With its best girls basketball season ever now in the books, St Pius X finally put its full girls soccer team on the field Monday, two weeks after spring practices began.
After winning district basketball championships the past two seasons, the Lancers made it to Columbia and the Class 3 final four this year. They lost both games at Mizzou Arena and finished fourth in the state March 9. Aaron Portell is head coach of both the basketball and girls soccer teams and two players, senior Natalie Pate and junior Bridget Flanagan, are on both teams as well.
Just as St. Pius has all hands on deck for soccer, the Lancers might not be able to compete for the Jefferson County Activities Association title. Superintendents from the other JCAA schools in the county voted March 6 to oust St. Pius from the JCAA. While some Lancer athletes and teams will compete in conference events this spring, baseball games against Crystal City and Grandview already have been canceled. As of Monday, St. Pius activities director Tilden Watson was still waiting for the scheduling plan from the president of the JCAA superintendents, Herculaneum (Dunklin R-5) chief Clint Freeman.
Watson said Lancer spring athletics are in “limbo” until Freeman gives them direction. St. Pius will compete in the Jefferson baseball tournament this week, but any games played inside or outside of a tournament against other JCAA schools will not count as conference contests.
St. Pius and Perryville tied with 5-1 records in JCAA girls soccer in 2023, but the Pirates won the title with a 1-0 win over the Lancers. St. Pius won the rematch 1-0 in the Class 2 District 1 final. Eventual state champion Clayton ended the Lancers’ season 3-2 in the quarterfinals. St. Pius finished 20-6-1 overall, its best record since going 26-2 and finishing third in the state (Class 2) in 2015.
“Soccer-wise (the JCAA) is competitive, with St. Vincent, Perryville and St. Pius, so that’s taken away, but the bigger picture is to win districts and beyond,” Portell said about the decision that takes full effect for 2024-2025. Portell was selected the Coach of the Year in the JCAA last spring. He guided the Lancers to second place in the state (Class 1) in 2022. He’s taken the Lancers to the state final four as head coach of boys soccer as well (Class 1 second place in 2021), although he no longer oversees the boys team.
The JCAA expulsion doesn’t affect St. Pius for the postseason. The Missouri State High School Activities Association has yet to release the girls soccer class and district assignments for 2024.
St. Pius has lost only one starter – 2023 graduate Riley Cappozzo – from last year’s team, which had seven all-JCAA selections, including three first-teamers. As is his custom, Portell left the soccer Lancers to assistants Kevin Halley and Scott Rudolph until he was finished coaching in the basketball playoffs.
Last season juniors Kaydin Gottman and Mary Hrdlicka split time in goal, and Hrdlicka made the all-conference first team after posting a 10-1 record and 0.60 goals-against average. Gottman played more minutes than Hrdlicka (989-795) and was 6-5 with a 1.38 GAA.
“Unless one really starts to shine more than the other, my mindset is to keep rotating them and hope they both stay healthy,” Portell said. “We have two of the best goalies in the conference.”
Flanagan, a defender, and senior forward Emily Vatterott return after earning first-team all-JCAA honors a year ago. Vatterott scored 13 goals and assisted on seven for 33 points. She’s up top with Pate, who made second-team all-conference, leading the Lancers with 19 goals and 53 points last year.
“They have the ability to score a lot of goals,” Portell said.
Sophomore midfielder Emma Miller (second team all-league) played above her years as a freshman in 2023 with 15 goals and 43 points, also leading the Lancers with 27 fouls.
“We have options as far as goal-scoring goes,” Portell said. “(Miller) is a very skilled player.”
Sophomore Mabel Sanders (midfield), junior Maddi Miller (midfield), sophomore Abby Miller (defender and second-team all-JCAA), junior Mackenzie Gudic (defender, honorable mention) and sophomore McKenzie McNutt (defender) are all back, giving Portell an experienced but still relatively young roster full of talent. The Millers are all related.
“I have always been a defensive-minded coach and we take pride in giving up the fewest amount of goals (in the JCAA), but we will also push numbers up in the attack,” Portell said.
It’s been 10 years since the Lancers won the JCAA in girls soccer. It’s likely that will be their last league crown, at least until the school finds another affiliation.
“I’d like to join another conference, but it has to be the right fit,” Portell said.
The Lancers open the season March 18 in the Fox Tournament against the host Warriors.
Hawks look to be more competitive this season
Hillsboro head coach Sam Nansel has a simple goal for the Hawks: Be more competitive.
“We haven’t been over .500 the past three seasons, but look to get there this season,” said Nansel, starting his fourth year in charge. He’s also head coach of the school’s boys soccer team. “We only have one senior, so we are in a rare position to have basically the same team for two seasons. I look to capitalize on that opportunity.”
Hillsboro was 7-13-1 last season and has finished 1-5 in the JCAA the past two years. The Hawks were shut out a combined 15-0 in two meetings with St. Pius and one with Perryville in 2023.
Replacing graduated second-team all-conference goalie Baylei Clubb in goal are Ava Sizemore and Molly Johnston. Sizemore beat Sikeston and De Soto in back-to-back games last year and in her brief time in goal posted a 0.33 GAA.
Junior Addison Zimmerly plays center attacking midfield and is Hillsboro’s top scoring threat. She led the Hawks with 11 goals and 25 points in 2023.
“Addison is great with the ball at her feet, and also at creating opportunities for other players,” Nansel said.
Sophomore center back Mackenzie Stahl is Hillsboro’s defensive anchor.
“Even as a sophomore, Mackenzie will have a lot of responsibility this year at keeping us organized at the back,” Nansel said.
Freshman outside midfielder Candice G’Sell will be called on to take some of the scoring pressure off of Zimmerly.
“(G’Sell) is a great outside player with both crossing and scoring ability,” Nansel said.
Hillsboro starts the season March 18 in the Festus Tournament against Metro-East Lutheran (Edwardsville, Ill.).
Tiger senior returns after 20-goal season
Riley Vogel led Festus in scoring last season, and head coach Caleb Zustiak said she deserved a higher spot than honorable mention in the all-conference team selections. The senior striker finished with 20 goals and seven assists for 47 points. Six of her goals were game-winners.
“She will continue to be an offensive focal point, and raise the level of play for the entire offense,” said Zustiak, who enters his fourth year in charge.
The Tigers dropped their final three games last year, all shutouts, but still finished with a winning record (11-9) for the first time since 2015.
Sophomore Pixie Willis was the leading scorer for the Festus junior varsity last season and joins Vogel up top as the other primary attacker.
“(Willis) worked diligently with her select team this past fall,” Zustiak said. “She and Vogel will make a dangerous pairing on offense.”
Freshman midfielder Addi Katinsky should make an immediate impact as well. She brings a wealth of select team experience and is already forming good partnerships on the field.
Juniors Shyanne Hofmeister and Riley Zustiak, the coach’s daughter, pair up on the right wing to make an effective defensive and offensive duo. Hofmeister had five goals and 14 assists last year, with Zustiak contributing a goal and assist from the fullback position.
Senior captain Zoe Erxleben, junior Madison Souders and sophomore Alyzah Scaggs will be the starters on defense. Scaggs was one of the top scorers on the Tiger basketball team this winter.
“Their wealth of experience should allow us to be more stingy on defense this year, and create more opportunities in transition,” Caleb Zustiak said.
Mady Geiler, another senior captain, and sophomore Avery Schmitt are competing for time in goal. Both are effective keepers who have multiple years of experience.
“There is an excellent sense of security, knowing you have two strong goalies who will push each other to improve,” Zustiak said.
Festus hosts a tournament to start the season and plays Fredericktown Monday in the first game.
“We are continuing to develop our team and program,” Zustiak said. “We have had several important successes over the past few seasons, such as winning varsity and JV tournaments and moving up in district seeding, but we still have work to do and will put in the effort to reach our goals.”
New coach seeks challenge of Dragon rebuild
Julius Rotter knows he has a challenge ahead. Despite having no head coaching experience at the varsity level, Rotter was hired to take over the De Soto girls soccer team.
If he does well enough this spring, there’s a chance he could be asked to pilot the boys team as well, a job he’s indicated he wants.
“I’m hoping to prove myself and become a mainstay at De Soto High School,” Rotter said.
Like many of the athletic programs at De Soto, it’s been awhile since the girls soccer team produced a winner. COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season, and since then the Dragons are 5-47-1. Rotter has his hands full just to make
De Soto competitive within the JCAA, where it’s 0-18 in three seasons.
“The goal this year for our team is to string together some wins,” Rotter said. “I think we’re going to be very competitive this year. In just a week we’ve seen a lot of growth and this team is starting to get a good feel for each other. The chemistry is there. We just need to capitalize on it and execute our plan week in and week out.”
In the field, five freshmen are listed among the Dragon starters this season. One of them is goalkeeper Mackenzie Weast.
“I have full confidence with her goal,” Rotter said. “She has shown exceptional leadership already, which is a good trait to have as a netminder.”
The other first-year players called upon to start are Raegan Shropshire (midfield), Abigail Trombly (midfield), Peyton Pehle (defense) and Ava Snudden (defense). The Dragons have some returning experience in seniors Adrian Doria (forward) and Mia Reissing (midfield) as well as juniors Ava Pinson (forward), Mya Bell (defense), Jaydin Gans (defense) and Sophie Podgornik (midfield).
Pinson has shown excellent touch and field vision, as well as good decision-making. Rotter said he expects her to score a lot of goals. Shropshire has impressed the coaches with her skill and aggressiveness. Trombly knows what she’s doing on the wing, finds space, and is able to make some big plays. Podgornik has a good feel for the game and can facilitate out of the midfield. Doria is fast on the attack and does a great job of finding the open space on the field.
The Dragons are scheduled to open the season March 25 at St. Pius X.
SUBURBAM CONFERENCE SCHOOLS
Fox loses two of top scorers in school history
That swooshing sound in north Jefferson County late last May was the girls soccer talent draining away from Fox and Windsor.
Those schools lost some of the top goal-scorers in their history in 2023 graduates Aubrey Andrews and Ella Robinson of Fox and Windsor’s Taylor Kolinski and Peyton Broderick. Andrews finished with a school-record 87 career goals (28 last season) while Robinson had 65, including 28 in 2023. Broderick led the Owls with 28 goals last year.
Senior midfielder Natalie Miller, who set up many of Andrews and Robinson’s goals, already holds the Warrior record for career assists (48), half of which she logged last year. That earned her a first-team spot on the all-Suburban Conference Red pool team.
Junior Lyla Stagmann and senior Gwen Williams have the tough job of replacing two career scoring leaders. Senior Kylee Bearden will play multiple positions and combines goal-scoring ability and strong defense. Senior Alexis Kettler is another top Fox defender at center back.
“This year we have many returning in the midfield and defense, so we will rely on their strength to form a solid defense,” said Fox head coach Nate Niehaus, starting his second year. “Then we can work the ball up to find opportunities to score.”
Senior Jamison Keisker (forward), junior Emerson Haegele (midfield), her sister, sophomore Mckenna Haegele (defender) and sophomore Avery Mckinnon (goalkeeper) are the projected starters for the Warriors, who finished 19-5 after losing 2-1 to Seckman in the first round of the Class 4 District 1 tournament.
Fox opens its season Monday, March 18 against St. Pius X in the Warriors’ own tournament. The Lancers were second in the Jefferson County Activities Association to Perryville last year, but a vote of county superintendents last week cast St. Pius out of the JCAA.
Seckman senior forward Elizabeth Kundert is a four-time all-state cross country runner. Last year she was named first-team all-conference and all-state in soccer after scoring 14 goals to go with 14 assists for 42 points.
After knocking Fox out of districts, the Jaguars fell 2-1 to annual nemesis and eventual district champion Jackson and finished the season 10-10.
Senior midfielder Ellie Fiala (seven goals, 19 points), a second team all-conference pick, and Kundert work well together to push the Jaguar attack.
Sophomore Makayla Eilermann (defender), juniors Taylor Davis (defender) and Kenzie Wilson (defender) and seniors Brooke Meeks (midfielder) and Erica Evans (forward) are projected Seckman starters in the field. Junior Caleigh Meeks and sophomore Morgan Stimpson will split time in goal again after each posting goals-against averages below 1.40.
Madyson Mossman replaced Tim Bookstaver as Seckman’s head coach following the 2023 season. Bookstaver had run the show for six seasons and was part of the girls program for 14.
“I have always been huge on working on both sides of the ball, so we will take pride in our defense and try to get numbers up in the attack,” Mossman said.
“Our goal for this year is to have a strong year and make it further into districts. Defending on our home turf is a big goal for us this season.”
It all begins for the Jaguars Thursday, March 21 at Farmington.
Losing standout performers like Broderick and Kolinski at the same time might crush some teams, but Windsor still returns four all-JCAA performers in junior midfielder Sara Wieberg (first team) and senior forward Maddy Follmer, junior defender Lindsey Garland and junior midfielder Elise Mayfield, all honorable mention.
Despite not cracking the top two levels of all-conference honors, Follmer was voted to the Class 3 all-state second team. She was second to Broderick in scoring with 14 goals and 14 assists for 42 points. Follmer scored two or more goals in a game three times in the second half of the season, which ended at 15-9 after the Owls lost 3-1 to Notre Dame of St. Louis in the Class 3 District 1 semifinals.
“(Follmer) can create chances for herself and set up others equally well,” said Windsor head coach Mike Hutchison, who begins his 16th season 11 wins shy of 200 for his career.
Hutchison said Mayfield can mark the opponent’s best wing-forward.
“But she also does a great job as a two-way midfielder,” he said. “She will split time between both positions.”
Windsor’s other starters in the field are sophomore forwards Lillie Coleman (seven goals, five assists) and Jordan Rosvall, sophomore midfielder Gracie Beckemeier and three defenders: sophomore Sydney Streckfuss, junior Lindsey Garland and senior Kate Tucker.
“(Coleman) is ready to take a big step forward this year,” Hutchison said. “Her relentless effort will make life difficult for the opponents’ defense.
“We want to play a fast, attack-minded style. We want to put pressure on the opponent and create turnovers that lead to transitions and offensive opportunities.”
In 1,843 minutes protecting the Owl goal last season, senior keeper Riley Fendler allowed 27 goals for a sparkling goals-against average of 1.27. She had nine shutouts, including three in a row against North County, Farmington and Festus. Sophomore Haley Rose will again be Fendler’s backup.
“You can see that (Fendler’s) comfort level is much greater than last year,” Hutchison said.
Windsor can repay Notre Dame for its 2023 district loss right out of the box when the two teams meet in Arnold March 18 in the Fox Tournament. Notre Dame lost to St. Vincent in the district final.
Northwest sets goals under new head coach
This is a spring of rebirth for the Northwest girls soccer team.
Dave Willis stepped down last year as head coach after winning 90 games in eight seasons. Willis has more than 200 wins in 16 seasons as Northwest’s boys soccer coach. Kyle Jarnagin, an assistant coach for Lion girls soccer for 11 years, was promoted to replace Willis.
Coaches may change, but goals often stay the same.
“The girls have said that their goals for this year are to finish with a winning record, improve our conference record and compete for a district championship,” Jarnagin said as he was preparing the Lions for their season-opener Monday, March 18 at the Lutheran-St. Charles Tournament in St. Peters.
In Willis’s final season, the Lions began with two ties and ended with four losses, including a 5-0 whitewash by Parkway South in the first round of the Class 4 District 4 tournament. The final ledger was 9-11-2.
None of Northwest’s projected starters this season are seniors. Among them are four freshmen and three sophomores. Despite its obvious youth, Northwest returns leading scorer Amelia Lawrence and starting goalkeeper Kylie Bueter. A junior forward, Lawrence scored 10 goals and assisted on six for 26 points. She has 40 career points. Bueter, a sophomore, logged 1,670 minutes and had a strong goals-against average of 1.96. She began 2023 with a shutout tie against St. Francis Borgia and posted six goose-eggs for the season.
“Amelia is one of the most dynamic players in the area,” Jarnagin said. “She led the team in goals playing in the central midfield last year, so this year we’re moving her farther forward to get her chances closer to the goal. She has the potential to be one of the best players in the state.
“(Bueter) is a great shot-stopper and a commanding leader for the defense.”
Northwest mustered just one goal in its last four games a year ago.
“Scoring was an issue for us last year, so this year we are trying a more attacking system,” Jarnagin said. “We’re committing more players forward to try and overload teams’ defenses and to utilize our speed and creative players. We want to play fast-paced, attacking soccer, combined with high-pressure defending to create as many chances as possible.”
Freshmen Kayla Boyer and Abby Sehnert will play key roles in the attack. Jarnagin said they’re both explosive, creative players with great close-control dribbling, and can finish well with both feet.
Patrolling the midfield will be junior Ashley Boyer (Kayla’s sister) and freshman Yissel Delgado. Ashley Boyer could be the team’s playmaker.
“She’s a very technical player with great vision, and an impressive passing range,” Jarnagin said. “Yissel will be the engine. Her work rate and determination to win the ball back will bring balance to the midfield.”
Jarnagin said the most difficult job falls to the wingbacks. Sophomore Brooke Hempfling and freshman Lydia Kelley are the top players there. Jarnagin said both are fast, athletic players who can run all day.
“(Hempfling) is the more attack-minded of the two; she excels at combining with her teammates and providing services from the wide spaces,” Jarnagin said. “Kelley is the more defensive- minded of the two and is a lockdown one-on-one defender. They’ll be expected to play both ways and contribute to both the attack and the defense.”
The defense will be anchored by juniors Macie Winfrey and Aubrie Eubanks and sophomore Kendyll Hamilton. All three are good one-on-one and are comfortable with the ball at their feet. Hamilton is a natural leader and organizer, Eubanks is comfortable stepping into the midfield with the ball to create for the attack, and Winfrey is calm and composed under pressure.
The Lions once again will compete in the Suburban Conference Red pool, as will their county rivals, Fox and Seckman. Webster Groves (8-1) edged out Fox (7-2) for the 2023 conference title and the Lions were 2-6 last year. The Missouri State High School Activities Association had not released class or district assignments as of the Leader deadline.