By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Four in a row and striving for more.
The girls’ soccer trophy case continues to fill up at Bolivar High School.
The Liberators have won four straight district championships. It’s the longest active district title streak among area programs.
This spring, Bolivar’s reshuffling its lineup after the loss of three starting midfielders.
“I’m eager to see how our girls respond to some position changes,” said coach Steve Fast. “We have been set in our starters and positions the past couple of years. We may look to mix things up a bit and move some people around.”
Bolivar’s trademark has been its defense. The Liberators yielded less than a goal per match from 2016-18; that figure rose to 1.2 goals per match last season.
Expect a return to form on defense this year as Bolivar brings back several multi-year starters.
Senior Ashtynn Russell (two goals, four assists) is an Evangel commit and three-year starter.
“She’s the leader of our defense,” Fast said.
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Joining Russell in the back are three-year starter Aurora Fox and two-year starter Maude Henenberg. Both are seniors.
The Liberators will again have Allison Butler in goal. She earned the starting job as a freshman and tallied 74 saves, nine shutouts and a 1.1 goals against average.
“Hopefully, the bond (our defense) built last season will continue and transfer to this season,” Fast said.
Underclassmen lead the Bolivar attack. Junior midfielder Lexi Berry is coming off an all-state season in which she had 19 goals and seven assists.
Sophomore forward London Wilson tallied 12 goals as a freshman.
Junior forward Emmy Presley (six goals, four assists) and senior midfielder Annie vanHoornbeek (three goals) offer additional support and scoring punch.
“We bring back a lot of talent from last season and we should be very competitive if we can remain healthy,” Fast said.
Bolivar finished 16-6 overall last season. The Liberators beat Grandview and Harrisonville to win the Class 3 District 13 Tournament, then lost to Notre Dame de Sion in the sectional round.
Bolivar graduated a four-player senior class that included three starters.
Midfielders Rheagan Hancock (Southwest Baptist University) and Paige Martin (John Brown University) are continuing their soccer careers at the collegiate level.
Hancock had five goals, four assists and three years of starting experience.
Martin tallied four goals, three assists and was a four-year starter.
The Liberators also graduated starting left back Carsyn Julien and reserve midfielder Abby Bradshaw (two goals, four assists).
Bolivar will be down another starting midfielder in Hailey Taylor, who will miss the season with a knee injury.
Newcomers to watch include seniors Madison Austin (midfielder) and Annabelle Ramirez (defender).
“Madison has been a strong midfielder on the JV the past few years and we feel she can make an impact for the varsity and become a great role player for our team,” Fast said. “Annabelle was a great leader on the JV and had a valuable role in giving breaks for our varsity girls.”
Junior Megan Roberts missed most of last season with a broken foot, but returned in time for district play.
“She’s a high-energy player who will help us on offense,” Roberts said.
Another junior, Cara Larimore, played the sport for the first time last season.
“She showed great improvement,” Fast said.
Sophomore forward Mollie Stimpson was another Liberator who dealt with injuries and played sparingly in 2019. She could have an increased role this season.
“She’s another high-energy player with a good shot,” Fast said. “She can give us some offensive depth.”
Multiple freshmen could see varsity playing time. They include: Savannah Williamson (midfielder), Camryn Minor (defender) and Sophie Vestal (utility/GK).
“Savannah’s a very aggressive player that who could work her way up the depth chart and help us out tremendously at the varsity level,” Fast said. “Camryn has a lot of speed and will be fun to watch as she progresses.
“Sophie can play multiple positions and gives us a good backup plan at goalie if needed.”
Bolivar hosts Camdenton on March 20 for its regular season opener.
