In August, Maddy Follmer of Windsor will begin her collegiate soccer career at William Jewell College in Liberty, northeast of Kansas City.
On Saturday morning, Follmer was getting ready for another workout in preparation for her transformation from prep to college athlete. She graduated from Windsor last month and is still coming to terms with the transition she faces.
“It’s kind of scary,” she said.
That’s how the Owls’ opponents felt when Follmer took possession of the ball from her forward position. For four years, Windsor counted on her goal production, which totaled 74 for her career after the Owls lost 3-1 to Webster Groves in the Class 3 District 2 tournament May 11. Windsor finished the season 17-4 and was the undefeated (5-0) champion of the Jefferson County Activities Association.
Follmer’s goal production doubled from 14 her junior year to 29 this spring. She was an easy choice as the JCAA’s Player of the Year. Follmer said her most memorable goal of the season was the game-winner in a 2-0 decision April 11 over Clayton, the 2023 Class 2 state champion.
“I made sure I was getting open and making the right runs,” she said.
Perhaps her most consequential goal as an Owl came in her freshman year. She scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over St. Vincent in the Class 3 sectionals. That advanced Windsor to the quarterfinals, where they lost at home 3-2 to Notre Dame of St. Louis.
“I was nervous my freshman year, but the team made me feel welcome,” Follmer said. “I played really well. I improved over the years and kept working my way up so I could become captain.”
This spring, Windsor head coach Mike Hutchison won the 200th game of his career and he was voted the conference Coach of the Year. Hutchison said Follmer didn’t score “fluff or filler goals.”
“Eleven were game-winners,” he said. “She scored against Fox in that championship game (a 2-0 win over the Warriors in their season-opening tournament). She scored against Perryville. She had the overtime goal against St. Vincent (a 3-2 win). The quality was as good as the quantity.
“We try to play a system that’s attack-minded and have been lucky to get people who are gifted athletically and can use both feet.”
Windsor goalkeeper Riley Fendler, the JCAA softball co-player of the year with Hillsboro’s Kaylee Hilton last fall, won 32 games over the last two years and earned all-JCAA first-team goalkeeper honors. She played all 1,297 minutes, posted 12 shutouts and had a goals-against average of 0.85. Fendler plans to pitch for Jefferson College in 2025.
“You could see from Day 1 her confidence coming in after being our starter last year,” Hutchison said. “She made adjustments and refinements under (assistant coach Chris Malec). She took her game to the next level. She’d make one or two saves that we needed, and against Clayton she stood out and helped us win the game.”
Hutchison’s other assistants are JV coach Mike Alvarado and volunteer Kinsley Ratz.
“It’s always a group effort,” Hutchison said. “Our assistants do a great job. As far as success this season, a lot of girls who were sophomores this year and were secondary players as freshmen stepped up their level of play.”
Sophomore forward Lillie Coleman also made the first team, scoring 18 goals and assisting on 18 more in joining Follmer on the attack. In an 8-1 win over Hillsboro, Coleman registered eight points on three goals and two assists.
“We played her as an attacking ‘mid’ as a freshman, and she does a great job of receiving the ball, fending off defenders and making smart plays,” Hutchison said. “She takes what the defense gives her. She can do whatever the situation dictates. She can be a goal scorer or playmaker, and was a good secondary option to Maddy.”
Festus (8-7-1, 2-4) posted its second straight winning record and senior Riley Vogel made the all-conference first team after leading the Tigers in scoring (24 points on nine goals and six assists). Vogel scored 20 goals her junior year.
“Riley has been one of the most important members of our program’s improvement over the past four years,” said Festus head coach Caleb Zustiak. “She was essential on defense as a freshman and sophomore and was indispensable on offense (the last two seasons). She worked hard to improve the entire team, and is incredibly deserving of her first-team unanimous selection.”
Every team needs an “Energizer Bunny” and Hillsboro (9-10-1, 1-5) had junior Addison Zimmerly, a center attacking midfielder, who finished second on the team with 10 goals and was named to the first team. Sophomore center back Mackenzie Stahl (second team) led
Hillsboro with 12 goals.
“Addison was our hardest-working player in almost every game this season,” Hillsboro head coach Sam Nansel said. “We often challenged our players to match her work rate. In addition to her work ethic, Addison was often our offensive catalyst. Every attack went through her.
“I’m proud she’s finally getting the recognition she deserves. We’re looking forward to a big year from her next season.”
In its final season in the JCAA, St. Pius X (19-4, 3-1) didn’t make up rainouts with Windsor and St. Vincent and played two fewer conference games. The Lancers will move to an independent schedule next year without head coach Aaron Portell, who is moving across town as the new head coach of girls basketball at Festus.
St. Pius landed two players on the first team, senior forward Natalie Pate and junior defender Mackenzie Gudic. Pate scored in nine straight games and led the high-flying Lancer offense (98 goals, best in the league) with 18 tallies. The core of the St. Pius defense returns next season with Gudic, Abby Miller, Bridget Flanagan and McKenzie McNutt. Pate has signed to play soccer at Missouri Science and Technology in Rolla.
“Natalie was a strong body up top and found ways to get us goals when we needed them,” Portell said. “(Gudic) was by far my best defender and best player. Her knowledge and understanding of the game in the back is something most girls don’t have. She rarely made a mistake. We gave up 10 goals all year and she was most of the reason why.”
Perryville (16-7, 5-1) beat St. Pius 2-0 in the Class 2 District 1 final. The Pirates’ season ended with a 2-0 loss to Whitfield in the quarterfinals.