan support this team, not only at home games but on the road as well.
The Circle City Inferno – the official supporter’s group for the Dragons – were in attendance with their chants being heard loud and clear along with the banging of their drum.
Around 6:45, the team gathered back in the locker room for some last-minute instructions and to change into their game uniforms. Before heading back onto the field, they gathered in a circle with arms wrapped around one another.
McGoldrick gave a short speech to the team, goalkeeper Yago Darub offered some words of encouragement and then they broke on the count of three. It was almost game time.
When the starting line-ups were announced back on the field, the Dothan fans were definitely more vocal than those of the home team Montgomery United. The Dragons’ players acknowledged their fans with waves.
Dothan United fell behind 1-0 following a penalty kick early in the match and trailed by that score at halftime. While the Dragons had plenty of scoring opportunities in the first 45 minutes, they just couldn’t connect.
Things would be different in the second half after some key substitutions were made. Dothan United would tie things up less than five minutes into the final half and get the game-winning goal with less than 15 minutes left for a 2-1 victory.
As is the custom following games, the Dothan United players showed love for their fans by sticking around to visit with them. There is a genuine bond between the Dragons and their supporters.
Pizza was waiting in the locker room and celebratory music was blaring as the players showered and then packed their bags for the trip home.
Around 10 p.m. or so it was time to load back onto the bus and head south down U.S. Hwy. 231. With 18 players counted on board along with the coaches and support personnel in place, the engine cranked and it was on to Dothan.
It was much louder on the ride home after what had been a major victory. There were even some sing-alongs, which was quite entertaining to say the least. It’s really refreshing to see a team of so many backgrounds blending together beautifully and having a great time together.
The bus pulled back into the parking lot of Rip Hewes around 12:30 a.m. and all began exiting into the dark of the night.
Game day travel with the Dothan United Dragons provides a glimpse of life on the semi-pro soccer circuit.
For this writer, it was enlightening and a breath of fresh air to be part of it.
