Anniston, AL – As Donoho’s Turley celebrates her college future, the three-time Calhoun County player of the year eyes the immediate future of her senior season with big goals.
By Joe Medley
Soccer season starts Saturday for Donoho, and three-time Calhoun County player of the year Erin Turley said the Falcons have their goal in sight.
It’s not a number of wins. It’s more of a feeling.
“We’ve said, this year, we weren’t going to end the season in tears,” Turley said. “If there were tears, they’re going to be happy tears.
“That’s our goal right now.”
Turley smiled big through Tuesday’s ceremony in Donoho’s library to celebrate her signing with Alabama-Huntsville.
She signed in November and announced so on social media but chose to have her signing ceremony later. It came four days before the Falcons open their season at Cleburne County.
Turley enters her senior season with 113 career goals and 82 assists. He’s a three-time coaches’ selection for all-state and a three-time Calhoun County player of the year, dating back to her seventh-grade season.
She lost her eighth-grade season when the AHSAA shut down spring sports in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for her college choice, she initially aimed for Montevallo, but one of her travel-ball coaches played soccer with current UAH women’s coach James Ballamy at UAH.
“He was telling me I needed to go check it out,” Turley said. “I had two offers at the time, and I wasn’t ready to make a decision yet.
“Montevallo’s assistant coach had left, and I thought that was where I was going to go, but that didn’t end up happening. So, I went (to UAH) and visited and loved it, and he gave me an offer.”
Turley committed while attending camp at UAH. The team includes former club-ball teammate Jayla Gillespie.
“UAH got a steal,” said former Donoho coach Jay Jenkins, who coached Turley from seventh grade through her sophomore year, “That’s the best field player I have ever coached.
“She’s so smart and talented with both feet, can do anything she wants to do out there. It’s just a matter of will.”
Turley helped Donoho’s program reach the state final in 2021, falling to Trinity Presbyterian.
Turley has played through injuries the past two seasons. She’s had several ankle sprains and tore a quadriceps muscle during the 2023 season-opener against Fort Payne,
She’s 100 percent healthy headed into this season, she said while knocking on a cherry-wood table. She also has more help this season, with UAH-bound Anna Kate Wallace becoming eligible after sitting out last season.
“I’m just really lucky to have been surrounded by experienced coaches,” she said.”They’ve made the environment a winning community.”
