Girls soccer postseason: Douglass erases district jinx; Lexington Catholic rolls on

The 42nd District girls soccer tournament has not been kind to Frederick Douglass since the school was founded in 2017.

Over the years, the Broncos have suffered three upset losses as the top district seed and been defeated in penalty kick shootouts twice.

Despite establishing itself as one of the best soccer programs in the state with consistent appearances in the Maher Rankings top 25 year after year, the little wooden trophy with gold placards handed out in the first week of October has eluded the Broncos.

That is, until now.

Haley Flynn’s perfectly placed free kick goal from 20 yards out gave Douglass a 2-1 lead over Henry Clay that they would hold onto for the final 33 minutes of the second half to capture the school’s first 42nd District girls soccer tournament championship on Wednesday at Bryan Station High School.

“We’ve been in the finals for a couple of years now and to finally win it just means everything to this team,” said Flynn, a senior whose younger sister Ella also starts for Douglass.

The No. 13 Broncos (16-4-1) and Henry Clay (9-9-2) both advanced to next week’s 11th Region Tournament where Douglass will get to host its first round game before the event moves on to the semifinals and finals at Madison Southern. Joining them will be the top teams from the 41st, 43rd and 44th Districts, including No. 1 Lexington Catholic and No. 8 Lafayette.

Haley Flynn’s 18 goals and 10 assists this year leads a three-headed scoring threat for the Broncos that also includes fellow juniors Jordan “Jojo” Williams (16 goals) and Maddie Merryweather (15).

Flynn’s game-winner from just outside the box flew with pace and nearly skimmed the underside of the crossbar well to the Henry Clay keeper’s left. It offered almost no opportunity for a save.

“I’ve hit at least a hundred at practices this season and I’ve probably only made three,” Haley Flynn admitted. “So, that was my fourth, but it was just all the hard work I’ve put in this season. … When I hit it I knew.”

Late in the first half, Merryweather penetrated along the endline and centered a pass across the face of goal that met a sliding shot from senior Anna Grace Meek to tie the game at 1-1. Henry Clay had taken a 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the game after a foul call in the box set up a penalty kick goal by Avery Allen.

Frederick Douglass coach Megan Adkins, a longtime assistant at Lexington Catholic who came over to Douglass to found the girls soccer team in 2017, said the Broncos have always competed, regardless of the frustrations they’ve met in the postseason.

“It’s all about the kids,” she said. “We’ve worked hard these last seven years. … District is always tough. Region is tough. I’m just proud of the girls. … They really wanted this and it’s great for our program.”

Lexington Catholic makes it four straight

Zara McCarthy and Sydney Elbert each scored a pair of goals and Izzy Skinner added another as Lexington Catholic defeated tournament host Lafayette 5-0 on Wednesday to earn its fourth straight 43rd District Tournament championship.

The No. 1 Knights (21-1-1) and No. 8 Lafayette (14-4-3) have contested the district crown each of the last four seasons.

Incredibly, Lexington Catholic has also won the 11th Region Tournament four years straight and advanced to the state finals once, the state semis twice and the state quarters on all four tries in that time.

And this team appears to be on that same kind of trajectory.

“We don’t let the No. 1 (ranking) define us,” McCarthy said earlier this week. “We don’t want that pressure. We just try to overlook that and play our hardest every single day.”

LexCath has faced 10 top-25 opponents this season, beating and tying No. 3 Sacred Heart in its two tries and defeating No. 6 Assumption and No. 8 Lafayette twice. Its only loss came in an uncharacteristic 3-0 blowout at Notre Dame on Aug. 14, the third game of the season.

LexCath coach Terry Quigley does not believe his team will take anything for granted in the games ahead.

“The girls like being No. 1, but I’m not sure they believe it,” Quigley said. “They think they need to work. They can feel it out there. … When we played Assumption the first time, we were all over them for the first 20 minutes and then for the next 60 they were all over us.

“That was a big game for us because I told them, ‘Either you’re the first 20-minute team or you’re the last 60-minute team. You’ve got to decide that.”

Lexington Catholic defeated Assumption 4-2 in its rematch with the Rockets on Sept. 20 and outscored all others 102-5.

The Lexington runners-up

While Lafayette was not able to topple Lexington Catholic, it kept its streak of four straight 11th Region Tournament appearances alive by defeating Paul Laurence Dunbar 1-0 Monday thanks to a goal by Lily Simpson with 3:33 left in their district semifinal.

And Henry Clay earned its spot in the regional with a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Scott County on Tuesday.

Simpson’s game-winner came on a counter attack as she and fellow senior Campbell Tippey sprinted down the field. Tippey’s powerful shot from the right wing spilled into Simpson’s path for the cleanup goal.

“That was mind-blowing,” said Simpson, one of the team’s nine seniors. “It was just a great feeling. Four years in a row, going to the region tournament … it’s completely unimaginable. These girls have played together forever. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Henry Clay’s Grace Plummer scored a hat trick of three goals against the Cardinals. She believes her team will be ready for this week.

“I think we’re pulling it together,” she said after Wednesday’s win. “Our chemistry is definitely there.”

Girls 11th Region contenders

Here’s a closer look at the girls 11th Region soccer tournament field listed in order of their final regular-season Maher Rankings among Kentucky’s top-100 soccer schools. The Maher Rankings computer formula rates teams based on a number of factors, including results, strength of schedule and historic data. Also listed are the KHSAA’s RPI standings, based on a different formula.

Lexington Catholic

Maher/RPI: 1/1.

Record: 21-1-1.

How they got here: 43rd District champs with 5-0 win over Lafayette.

Notes: Lexington Catholic has not lost to an 11th Region opponent since Oct. 10, 2019. Leading scorers: McCarthy (26), Elbert (24), Skinner (15), Joanna Bryant (15).

Lafayette

Maher/RPI: 8/11.

Record: 14-4-3.

How they got here: 43rd District runner-up in 5-0 loss to Lexington Catholic.

Notes: Lafayette last made it to the region finals in 2020. The Generals will face Frederick Douglass, a team they defeated 4-1 on Aug. 30, in Monday’s first round.

Frederick Douglass

Maher/RPI: 13/10.

Record: 16-4-1.

How they got here: 42nd District champs with 2-1 win over Henry Clay.

Notes: The Broncos have reached the semifinals twice in their seven-year history, the last coming in 2019. Douglass had a couple of players injured during its midseason 4-1 loss to first-round opponent Lafayette, including starting midfielder Ella Flynn.

Madison Central

Maher/RPI: 34/38.

Record: 12-3-1.

How they got here: 44th District champs with 1-0 win over Madison Southern.

Notes: The Indians played their first round opponent, Franklin County, in their season opener, winning 4-0. Leading scorer: Natalie Knecht (13). Top assists: Emily Couch (9).

Henry Clay

Maher/RPI: 35/49.

Record: 9-9-2.

How they got here: 42nd District runner-up with 2-1 loss to Douglass.

Notes: Henry Clay and first-round opponent Great Crossing have not faced each other this season. But the Blue Devils have beaten sister school Scott County twice and the Cardinals were a 3-2 winner over the Warhawks earlier this season. Leading scorer: Grace Plummer (15). Top assists: Ava Wilson (9).

Great Crossing

Maher/RPI: 37/65.

Record: 10-6-3.

How they got here: 41st District champs with 9-0 win over Franklin County.

Notes: Great Crossing has won three straight district titles. Kaylee Tyson (21 goals) leads four double digit scorers — Seaton Hockensmith (15), Gracie Gordon (13) and Kaylynn Crump (13).

Madison Southern

Maher/RPI: 40/32.

Record: 9-5-1.

How they got here: 44th District runner-up with 1-0 loss to Madison Central.

Notes: The Eagles lost to first-round opponent Lexington Catholic 3-1 in their regular season meeting on Sept. 7. Leading scorer: Rebekah Christopher (15). Top assists Ashlee Pisula (9).

Franklin County

Maher/RPI: Unranked/130.

Record: 8-13-0.

How they got here: 41st District runner-up with 9-0 loss to Great Crossing.

Notes: Franklin County has not posted individual statistics to the KHSAA. Its 13 losses included a six-game losing streak from Aug. 31 to Sept. 18.

GIRLS 11TH REGION TOURNAMENT

MONDAY’S QUARTERFINALS

7 p.m.: Madison Southern at Lexington Catholic

7 p.m.: Henry Clay at Great Crossing

7 p.m.: Franklin County at Madison Central

7 p.m.: Lafayette at Frederick Douglass

WEDNESDAY’S SEMIFINALS

At Madison Southern

6 p.m.: Madison Southern-Lexington Catholic winner vs. Henry Clay-Great Crossing winner

8 p.m.: Franklin County-Madison Central winner vs. Lafayette-Frederick Douglass winner

SATURDAY’S FINALS

At Madison Southern

1 p.m.: Championship match

Boys soccer postseason: Lafayette tops defending state champs; Douglass repeats