By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Coming off the best season in program history, the Logan-Rogersville Lady Wildcats were beat up and beat down in the opening week of their 2025 campaign.
Injuries, illness and a depleted roster left Logan-Rogersville shorthanded against a stacked early-season schedule. The Class 2 Lady Wildcats began the season with three straight losses, falling to Ozark, Washington and Summit Christian Academy.
Then, in mid-April, losses to Republic, Smith-Cotton and Springfield Catholic – three more non-Class 2 schools – dropped the Lady Wildcats to 4-6 overall.
“It was definitely tough, especially with this being my senior year,” said Logan-Rogersville senior defender and co-captain Madelyn MacPherson. “This was the first time that our schedule had changed so drastically.
“It caught us off-guard and we were kind of down a little bit, but I think that motivated us to be like, ‘We have to start getting some wins.’”
After the slow start, Logan-Rogersville has asserted itself in the win column.
As districts loom, the Lady Wildcats are rounding into form as they aim to go back to the final four.
Logan-Rogersville clinched the inaugural Ozark Mountain Conference championship on Tuesday evening, beating Marshfield 5-0 at home.
It’s the first conference championship in girls’ soccer for Logan-Rogersville, who was a frequent second-place finisher to former conference foe Springfield Catholic.
“We talked at the beginning of the season that this is an achievable goal for our team, if we actually work for it,” MacPherson said. “We did want this, so it’s nice to finally be conference champs.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Logan-Rogersville star sophomore Maddie Lou Shuburte netted all five goals in the match. She now has 38 for the season and is 17 shy of what she called her “minimum” benchmark for the 2025 season: 55 goals. Shuburte surpassed 100 career goals earlier this season.
Shuburte did misfire on a couple of would-be goals in the first half. She hit the post on one attempt. Later, she overshot the crossbar on an empty net.
“They stick with me, but they motivate me in that way,” Shuburte said of the missed opportunities. “They motivate me to make sure, ‘Hey, I know I just missed that, but let’s make the next one.’”
After Logan-Rogersville led 2-0 at halftime, Shuburte tacked on three more goals in the second half. Sidney Holland, Aiden Nichols, Ashby Meyer and Macie Holland all registered assists for the Lady Wildcats, who improved to 10-6 overall and 5-0 in OMC play.
The Lady Wildcats have now posted six straight shutouts and 10 clean sheets overall for the season.
“I really think our defense talks well and we know how to move the ball around together,” MacPherson said. “This is basically Year 3 of us being back there together. We all just get along well and communicate… and we have some pretty good defenders back there, too.”
Logan-Rogersville enjoyed the bonus of having a full roster available for Tuesday’s match.
Even still, two regular varsity players – Taylor Wray and Abbie Stokes – are out for the season with knee injuries.
“We had everybody available (tonight) that we’ll have going forward,” said Logan-Rogersville coach Brett Wubbena. “This is the first game, all season, that we’ve played with everyone together.
“We’re good. I think we have the ability to be really good. Sometimes you can’t do that in one month or two months. We’ve just needed a little more time together.”
Logan-Rogersville wraps up its regular season slate Thursday at Hillcrest in an OMC matchup. The Lady Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in next week’s Class 2 District 5 Tournament; they’ll host Monett in the first round on May 20.
Like the boys’ program did in the fall, the Lady Wildcats are hoping their postseason run ends with a second straight trip to the final four in Fenton. The Lady Wildcats made their first-ever final four appearance last season.
“We have really good coaches for one thing,” Shuburte said. “And Rogersville as a whole, we just really want to win. We’re all focused on the same goal here. With the soccer program, we have a bunch of people who want the exact same thing. And we always strive to work together.
“No matter who we’re playing, we still have to take it away and finish.”
Marshfield (13-7 overall), which has already clinched its seventh straight winning season, will host Camdenton in its regular season finale on Thursday.
The Lady Jays are the No. 5 seed in the Class 2 District 5 Tournament and face No. 4 seed New Covenant Academy next Tuesday in the opening round at Logan-Rogersville.
Logan-Rogersville 5, Marshfield 0
Marshfield 0 0 — 0
Logan-Rogersville 2 3 — 5
First half
Logan-Rogersville (3’) – Maddie Lou Shuburte
Logan-Rogersville (5’) – Shuburte (Sidney Holland assist)
Second half
Logan-Rogersville (53’) – Shuburte (Aiden Nichols assist)
Logan-Rogersville (72’) – Shuburte (Ashby Meyer assist)
Logan-Rogersville (80’) – Shuburte (Macie Holland assist)
