Cherokee Bluff High School Soccer Player Bristol Kersh Named ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month for May 2024
Congratulations to Cherokee Bluff High School soccer player Bristol Kersh, the May 2024 ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance. Kersh was one of four nominees selected for the Athlete of the Month vote.
Kersh just finished her freshman season as an outside midfielder for the Cherokee Bluff girls soccer team and was a major part of their success this season. The Bears finished 17-5 overall and won their region with a perfect 10-0 region finish. Kersh led her team in scoring with 50 goals in just 18 games this season, which included a playoff run to the Class 4A semifinals, where their season ended. Kersh also led the team with 15 assists.
Cherokee Bluff girls soccer head coach Heath Padgett said he has been involved in the game of soccer his whole life and considers Kersh to be one of the top players in the state of Georgia.
“She is one of the best at either the school or club level,” Padgett said.
He said that despite Kersh being a freshman and just 15 years old, she played a major role as a team leader this season.
“She is 100% of what our team fed into this year,” Padgett said. “She gave us the spark as a freshman, and you just don’t see that every day.”
In addition to Kersh’s talent, Padgett said there may not be a better teammate than she was this year.
“She is such an unselfish player,” Padgett said. “She plays at such a high level. The game comes so easy to her.”
Speaking of playing at a high level, Kersh also plays with the Atlanta Tophat Soccer Club and with the U.S. Under-15 Women’s Youth National Team.
“She’s only going to grow and get better,” Padgett said.
“I am very honored to win this award as the Athlete of the Month, especially as a freshman,” Kersh said. “My first year at Cherokee Bluff has been great. We put together a great run to the Final Four and were region champs.”
Kersh said she also plays basketball and has been playing both sports since she was 3 years old.
“I started playing at age 3 because of my older brother, Boston. He played sports, and we have always been very competitive with each other as little kids and even today.”
Kersh said trying to juggle everything, playing high school soccer and basketball along with club team Tophat, can be a struggle sometimes, but she has plenty of support around her.
“Both my high school coaches have been very supportive of me, and my parents always find a way to get me to where I need to be every day,” she said. “They have always pushed me to be the best I can be.”
