By Tyler Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
OZARK, Mo. — The Kickapoo Lady Chiefs (20-3) and the Ozark Lady Tigers (14-11-1) know each other quite well.
After all, it was the Lady Chiefs who outlasted the Tigers, 1-0, two years ago for the Class 4 District 9 title.
Wednesday evening at Ozark, the Chiefs did it again, doing just enough to slide past the Lady Tigers, 1-0, to emerge with the Class 4 District 10 title.
After the pandemic kept the girls off the pitch last year, the Chiefs looked like a team destined for more.
Sophomore Vanessa Maturey took the corner kick at the 63’ mark, serving up the difference maker from 20 yards out.
“I just got it. I just get it and go,” Maturey said of “Jellybean” — the winning set piece, which was installed roughly two weeks ago.
The match paralleled that of a prize fight — with both teams bobbing and weaving for the initial 40 minutes of play.
Physicality was paramount, as both teams had players flying around, contorting their bodies through the air, doing whatever was necessary to pull out the win and fight to see another day.
“We had a lot of intensity going into this game. We knew we had a legacy to keep going on,” said Maturey, who was hoisted up by her teammates after the final whistle. “That was just our motivation for the game.”
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Maturey said being lifted by her teammates is a feeling she’ll keep with her wherever the road leads.
“I think it is the best feeling I have ever felt. Not just for the goal, but for the team, for winning,” she said.
The Lady Chiefs owned time of possession, in both halves, but something clicked during intermission.
The Chiefs came out and began to pack and attack the middle, compared to the opening half.
“We get the ball where it needs to go. We still had our heads up going into halftime. With the wind in your face, it’s tough to get the ball up,” added Maturey.
The Tigers took the Chiefs out of their comfort zone in the first half, spreading out the attack.
But the camaraderie and trust paid off for Maturey and company.
“We are all with each other a lot. We build good friendships,” she said.
Veteran Kickapoo head coach, Phil Hodge, who eclipsed 400 wins last season, said winning four in a row resonates.
“What a tremendous season this group has had,” he said. “Found a way to win tonight. Hat’s off to Ozark for making things difficult on us. Today was really a tale of two halves.”
The Chiefs won the Ozark Conference with a 9-0 record, and to cap off the campaign with a district championship, Hodge said, four in a row is “pretty special.”
Added Hodge: “It says a lot about our group. I am just proud of them.”
