Bulls making a name for themselves

Avery Walker began last school year as the head coach for the Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) boys soccer junior varsity team, and finished it as the coach of two teams when he stepped in and took over the girls varsity soccer team midway through the season.

But, when it came to choosing which squad to coach this season, it was an easy call for Walker.

“The girls won me over,” he says.

Walker split the girls duties last year with boys varsity coach Dave Smith after Edwin Acosta resigned for personal reasons following a 6-1-1 start. Walker remembers his first game against River Ridge, when he had former player Ysa Novak make out the lineup. Walker jokes that he just kind of watched as he became familiar with his new players. 

The Bulls won that game 4-3, and then won the next 13, including the Class 6A, District 5 championship and a first-round Regional playoff game before falling to St. Petersburg on penalty kicks.

Overall, not a bad debut. And the girls, who finished with a school-record 19-2-1 record last season, were happy to welcome him back.

“It was definitely a shock in the beginning (when Costa resigned),” says junior co-captain Kayla Ojeda. “But, I felt like we adjusted really well. Coach Walker came in and did a great job coaching us and helping us make it to Regionals. I was hoping he would sign up for the job and was really excited when he got it.”

Ojeda, a defender, is one of the keys if the Bulls are going to repeat the success of last season. While the team loses its top two scorers in Avery Damjanovic (34 goals, 11 assists) and Kylee Ehmann (12 goals, 20 assists), Ojeda heads up a defense that is stout. Walker, who played defense in college at Division III Bridgewater College in Virginia, loves what he sees.

Freshman Lola Vargas, sophomore Ashtyn Warner and seniors Taylor Pryor and Savannah Yoder comprise a group that Walker says is “extremely” good. If you happen to sneak by the Wiregrass wall, then co-captain and starting keeper Ella McGahey will be waiting.

“I think our backline is going to be really solid this year and, as a goalkeeper, it’s something you always want to have confidence in,” McGahey says. “Our goal is to concede fewer than 10 goals this season.”

That would appear to be a reasonable goal, since the Bulls allowed only 12 last year, as McGahey set a school record by allowing just 0.372 goals per game. The Bulls are 3-0-1 so far this season and haven’t allowed a goal.

Offensively, Walker feels he can fill the holes with junior midfielders Ellie Klem, who missed last season with an injury, and Natalia Kaminski, a newcomer.

The Bulls also return junior forwards Rylee Humphries, the leading returning scorer with 11 goals and nine assists, and Aiya Harrell (eight goals last season). Junior McKayla Battle scored six goals last year and picked up four in an 8-0 win over Anclote, and sophomore Emily Erker scored the only goals in 1-0 wins this season over Mitchell (which is now coached by Costa) is the season opener and their last game against Berkeley Prep.

Newcomer Bella Maldonado, who scored twice in the win over Anclote, also is expected to make an impact at midfield this season as well.

After back-to-back 19-win seasons, the sky may be the limit for the Bulls in 2020-21. Always in the shadow of a boys soccer program that is regarded as a state title contender every year, the girls look ready to step out this season.

“I definitely think we’re making a name for ourselves,” Ojeda says. “I think we’re going to keep it going this year.”

Cypress Creek High girls soccer coach Jessica Herzek is high on her freshmen and sophomores this season, and why not? Allison Souers, one of those freshmen Herzek is happy about, scored five goals in her first-ever high school game, an 11-0 season-opening win over South Sumter.

The still-young Coyotes, coming off a 9-7-1 season, have only one senior on their roster. 

Youngsters like junior Hailey Canady (two goals in the season-opening win), sophomore Hannah Fulpo (a goal and two assists) and sophomore keeper Alex Capocy (1.16 goals-against-average) will lead the way.

“I have numerous girls who, if they choose, could go on to play at the collegiate level,” Herzek says. “I feel this will be an amazing season, but the next few years will get better and better.”

The Coyotes are 1-0-1, with a 2-2 tie against rival Wesley Chapel.

Since taking over in 2017, Wesley Chapel High coach Mark Leonard has set a school record for wins every year, including last year’s 20-4 mark, and won three straight District 4A-6 titles.

Keeping that going will be the goal for this season, though the Wildcats were outscored 22-1 in their first three games before earning a draw with the Coyotes.

Leonard says returning seniors Sydney Bauer, Kaylei Koschman (11 goals last year) and keeper Madison Holcombe, as well as junior Maddy Golka (nine goals) comprise the team’s core, and he expects newcomer Tatum Moore and sophomores Kiera McFeron and Kacey Snead to have breakout seasons on offense.

Wesley Chapel’s Girls’ H.S. Soccer Teams All Off To Hot Starts

Wiregrass Ranch High senior forward Kat Llanos jumps into the arms of teammate Christie Faddoul after scoring on a header against Wesley Chapel High on Dec. 4.
(All photos by Andy Warrener).

When it comes to local high school soccer, the Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) boys have been the Wesley Chapel-area standard bearer, with a sterling 108-17-11 record the past five years, including a Class 4A State semifinal appearance in 2015.

But, in the early going this season, Wesley Chapel’s three girls high school teams are making some of their own headlines. Combined, Cypress Creek (CCH), Wesley Chapel (WCH) and WRH have a combined 26-9-1 record, boasting solid defenses and players who can put the ball in the back of the net.

Although area teams have always had to pass, unsuccessfully, through Mitchell, Pasco or Land O’Lakes when it comes to playoff time, they might just be on their way to finding the right path to do so.

Here’s a look at the local girls teams:

Wiregrass Ranch High

Last season: 12-8-3

This season: 9-3, 3-1 in Class 5A-7.

The Skinny: The Bulls have been the best of the three Chapel-area teams. They got off to the best start in school history, winning their first eight games, and have topped their arch-rival WCH Wildcats twice — once by a 3-1 score in the preseason, and by a 3-0 score on December 4.

Alhrough it looks like the Bulls struggled heading into Christmas break, despite losing three of their last four matches they were closes defeats to some of the best teams around — Palm Harbor University and Land O’Lakes (by 1-0 scores) and Wharton (by 2-0 score). Still, the Bulls have outscored their competition by an eyepopping 46-6, thanks to 20 goals from junior forward Avery Damjanovic, who transferred in from Wharton High in New Tampa after scoring 10 goals last season.

Damjanovic has scored hat tricks against Zephyrhills and Sunlake, and found the back of the net seven times in the win over Pasco. She also scored in the 3-0 wins over Plant and Wesley Chapel. Not seen on the stat sheet is a weather-postponed game against River Ridge where Damjanovic scored three goals in the first 13 minutes. So, she’s really sitting at 23 goals and five assists to start the season.

“Last year, we didn’t really have a striker, it was more midfielders playing up top,” WRH coach Edwin Costa says. “They finished the season with 14 goals. Avery already has more than that. Now, we can attack with five midfielders. It gives us the ability to score goals.”

Merrick Rees has four goals for the Bulls, while Kay Llanos was three.

Costa also is excited about his defense. He’ll ration time in goal between senior Mackenize Spurling and sophomore Lara Esen, but he’s particulary hopeful for his three-girl back line. Senior captain Ysa Novak, senior Marin Yeagle and junior Nisa Cahoon form a trio that is not only a solid rear guard, but a springboard for offensive forays.

“We can attack with seven or eight,” Costa says.

(L.-r.)Cypress Creek Middle High’s Emily Dominguez, Katelyn Leavines, Sophia Mitchell and Abby Murphy.

Cypress Creek Middle High

Last year: 3-13

This year: 7-3, 1-3 in Class 2A-9.

The Skinny: The Coyotes have already won more than twice as many games than they did all of last season, which was their first year as a school. They also already boast a victory over nearby rival WCH, defeating the Wildcats 3-2 last month after trailing 2-0.

Two losses suffered by the Coyotes have been respectable ones — 4-1 to an undefeated Clearwater Central Catholic team, and 3-0 to traditional Hillsborough County power Berkeley Prep.

Coach Jennifer Richardson, who started the CCH program last year, is building some rapport with her young group, which only includes two seniors. The roster has grown significantly in talent since last year.

“We had new players, good players, girls that play soccer, come out this year,” Richardson says. “Our freshman class brought in a lot of talent.”

Of the 16 players on the varsity roster, eight are freshmen. Freshman striker Emily Dominguez has already logged nine goals in as many games, including a pair of hat tracks, and Cypress Creek is 6-0 when she scores or assists on a goal.

Richardson says that freshman midfielder Sofia Ibata has been great and forms a strong tandem up top with junior Raegan Bourne, who led the team with 15 goals last season and leads them again so far with 10, including a hat trick Dec. 11 in a win over Fivay. However, if the Coyotes are going to come out of the 2018-19 season with a winning record, a goal for Richardson, it’s going to have to come from the experience they’ve developed.

Despite the lack of seniors this season, the Coyotes do have some veteran leadership. Bourne, who has scored five goals thus far, is a leader, as well as senior sweeper Katelyn Leavines, who plays a key role in the backfield. Junior keeper Alina Vizza also is a steady hand in goal.

Wesley Chapel midifielder and co-captain Kaylei Koschman

Wesley Chapel High

Last year: 17-5-2

This year: 10-3-1, 8-1 in Class 3A-7.

The skinny: The Wildcats won the first girls soccer district title in school history last season, and started this season with 10 players returning from that roster, including sophomore defender Sydney Bauer, sophomore midfielder Kaylei Koschman and senior defender Emily Esquinaldo. All three serve as co-captains.

While the Wildcats’ only two losses so far this season have been to CCH and WRH (twice), they have defeated Land O’Lakes 1-0 (for the first time); the Gators have been ranked in the state’s Top 30 each of the past three seasons.

No one was hotter heading into winter break as the Wildcats went 5-0-1 in their final six games, outscoring th opposition 20-3.

“We had 18 different goal scorers last season,” says second-year coach Mark Leonard, “and we have 15 players on the team this year, and 10 already have goals.”

Senior attacking midfielder Heather Sefton leads the group with 15 goals in the first 12 games. She played the second half of last season after returning from an injury, when she scored seven goals in eight games. She obviously has picked up right where she left off.

Junior midfielder Gaby Cardenas has 10 goals thus far his season. Cardenas has a great left-footed shot and can move between forward and midfield. Koschman played right midfielder as a freshman for Wesley Chapel and returns to the midfield, albeit in the center, for 2018-19.

“(Koschman) is a smaller kid but she mixes it up with everyone,” Leonard says.

Junior Morgan Herndon is another fast, physical midfielder in Leonard’s talented rotation.

On defense, Leonard is high on Bauer. In fact, the coach is really excited about the whole left side of the formation, from Sefton to Cardenas to Bauer, even all the way back to sophomore keeper Madison Holcombe.

Holcombe won the starting job last season as a freshman but a knee injury shelved her until the district playoffs, where Leonard says she, “was huge for us during that run.”

Holcombe is tall and has a good wingspan. She registered three shutouts in the first seven games of the season (the team has six total) and kept the 3-0 loss to Wiregrass Ranch from being a blowout with some heady play.