There is no state playoff for the Bryan County girls soccer team this year. The Redskins’ run of three straight trips to the post-season came to a halt in a season wracked by injury.

Coach Kristen Barnhill’s team did, however, showed its mettle as, despite its disappointments, it ended the season last week on a three-game winning streak with wins over McIntosh County Academy, Beach and playoff bound Treutlen County over a four-day stretch.

It marks only the second time in her career as a high school head coach Barnhill has missed taking a team to the playoffs. However, as far as Barnhill is concerned, she couldn’t be prouder of this year’s Redskins edition than if it had won a state championship.

In what was a most trying season starting in the first game when last year’s Region 3A-DII Defensive Player of the Year Camryn Parker was lost for the year due to a knee injury nothing seemed to go right for Bryan County.

The Redskins finished the season with, at times, only nine available players going up against 11. Yet to their credit there was no give up.

“I’m proud of these girls,” Barnhill said. “Thanks to the seniors for their leadership, grit and determination to lead this group of girls.”

Bryan County finished in fifth-place in a strong region. The GHSA will be going to a power rankings system this coming school year. Had that system been in place now six teams from the region, including the Redskins, would have been in the playoffs.

Bryan County (5-12, 3-7) was ranked 22nd in the state in the Maxprep power rankings. Screven County (17-1) won the region followed by Claxton, Portal and Metter.

Bryan County played nine of its last 10 games short-handed. Included in its region wins was a 5-4 win over Claxton while two of the losses were by one goal to Portal (4-3) and Metter (1-0). It took Screven to the wire before losing, 5-2.

“It’s not the season we thought we would have,” Barnhill said. “There were so many what ifs but the one thing I knew I could count on is that the girls on the field would get after it and play hard.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than that,” Barnhill said. “Being on the sidelines watching these girls compete has been the best part of my day every day.

“In a world where making excuses and giving up is normal these kids have zero quit. I will always remember this team and this season as one of the most frustrating, most what ifs and most rewarding seasons I’ve been a part of. Despite the hand they were dealt they didn’t make excuses. They showed up, worked hard and competed.”

The Redskins snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over McIntosh followed by a 6-1 win over Beach on Senior Night and then went on the road to get a 3-1 win at Treutlen County.

The win at Treutlen was especially satisfying. It came on penalty kicks after the game ended in regulation at 1-1. Liz Harvey tied the game midway through the second half and then fellow seniors Addie Longino and Asia Bentley converted their PKs for the win.

“It was a heck of a way to end one of the craziest seasons I’ve ever seen,” Barnhill said. “Tonight (against Treutlen) we had 11 kids on the field for the first time in about a month.”

Barnhill has an extensive soccer background in soccer. Per the University of Maryland website as a junior and senior she was the Central Virginia Player of the Year in high school in Charlottesville, Va., as a goalie. In her senior season with the Terps she led the ACC in saves with 94.

Following graduation, she was a graduate assistant at American University and Georgia Southern before becoming head coach at Southeast Bulloch where she took the Yellow Jackets to the state playoffs all nine years she was there. She is also an assistant volleyball coach and this past season coached the middle school boys basketball team to a 13-1 season.