The score is 5-4, with only one penalty kick left when Ella Jones (10) steps up to the ball. The stadium is silent, all eyes on the Highlands player as she prepares to take the last kick of the season. The team watches as the ball flies over the net, the whistle sounds, and just like that, the game is finished.
A hush rolls through the Highlands fans, as unexpectedly the season is suddenly over.
Even after a heart-breaking finale, the Highlands High School girls’ program had a successful season. The team went 15-6-4 and won the 36th District and 9th Region tournaments. The team beat the Conner Cougars in the region finals 1-0, avenging a previous loss earlier this season.
Unfortunately, the team fell short against Lexington Catholic in penalty kicks in the first round of the KHSAA State tournament, after earlier in the season losing to them 1-0 at Lex Cath. For much of the season, the team was considered the “underdogs.” In an article from LinkNKY, “With all the turnover, the Bluebirds were a bit of an unknown entering the season.”
Yet with this team’s hard work and dedication, everyone’s expectations of winning the 9th region and making it to state were proven wrong.
To most people, it was unexpected that the girls would win the regional championship, as they had lost to Conner in the regular season 2-0. However, senior Kendall Graves (12) says that the team was determined and knew they had the game with them.
”We were determined to win because we had fought all year to get to that game, it didn’t matter to us who we played,” Graves said.
The team experienced many hardships this past season, like not having their field to practice and play on because of the Tower Park renovations.
Most of all, the loss of two coaches mid-season. This unexpected decision put the whole program in a hard position. Luckily, Math teacher and junior varsity head coach Kelsey Etherton stepped up into the role of varsity head coach.
“Honestly, it was a little bit scary, but my first thought was just immediately yes because I couldn’t imagine not being there with the team,” Etherton said.
Psychology Teacher Nina Kearns came back into the program after 4 years. Kearns helped lead the 2005 and 2006 teams to a KHSAA State Championship win.
“I’ve returned to the program before, but this one was different… I was nervous wanting to make a positive impact and not having that much time to do it, but excited at the same time,” Kearns said.
Much of the team’s success was a credit to the 7th state-ranked defense.
“If you look logistically, the defense I think is what kept us in matches and allowed us to be successful so I complement the defense,” Kearns said, “I mean especially when you look at having a very young keeper (Bailee Class), a very young team, that doesn’t always happen, the number of shutouts you guys had and the amount of success you guys had.”
The amount of chemistry affected the play in a positive way.
“You cannot replace chemistry,” said Kearns.
For Graves, this was the ultimate ending to her 5-year career.
“It has been so fun to play with all of the girls over the years and play for my school.” Graves said.
