The greatest feeling in high school sports is winning region and making it to state. Lady Cards soccer knows this feeling all too well.

In the 2016 season, the girls beat Harrison County 2-0 to win the 10^th Region Championship, earning them a trip to the KHSAA State Tournament.

After losing eight seniors, six of whom were starters, many probably believed that another winning team was very unlikely.

However, these non-believers were wrong.

Just in the first two weeks of the 2017 season, the team made its way into the top 10 rankings in the state, the first time ever under current coach Matt Abner.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be ranked this high at the beginning of the season,” says junior and second-year starter Taylor Kelly. “We still have some very good teams remaining on our schedule, so it will be a challenge to win each game, but if we continue to make each other better in practice then we could have a very memorable season.”

According to Kelly, members of the girls’ soccer team this year are like one big family and are “a great group of girls who enjoy playing with one another and the competition that soccer provides.”

Senior and team co-captain Shelby Benson elaborates on this point, saying, “Being a close-knit team benefits us because we know exactly what we need to do to be successful in our games. Since we know each other well, we know each other’s strengths and can play to them.”

The team being like a family benefits them not only on the field but in life as well. Benson “knows for a fact” that if any of her teammates needed help in some way, the entire team would be there to provide support.

Watch out for the girls’ soccer family this season as they continue to play well together and try to achieve a much-anticipated trip back to state.