VA Girls Preview: Bay Rivers, Eastern, and Peninsula Districts
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Six Peninsula and Bay Rivers district teams will kicked off the start off the season on March 13th by participating in the Keepers Cup Memorial Tournament in Williamsburg in honor of Conner Gweedo and Luke Messick. Please visit Luke Messick Futbol…
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Continue ReadingSix Peninsula and Bay Rivers district teams will kicked off the start off the season on March 13th by participating in the Keepers Cup Memorial Tournament in Williamsburg in honor of Conner Gweedo and Luke Messick. Please visit Luke Messick Futbol Charities, Inc. (lukemessickfc.com) and Conner Gweedo Memorial Foundation for more information. Teams playing in the tourney are Menchville, Kecoughtan, Warhill, Tabb, Grafton, and Lafayette.
The Bay Rivers includes class 2 through class 4 schools, and in my opinion is the best district top to bottom in the area. A total of six schools qualified for state tournaments. Class 3 Lafayette were region and state champions, class 3 York were state qualifiers, class 4 Smithfield were region champions and state semifinalists, class 4 Jamestown were state qualifiers, class 2 Poquoson were region champions and state finalists, and class 2 Bruton were state qualifiers.
3A Lafayette Rams
2022 Recap: The Rams made it back-to-back appearances in the state tournament and were crowned region 3A and VHSL class 3 state champions after finishing 18-2-0 including 6-0-0 in postseason play that ended with a victory over Hidden Valley in the championship game.
Class 3 coach of the year Kellie Ernst had an incredible 2022 season loaded with talent with several players moving on to the college ranks. Class 3 player of the year Brooke Potter (Wake Forest), Sydney King (Lenoir-Rhyne University), Emma Moyer (Suffolk University), and Reagan Hunt (Goucher College), and Meggie Rogers will be hard to replace but, “After winning the state championship, and with gaining some talented new under classmen, we hope to make another exciting run at defending our regional championship title as well as state title,” she said. Leading the charge for 2023 will be 1st team all-state senior defender Jasmin Piggott, 2nd team all-state senior midfielder Sam Lynch, and senior Posey Troy (5G). Junior Eva Fields returns as the starting keeper after allowing only 15 goals in 20 games. Junior forward Lexi King will look to improve on her 12-goal total from 2022, 2nd team all-region sophomore midfielder Taylor Walker (8G/13A), 2nd team all-region sophomore defender Kira Moore (3G/3A) round out a core or returning players who all have big game experience. Newcomer sophomore Ceci Riggs is a player to watch according to Ernst.
Key non-district matches: Landstown, Phoebus, and Windsor
4A Smithfield Packers
2022 Recap: Ended the regular season riding a 10-game win streak with eight clean sheets and won the region 4A championship by defeating rival Jamestown in the final. Won their state quarterfinal match versus Mechanicsville before falling in the semis to Tuscarora. 1-0. Their 18 wins were tied with Kellam and Lafayette for the most in the 757.
Region 4A coach of the year Nathan Jones has built a strong program for Smithfield and looks to continue the team’s success in 2023. The Packers lost three key players that need to be addressed, but there is plenty of returning talent all over the pitch, starting in goal will be 1st team all-state senior keeper Sydney Schwarz Sydney Schwarz D VA (University of South Florida commit), 1st team all-state senior defender Emma Forbes Emma Forbes D Smithfield | 2023 VA (Virginia Wesleyan University commit), 2nd team all-state junior defender Natalee Jones, and 2nd team all-region junior defender Brianna Curro. The midfield will be a definite strength built around 1st team all-state and regional player of the year senior Katie Lutz Katie Lutz null | M Smithfield (VA) | 2023 VA (Old Dominion University commit) who will look to connect with 1st team all-state senior forward Kaitlyn Worrell. Jones has two sophomores in Kennedy Sowden who he expects to play alongside Forbes in the back and forward Lydia Jones who is a raw athletic player who brings energy and tenacity to the pitch.
As for 2023, “We know as a program that winning brings expectations and challenges. Winning the Bay Rivers, regionals, and then making it the state final four are all last year’s memories, as great as they are. The target has been placed on our backs and we are going get everyone’s best shot. The goals are simple for this team, repeat and complete for a state title,” he said.
Key non-district matches: Princess Anne, Grassfield, and Great Bridge
5B Maury Commodores
2022 Recap: Captured the region 5B championship after beating Woodside, Menchville, and Gloucester in the region tournament. Fell to Cox 1-0 in the state tournament to end the season at 11-5-2.
Region 5B coach of the year Mallary Belair is looking at 2023 as a rebuilding season, “We took a hit losing five senior starters, most of who were our key defensive players, so we are working on rebuilding the back line this year,” she said. There is still plenty of talent in place for the Commodores, 1st team all-region junior keeper Lili White Lili White null | GK Maury (VA) | 2024 VA is one of the best keepers in the area and will lead Maury from the back. 1st team all-region senior midfielder Maddie Dixon (Belmont Abbey College commit) who moves the ball well from the back will be in command of the center of the pitch, 2nd team all-region senior Sophia Warburton (Johnson and Wales University commit) is fast and can ping crosses to switch the field quickly, and 2nd team all-region senior midfielder Alana Cunningham is technical and versatile will all have huge roles and will be the keys to a successful season. Bellair has been busy though, “Our goals for 2023 are to work with the more challenging schedule we have and switch up our formation for different teams as we did last year. We are working on the mental part of the game and learning how to read the field quickly and adjust. The game plan is to be always ready and to know where the next pass is going before we send it,” she said.
Key non-district matches: Nansemond River, Princess Anne, and Hickory
3A York Falcons
2022 Recap: Came out hot at the beginning of the year posting a 9-0-1 record and a number four ranking in the 757. Suffered a few losses against top ranked opponents but qualified for the state tournament after a 1-0 loss to class 3 champion Lafayette in the region final. Were eliminated by Brentsville District in the state quarterfinals to end at 14-5-2.
Coach Amada Atwell has the Falcons in a great position after only losing one player to graduation, 1st team all-district forward Grace Cox. Atwells goals are simple, “Work as hard as we can to compete in each game, learn from each game, and make necessary adjustments to make it as far as we can in the postseason,” she said. Atwell has quality returning players all over the pitch starting with 1st team all-state senior keeper Ashely Hunt who posted 13 clean sheets in 2022. 1st team all-state senior defender Naiya Holt Naiya Holt D York (VA) | 2023 VA (King University commit) will be the leader on the back line along with 2nd team all-region sophomore Alyssa Gomez who is back for her second season. The Falcons are loaded in the attack, 1st team all-state senior mid/forward Audrey Atwell Audrey Atwell M York | 2023 VA (10G/12A Shenandoah University commit), 1st team all-state senior midfielder Jenny Calderon (13G/8A), and 2nd team all-region senior midfielder Savannah Payne (5G/3A) who missed time with injury in 2022 are all back and will look to make their senior season a memorable one. Atwell also expects junior Olivia Cox to join the starting lineup at forward replacing her sister Grace.
Key non-district matches: Hickory, Great Bridge, and Woodside
5B Granby Comets
2022 Recap: Had an outstanding season winning 13 games and winning their region quarterfinal match against Kecoughtan before falling to Gloucester in the semifinals.
Coach Christian Irigoyen enters the season needing to overcome the loss of Demi Seligman, Nivale Baxendell, and Jhanae Colston to graduation. “We have 27 girls this year which is the most in my five years coaching at Granby. We’re a very young team this year with eight first years and only two seniors. We expect to compete and make some noise in region 5B this year,” he said. 1st team all-region senior forward/midfielder Madison Booker Madison Booker F VA (19G/7A) and 1st team all-region senior center back Lillian Smith will be leaned on to provide leadership to a young squad. First year keeper Sai Bhasin will look to make an impact in her first year. Junior Makayla Kyle (4G/4A) can play multiple positions and will be a key contributor.
Key non-district matches: Poquoson, Oscar Smith, and Northampton
1A Northampton Yellowjackets
2022 Recap: Capped off a memorable season by advancing to the class 1 state tournament where the Yellowjackets were defeated by Riverheads in the quarterfinals. Northampton has compiled a 20-9-0 record over the past two seasons.
Coach Ernest Bethel has won four straight Eastern Shore district titles and looks for the team’s success to continue. “We play smart, play hard, and have fun with it. Our goal this season is to win the district and get to the state tournament,” he said. Four-year starter and captain Rocio Cruz and Liana Rodriguez have both graduated and their production will need to be replaced. Bethel’s top two players are 2nd team all-state junior midfielder/forward Ryan Jones (7G/17A) and 1st team all-region senior midfielder/forward Jacqueline Santos (20G/11A). With limited schools on the Eastern Shore, Northampton will play a variety of schools from the southside and peninsula.
Key non-district matches: West Point, Granby, and Bayside
4A Jamestown Eagles
2022 Recap: Went 14-5-1 in the competitive Bay Rivers district and made their fourth appearance in five years in the state tournament. Lost to Smithfield in the region final and then against Atlee in the state quarterfinals.
Coach Shawn Trueblood graduated three 2nd team all-state seniors from 2022, Mariela Gonzalez, Abbey Merchant, Abby Hume, and 1st team all-region Caroline Liebler who have all moved on. But Trueblood is confident heading into 2023. “We have some strong freshman and sophomores that look very much capable to fill those shoes. In the midfield we are returning 2nd team all-region selection Cassidy Liebler who played the most minutes for us in the center of the field and is vital to our defensive aspect. In the attack we have senior Addie Molendyke and Sophomore Layne Mills that created the most offense for us in 2022,” he said. The Eagles also return three of four defensive starters with Juniors Cambell Ross, Parker Long, and Senior Kelsey Bernal. Trueblood expects to make regionals and fight for a spot in the state tournament.
Key non-district matches: Matoaca, Kellam, and First Colonial
2A Poquoson Islanders
2022 Recap: The Islanders qualified for their fourth straight state tournament and advanced to the final with wins over Clarke County and Alleghany before falling to Glenvar 2-1 in the final.
Poquoson coach Tom Weih has an uphill battle as a class 2 school playing in the Bay River district, but it gets his squad ready for post season play where they have success again same class schools. His goal is clear cut, “Returning to the state championship game and winning a title,” he said. He has plenty of returning players starting with Class 2 player of the year senior Sydney McCarty who plays both midfield and keeper, 2nd team all-state senior attacker Kayla Romine who is pure scorer, and 1st team all-state junior center midfielder Quinn Sparkman who controls the attack and distributes in the final third. The rest of line-up includes seniors center back Regan Worley, right back Libby Harper, left back/center mid Avery Jackson Avery Jackson D VA , and outside mid Alyssa Capper. Newcomer freshman midfielder Ashley Groseth looks to make an immediate impact. Fun fact: new assistant coach Chad Kozoyed was my son’s teammate for three years when they played in the US Development Academy for Virginia Rush from 2012-2014.
Key non-district matches: Granby, Western Branch, and Gloucester
4A Warwick Raiders
2022 Recap: Finished at 6-8-0 and were eliminated in the region quarterfinals by Smithfield.
New head coach Clay Patchett takes over the helm at Warwick and is ready for the challenge. “We have a goal to challenge for the Peninsula district championship, as I feel we can compete with the top teams in the district,” he said. He has six players returning from last year’s squad and three move moving up from junior varsity. Junior forward Angeline Dawicke (18G) will be joined up top with junior forward Isabel Roldan (8G/8A) who can also play center attacking mid. Midfield support in the attack will come from sophomore Rory Patchett (10G/9A). Newcomers’ sophomore keeper Haylee Griffen and senior keeper Yazmiere Burke are the keepers, and the team will be working towards playing better team defense in front of them.
Key non-district matches: Smithfield, Warhill, and York
5B Gloucester Dukes
2022 Recap: After not winning more than eight games the previous three seasons, the Dukes exploded onto the 757 scene by winning 12 straight matches during the regular season. In the region tournament they defeated Granby in the semifinals before losing to Maury in the final and ultimately their season ended at 14-4-0 after a loss to First Colonial in the state quarterfinals.
The Dukes have lost three key pieces from 2022, as all-region players forward Hannah Heaton, midfielder Cori Morgan, and forward Caroline Merchant have all graduated. Returning players include 1st team all-region senior defender Kareena Ferguson and 2nd team all-region junior defender Avery Watkins.
Key non-district matches: New Kent, Poquoson, and Norview
4A Hampton Crabbers
2022 Recap: Posted a 2-9-0 record and did not qualify for post season play.
The Crabbers enter 2023 with new head coach Connor O’Brien Dunn taking over. Captain Abygayle Furey and co-captain Madeleine Parr look to guide Hampton to a few more wins than in recent years. Coach O’Brien is starting with a fresh attitude. “We are a young team with varying skill levels from experienced players to less experienced players. What we are building at Hampton is a safe, clean, and fundamental style of soccer. Our main goal is to keep our Ladies safe, develop players, win, and have fun. One phrase my Ladies have drilled into their memories is “What skill did I lack, and how can I Improve?” he said.
Key non-district match: Deep Creek
5B Menchville Monarchs
2022 Recap: Lost a PK shootout in a shocking loss to Maury in the region semifinals. The Monarchs won 13 games for the fourth straight year but failed to return to the state tournament where they lost in the 2022 final.
The challenge for the Monarchs who have won at least 13 games in the past four seasons will be to replace numerous elite players. Region player of the year Sydney Robertson (Longwood University), 1st team all-district midfielders Zoe Villarreal (University of Lynchburg), and Megan Wilson have all moved on. Quality does remain though, 1st team all-region senior defender Sierra Vincent, 1st team all-region senior forward Madisyn Strange, and 2nd team all-region senior defender Tanaya Dunn all return for their final season.
Key non-district matches: Grafton, Warhill, and Lafayette
5B Nansemond River Warriors
2022 Recap: Missed out on postseason play after numerous wins were voided from playing an ineligible player. Otherwise, the Warriors could have made a deep postseason run.
Nansemond River will have a dangerous attack led by 2nd team all-region junior midfielder Kendall Carr, her sister Madison Carr, and standout Joelle Hare who is a danger player any time she is in possession of the ball.
Key non-district matches: Salem, Woodside, and Maury