South girls wins first-ever league title in soccer

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CAMDEN — League title or bust.

That was the saying all season for Twin Valley South’s girls soccer team as they set high expectations for themselves since open fields began in the spring.

Heading into the final regular season game, the Panthers had secured at least as share of the Western Ohio Athletic Conference — the first soccer title in school history — but the team wasn’t satisfied with just sharing. The Panthers wanted the title outright.

To do so, they had to take down host Preble Shawnee, who was one game back in the standings and needed a win to earn a share of the title, in a match played on Thursday, Oct. 14.

And for 60-plus minutes the teams were even.

It was then that one of the most unlikely goal scorers on the Panthers’ roster rose to the occasion.

Sophomore Rylee Ray scored from about 25 yards out, only her third goal of the season, with 18:42 left in the game to give South a 1-0 lead.

South added a second goal by Madison Hundley off a set piece with 2:18 to play to secure a 2-0 win and an outright title.

“We trick her,” South coach Chad Newport said of Ray. “We tell her to cross it into the goal. She has one of them deals where she can cross a ball for 70 yards. So we’re trying to get her to cross the ball into the net. The North game she scored the game winning goal and tonight (she scored the) game winning goal. Those are big spots for a kid that was not starting here a few weeks ago, now all of a sudden got some starting time, got playing again.”

Newport and his team had to wait a few extra days to celebrate.

The two teams were scheduled to play on Monday, but the game was postponed to an incoming storm.

”They gutted it out. I mean we could have walked out of here with a tie and been fine with it,” he said. “Early on, it was trying to get our feet underneath us. I’ve got a lot of young players out there playing and then you know the big three Madison, Makiah (Newport), and Syd (Aldrich) and they kind of rallied around them tonight.”

Newport said his team has bought into the team ball concept.

”It was team ball. It was a team effort. We’re going to do this as a team and the underclassmen bought into it no matter how big of shoes, Madison, Makiah and Syd have, all the underclassmen knew their role, and that’s what we’ve been saying since April. Figure out your role and be that part,” he said.

South also tied a school record for wins in a season with 13. The Panthers are now 13-1-2 on the season heading into the postseason.

For Shawnee, the Arrows fell just shy.

“We’ve played well. We’ve played better recently to put us in this position, which we didn’t know if we would be in here three weeks ago and the kids played hard,” Shawnee coach Jeff Stiver said moments after coaching his final regular season game of his career. “They got a nice team, but I think we played with them. We’re as good as them, they got a couple breaks and we didn’t and in games like this you need some breaks.”

The Arrows finished the regular season 10-4-2.

“I’m not going to complain about 10-4-2 and playing for a league title,” Stiver said. “A lot of teams wish they were 10-4-2.”

South was scheduled to host Dixie in the first round of the sectional tournament on Monday, Oct. 18. The winner will travel to top-seeded Anna on Thursday.

Shawnee is set to play at Dayton Christian on Thursday, Oct. 21 for its first tournament game.

On the boys side, Shawnee collected its first WOAC win of the season with a 3-1 decision over South.

Elliot Feck and Cooper Roell (two) scored for the Arrows. Jake Sarver tallied the Panthers only goal.

Shawnee closed out the regular season 4-12 (1-7 WOAC), while South finished 7-8-1 (3-5 WOAC).

The Panthers will open tournament play on Saturday, Oct. 23 against either Greeneview or Catholic Central.

The Arrows was meet either Bethel or The Miami Valley School on Saturday as well.

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Twin Valley South’s Madison Hundley (white) battle with Gracie Lovely of Preble Shawnee for possession during girls soccer match on Thursday, Oct. 14. South claimed a 2-0 win to earn the outright WOAC title.
https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/10/web1_ps_tvsgs6.jpgTwin Valley South’s Madison Hundley (white) battle with Gracie Lovely of Preble Shawnee for possession during girls soccer match on Thursday, Oct. 14. South claimed a 2-0 win to earn the outright WOAC title.

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Twin Valley South’s girls soccer team celebrates winning the first league title in school history after defeating Preble Shawnee, 2-0, on Thursday, Oct. 14.
https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/10/web1_ps_tvsgs13.jpgTwin Valley South’s girls soccer team celebrates winning the first league title in school history after defeating Preble Shawnee, 2-0, on Thursday, Oct. 14.
Panthers knock off Preble Shawnee, 2-0

By Eddie Mowen Jr.

[email protected]

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr

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