Photo by Erin Nelson.
Chelsea’s Haley Duca (4) dribbles the ball downfield in a game against John Carroll at Chelsea High School on April 6.
While their time as teammates recently ended, they will become conference rivals.
Chelsea High School senior soccer players Mackenzie Titus and Haley Duca have put the finishing touches on their stellar prep careers. This fall, they will trade in their Hornets’ uniforms for the gear of a couple Southeastern Conference schools.
In the fall, Titus will be playing at Mississippi State, and Duca will be taking the field at Auburn.
“I love the SEC,” said Titus, a goalkeeper. “I don’t think there’s a conference that matches it as far as culture and that kind of thing.”
Duca, a midfielder and forward, grew up an Alabama fan, but said she has always been drawn to Auburn and has known the coaching staff there for several years.
“You can’t beat the SEC,” she said.
But before they head off to their future destinations, there is still work to be done at Chelsea. The Lady Hornets program has risen to prominence in the past decade, claiming state championship trophies in 2012 and 2017 and runner-up finishes in 2011 and 2019, when Titus and Duca were sophomores.
The 2021 season got off to a bit of an uneven start for Chelsea, with the team dropping its first two area matches to Homewood and Briarwood. They got back on track though and qualified for the state playoffs. As of press time, the Lady Hornets had advanced to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Titus has been at Chelsea since her sophomore campaign, while it seems like Duca has been around forever. Her older sister Lexie starred at Chelsea and is now playing at North Alabama.
“Coaching them is any coach’s dream,” Chelsea head coach Jonathan Hammett said. “Top flight players, they work hard, and they constantly want to get better at their craft.”
Duca has lived up to the hype, in Hammett’s words. After her older sister experienced so much success in the program, she has stepped right in and done everything needed of a star player.
“One thing I was really impressed with about her from the beginning was her unselfishness with her teammates,” Hammett said. “I’ve seen a lot of players over the years that are in her position try to do too much and almost hurts the team. She just has the willingness and ability to make those around her better and gives them chances to be successful.”
Those traits have been needed this year, as Duca has received the lion’s share of attention from every opposing team. She has had to be unselfish and use that attention to spring her teammates free in many cases, while still taking advantage of opportunities when they are presented.
“This year, it’s understanding, where can I go to bring an extra defender to open up space, while still taking as many shots as I can,” Duca said.
Titus played as a midfielder until her freshman year of high school in Oklahoma, when an injury on the school team necessitated finding a new keeper. Titus’ height of 5 feet, 11 inches made her a great fit, and she’s been in goal ever since.
“Playing basketball has helped me so much as far as footwork and things like that,” Titus said. “Being a field player so recently also allows me to read the game really well and communicate.”
The Lady Hornets have four seniors, with Lauren Thompson and Madeleine Thoma also contributing a great deal to the team’s attack. There is a determination amongst them to make sure they extend their final season as long as possible, especially considering how short the 2020 campaign was.
“When your best players are working hard, it makes a lot of stuff easy,” Hammett said.
**This story appeared in the May edition of 280 Living. Chelsea advanced to the Class 6A quarterfinals, where the Hornets fell to Homewood.
