Dublin Jerome boys, girls soccer teams enjoy memorable seasons
It was a banner season for the Dublin Jerome boys and girls soccer teams.
Both teams won Division I district titles, with the girls losing 1-0 to Olentangy Orange in a regional final Nov. 5 to finish 17-2-1 overall and the boys falling 2-1 to Olentangy Liberty in a regional semifinal Nov. 2 to finish 12-3-5 overall.
More:Central Ohio high school soccer players earn all-state honors
The girls team had new leadership as Georgi Petrov completed his first season, earning Coach of the Year honors in the OCC-Cardinal Division. The Celtics went 5-0 in the league to finish ahead of runner-up Olentangy Berlin (4-1).
Jerome then earned the program’s seventh district title, beating Liberty 1-0 on Oct. 29.
“I was happy to come into a program where the kids wanted to be pushed,” Petrov said. “It’s easy to go into a program where the kids are looking for someone to try to push them and be successful. As far as we were going to go was up to the kids. The kids were hungry.”
The Celtics played most of the postseason without senior goalie Jaylee Strickland, who suffered an injury to her right knee in the opening minute of a 4-0 win over Delaware in a district semifinal Oct. 26. Strickland finished the season with 49 saves and was first-team all-league.
“I dislocated my kneecap and pulled some ligaments,” Strickland said. “With our freshman goalkeeper, Hayden (Stoner), she was put in a position to step up immediately. As soon as I could return, I sat down with her and told her things that I look at on the field and off the field — like certain attributes of our players and certain things that they like to hear and how to communicate with them — so she could apply that when she was playing.”
Stoner finished with 22 saves and is expected to play a major role next season, according to Petrov.
Senior forward Sophia Penegor led Jerome in scoring with 20 goals and 10 assists, and shared Player of the Year honors in the OCC-Cardinal with Berlin’s Cameryn Susey and Hilliard Darby’s Elli Janetski.
Penegor also was first-team all-district and second-team all-state, while junior midfielder Imani Kissi (5 goals, 15 assists) was first-team all-district and all-league.
Senior Ava Watson (midfielder), junior Ella Fuller (defender) and sophomore Elizabeth Powell (defender) were second-team all-league, freshman Alexis Smith (midfielder) was special mention all-league and junior Darian Mitchell (midfielder) was honorable mention all-league.
The boys team played in its eighth consecutive district final, capturing the program’s ninth title overall with a 1-0 victory over DeSales on Oct. 29.
“It was a great season, but it’s always tough when you want to see the group go further,” said coach Nate Maust, whose team went 3-0-2 in the OCC-Cardinal to finish second behind Olentangy (4-0-1). “They had the potential to go a lot further. … It’s a good look for Jerome just to be able to see that every year, we’re either getting to or going past a district final.”
Junior Jack Maust (midfielder/forward) totaled six goals and six assists and was first-team all-district and all-league and second-team all-state.
Senior Jake Ziolo led the Celtics in scoring with 13 goals and 10 assists. He was first-team all-district and all-league.
Seniors Liam Brennan (defender) and Carson Browning (defender/midfielder) and junior Keegan Conley (midfielder) were second-team all-league, senior Jackson Hospel (forward) was special mention all-league and senior Elijah Corbin (defender) was honorable mention all-league.
“It’s very special,” Hospel said of the program’s postseason success. “It’s from the talent that comes from the local clubs like Ohio Premier and Club Ohio. Coach Maust builds a program not just on the soccer field, but through building players up as a human. It builds character and it shows throughout the group how resilient we are, how hard working and how focused on the task we are.”
Senior goalie Ethan Woyton recorded 52 saves.
“Ethan grew the most this season from the beginning to the end,” coach Maust said.
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JEROME BOYS SOCCER
•Record: 12-3-5 overall
•OCC-Cardinal standings: Olentangy (4-0-1), Jerome (3-0-2), Olentangy Berlin (3-1-1), Hilliard Darby (2-3), Marysville (1-4), Thomas Worthington (0-5)
•Seniors lost: Liam Brennan, Carson Browning, Preston Cole, Elijah Corbin, Jonathan Delatore, Jackson Hospel, Ethan Woyton and Bryce Zimmer
•Key returnees: Keegan Conley, Jack Maust and Jake Ziolo
•Postseason: Def. Groveport 3-0; def. Westerville North 2-1; def. DeSales 1-0; lost to Olentangy Liberty 2-1 in Division I regional semifinal
JEROME GIRLS SOCCER
•Record: 17-2-1 overall
•OCC-Cardinal standings: Jerome (5-0), Olentangy Berlin (4-1), Olentangy (2-2-1), Thomas Worthington (2-3), Marysville (1-4), Hilliard Darby (0-4-1)
•Seniors lost: Grace Connelly, Elizabeth Daniels, Jillian DiCesare, Jennifer Hicks, Mackenzie Michels, Megan Michels, Sophia Penegor, Jaylee Strickland and Ava Watson
•Key returnees: Ella Fuller, Imani Kissi, Darian Mitchell, Elizabeth Powell, Alexis Smith and Hayden Stoner
•Postseason: Def. Logan 5-0; def. Delaware 4-0; def. Olentangy Liberty 1-0; def. New Albany 2-1; lost to Olentangy Orange 1-0 in Division I regional final
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