Simon Kenton’s Alexis Howard didn’t hesitate as the team opened up region tournament play.
“We’re here to win state,” Howard said — no second thoughts, no hesitation.
On Monday night in Independence, the Pioneers (19-1-3) took another confident step toward that mission, defeating North Oldham 2-0 in the 8th Region girls soccer tournament quarterfinals.
Howard wasted no time setting the tone, scoring in the game’s opening minute with a burst straight through the middle before slotting the ball past Mustangs goalkeeper Emmry Fulkerson.
“It takes off a lot of pressure to score that early and really calms our team down,” Howard said.
Fellow senior Reese Johnson added a second before halftime, finishing a sharp through ball from just inside the box to double the lead.
“It definitely allows us to set the tone early. It gets it set straight that, you know, we’re here,” Johnson said
PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
From there, the defense made sure it stood — and it hardly broke a sweat. Ranked No. 3 in the state and owning just one loss all season, Simon Kenton’s back line held North Oldham (10-8-2) to five total shots and no serious threats on goal. Goalkeeper Makenna Doherty made four comfortable saves, helping the Pioneers record their 12th shutout of the year in 24 games.
“We focus on really staying organized in the midfield to make our back lines job a bit easier and they executed that perfectly,” Pioneers coach Hillary Johnson said.
It was no easy opener, either. North Oldham entered the tournament ranked No. 20 in the state with a 10-7-2 record — a far tougher draw than many teams faced in the first round. But Simon Kenton handled the challenge like a squad with championship ambitions.
“Since we started the first day of tryouts, we knew from the get go, like this was our year,” Reese Johnson said. “We’re coming out to win it all.”
Howard’s goal was her 16th of the season, while Johnson’s tally marked her 14th. Ella Smith and Marren Goetz earned assists on the two goals, and the Pioneers finished with 11 total shots, eight on target.
Next up: a semifinal clash with Woodford County on Thursday at Carroll County at 8 p.m. The Yellow Jackets rolled to an 11-0 win over Henry County in their quarterfinal and will be looking for revenge after Simon Kenton defeated them 2-0 back on Sept. 6.
With six wins now separating the Pioneers from the ultimate prize, every step forward brings the dream a little closer. For Simon Kenton, the message remains simple — and unchanged.
“We are taking it step by step, game by game, and they are truly just focused on the task at hand,” Hillary Johnson said. “Whether it’s practice the next day or the next game. They’ve done a really good job of not looking ahead this season, just get the job done day by day.”
SIMON KENTON BOYS WIN BIG
In the opener of the region boy/girl quarterfinal doubleheader at Chlorine Menefee Stadium, Simon Kenton’s boys rolled to an 8-0 victory over Gallatin County.
The Pioneers struck early and often, taking a 5-0 lead into halftime before ending the game with the eight-goal mercy rule in the second half.
Marco Barrios scored four goals, Brayden Ross added two and Nasser Hussein and Noah Allen each netted one. Allen and Parker Monson had two assists apiece, Isaiah Reinhart with the other. Miles Mullen needed just one save for the shutout.
The Pioneers (9-12-3) advance to Wednesday’s semifinals to face South Oldham at Carroll County at 8 p.m.
