Campbell County had never been to a state girls soccer quarterfinal before Thursday.
Lexington Catholic prevented the Camels from going any further.
A goal by Lucy DeMovellan and a penalty kick by Joanna Bryant gave the Knights a 2-1 win on Campbell County’s pitch.
Campbell County finished at 15-9-3. Senior Emma Westlund thought the 2024 season was nonetheless historic.
“It’s definitely a really big accomplishment, and I’m proud of the team and all the effort they put in,” she said. “They worked their butts off to get here.”
Catholic (21-2-4) stuck with its 3-5-3 alignment, which stymied Campbell County most of the night.
“Our midfield defenders are so good, we can press people,” Catholic coach Terry Quigley said. “We had 18 shutouts.”
The 19th clean sheet didn’t happen.
In the seventh minute, a handball let Westlund send a direct free kick about 30 yards to Caitlin Crowley, who beat Knights goalkeeper Sarah Wethington from about 15 yards out.
“We stayed calm, and we knew we could come back from that because we’ve done it before,” DeMovellan said.
Quigley called Westlund’s pass “a perfectly-sent ball.” “They sent three forwards or three players on it” he said. “We looked like we didn’t react to it at all.”
“I knew I could count on Emma with her kicks,” Crowley said. “I just needed to start the run early and find the way to run onto it, and right when I saw that, I kicked with my left foot.”
Campbell County coach Dave Morris said five Camels went to the net.
“That worked perfect; we put several in that way this year,” Morris said. “Emma has a strong leg.”
If there had been a Playing Through Pain Award, Campbell County Ryan Weghorn would’ve won it. She injured her right ankle in the second half of Monday’s 3-2 opening-round win over Boyle County. Still, after visits to two doctors, a chiropractor, a physical therapist, and an athletic trainer, she was in the starting lineup with only a brace to let anyone know she’d been hurt.
A three-minute sequence early in the second half gave Catholic the win.
In the 51st minute, DeMovellan’s free kick hit the crossbar and over the goal line past Campbell County keeper Abi Medaugh.
“I think I was (at) about the 20-yard-line off to the left of the goal,” DeMovellan said. “I saw it go to the top corner, and I think it hit the post and went in.”
In the 54th minute, Medaugh and Catholic’s Izzy Skinner collided, and Bryant beat Medaugh to the lower right. Quigley was surprised the PK was awarded.
“I was surprised (the referee) called it because it happened so fast,” Quigley said. “(Medaugh) didn’t get the ball, she got the player. She didn’t mean to; it was just an accident.”
Morris didn’t complain about the call.
“It’s just luck of the draw sometimes,” he said. “Calls go our way, sometimes they don’t. It was a tough call for us.”
Campbell County had two scoring chances. In the 64th minute, Weghorn’s shot at Catholic’s Bella Bretz went wide left, and Bretz corralled Westlund’s shot from about 35 yards out.
Catholic meets North Laurel, a 1-0 quarterfinal winner over Boyd County, in the semifinals Wednesday at Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Campbell County, meanwhile, said goodbye to two seniors, Westlund and Jozie Holmes (who led the team with 24 goals), but the future looks good – 14 juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen return.
“We had a great season overall,” Morris said. “I thought the girls played hard.”