Peebles’ defender Kim Kreal is set to stop the attack of Wheelersburg’s Christen Risner in action from the Division III district semi-finals in Waverly on Oct. 24.

 

Season still the best in school history – 

Story and photo by Mark Carpenter – 

Though a loss in the district semi-finals in Waverly on Oct. 24 ended their 2017 season, the Peebles Lady Indians girls soccer squad can look back on this fall as a record-breaking season.
The Lady Indians faced a tough task in the Division III districts, matching up with number one seed and undefeated Wheelersburg and the favored Lady Pirates rolled to an 8-0 victory.
“This was our worst loss of the season,” said Peebles head coach Gus Denzik. “We went out hoping to be close at the half but that just didn’t happen. Wheelersburg is a quality program and I have a great deal of respect for their coach. It was a heartbreaking way to end a season that by every benchmark was the best in our history.”
When you play Wheelersburg, expect constant pressure from their offense and in this contest, that pressure resulted in no les than a dozen corner kicks which the Peebles girls had to defend. Most of the action took place on the Wheelersburg offensive side of the pitch, and the Lady Indians successfully defended the first six corner kicks but on the seventh, a header by the Lady Pirates’ Lyndlee Willis found its way past Peebles keeper Harley Griffith to start the scoring..
Before the first half had ended, Wheelersburg added goals by Sophie Hagans, Libby Miller, Madison Humble, and Miller again to lead 5-0 at the intermission. The Lady Indians had a couple of scoring opportunities from freshman Lilly Gray but the Lady Pirates’ defense was up to the task.
In the second half, Wheelersburg added three more goals to their final tally and moved on to the district finals by claiming the 8-0 clean sheet win.
Even with the disappointing loss, the Lady Indians can hold their heads up proudly, knowing that they depart the 2017 campaign with the most wins in a season in school history, finishing 11-7-0.
“It was a good run for us and every season ends, it’s just that this one ended before we were ready,” said Coach Denzik.
According to Coach Denzik, the girls won their second-ever sectional title, score the most goals ever in a single season , gave up the fewest goals in a season, had four players score double digit goals, all that while being plagued by injury.
The loss means the end of the high school careers of four Peebles seniors-Matti Nichols, Kim Kreal, Jessica Newkirk, and Abby Faulkner.
“Losing these four seniors is a big loss and they will definitely be missed,” said Denzik. “They have played hard for this team and it would not have been the season it was without them.”
Denzik was assisted on the sidelines this season by Greg Dennison. “Greg was a great addition to our coaching staff,” said Denzik.