Midseason update: LCS is No. 1 but here are rest of Polk's top 10 teams in girls soccer
The 2023-24 girls soccer season is headed down the stretch, and if Lakeland Christian coach Jason Streets, who won his 400th career game as LCS's head coach, is correct, look for some upsets when the district tournaments begin. The county, he said, is as evenly matched as it ever has been, and the Vikings’ district that includes Santa Fe Catholic, All Saints and Victory Christian is as competitive as it ever has been.
Three-time defending state champion Lakeland Christian, however, remains at the top. The Vikings are No. 2 in Class 1A behind St. Johns Country Day, and in the county, they are undefeated with wins over McKeel and Auburndale. George Jenkins gets a shot at LCS at the end of the month, and Lake Wales plays LCS in just over a week.
Here are the top 10 teams in Polk County.
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1. Lakeland Christian (11-3)
The Vikings’ three losses have been to powerhouses Carrolwood Day, Bartram Trail, which is No. 2 overall in the state, and Berkeley Prep on Thursday in what has been a reloading season. Mari Carr (12 goals) and Ellie Cox (8 goals) are a 1-2 punch on offense as eight players have four or more goals. Seventh-grader Allie Williams (4 goals, 6 assists), who is the daughter of LCS football coach Danny Williams, has provided a boost with a goal in three of LCS’s past four games.
The Vikings are led by senior K.J. Straub who has been an impact player since joining varsity in the playoffs as a seventh-grader. She leads with 13 assists and plays holding mid although she’ll move into a more offensive role when needed. She also has filled in at center back. The county player of the year as a sophomore, she again is one of perhaps three players who currently are the strongest candidates. The Vikings are battling injuries, among them is Carr, who is out at the moment with a sprained ankle. Kyleigh Coleman was moved to defense and helped solidify the backline led by Halle Johnson.
2T. George Jenkins (8-3-2)
The Eagles are one of the most improved teams, having already won eight games after going 8-9-3 last year. Freshman Eliot Losinski has made a big impact as she and junior Georgiana Strawbridge lead with five goals.Two more freshmen, Brooke Barrett and Katie Maurer also have been impact players. Sienna Ferry’s return from injury will be a boost. The Eagles closed out 2024 with a nice 1-0 win over Lake Wales. All their wins have been shutouts and they have allowed goals in just two matches, a 1-0 loss to Horizon and a 5-0 loss to undefeated Cypress Creek.
2T. McKeel (5-4-2)
The Wildcats have played a tough schedule. This is a rebuilding season and they are coming on strong. They had a big 1-0 win off a penalty kick over George Jenkins on Thursday in a match that likely would have ended in a scoreless tie with out the penalty in the final five minutes. Bella Arboleda, who did not play against Jenkins, with six goals leads in scoring. The defense has been strong, led by Sophia Furnari, Bailey Whitehead, Elle Barrett and Abby Shannon.
4. Santa Fe Catholic (8-1-2)
The Crimson Hawks’ only loss has been to George Jenkins, 2-0. They also have ties against Winter Haven and Fort Meade. January matches against Lake Wales and Auburndale will be good tests for Santa Fe. Their offensive attack is led by young players. Sophomore Copeland Colony leads with 10 goals followed by freshman Kendall Freeland (5 goals, 8 assists), freshman Haley Henderson (4 goals) and freshman Ansley Lausell (3 goals).
5. Auburndale (6-2-2)
The Bloodhounds were hit hard by graduation but remain a solid team in the county. They began the season 0-2-1 but have gone 6-0-1 since the slow start. The losses were to powerhouses Montverde and Lakeland Christian. Makenna Battilla is one of the top players in the county and is an explosive scorer. She scored 31 goals last season and has 21 goals this season. The Bloodhounds, however, haven't replaced the production of her sister Peyton, who has 32 goals. Alaney Hancock missed the end of last season with an injury and has six goals. Adrienne Cardona-Colon and Emaleigh Daughtry each have five goals. Madison Houlihan is also back after missing the last half of the season with an injury.
6. Lake Wales (9-2)
The Highlanders’ only losses have been to McKeel and George Jenkins. Auburn-signee Lily Borders leads with 22 goals and 12 assists and needs 16 goals to reach 100 for her career. Freshman Ellie Mole has 10 goals to make up for the graduation of Bailey Dykes, who scored 26 goals last season. Breanna McQuillen (5 goals, 11 assists) and Giulia Soars (7 goals, 9 assists) have provided offensive depth.
7. Victory Christian (7-2-3)
The Storm were 3-2 at the end of November and since have gone 4-0-3. Gabby Figueroa leads with seven goals and four assists. Nevada Haygood and Jordy Williams also have been effective offensively. Abbie Lemmond, one of the top center backs in the county, missed the latter part of last season with an injury but is back and is having a stellar season. Kati Nickel, Amber Choquette, Heather Batts and Bella Lazenby also have been strong on defense.
8. Bartow (7-3-2)
The Yellow Jackets are 3-0-2 in their last five matches, including a scoreless tie against George Jenkins. They are led by softball standout Julia Heter, who has a team-high 11 goals. Reagan Upthegrove, Mannerly Barthel, McLean Hardee and Kyla Vegter have been big contributors too.
9. Lakeland (5-2-2)
Both of the Dreadnaughts’ losses have been to top teams with one-goal losses to Lakeland Christian and George Jenkins. Senior Sofia Olivera with 15 goals is one of the top goal scorers in the county for girls soccer. Upcoming matches in the next two weeks against Lake Wales and McKeel will be good tests.
10. Winter Haven (6-4-2)
The Blue Devils have benefited up and down. They tied Santa Fe and Lakeland and their losses have been against the top teams like LCS, McKeel, Auburndale and Lake Wales. Sophomore Brianna Woodruff leads with 10 goals, and senior Jordyn Frazier has nine goals.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Midseason update: Here are Polk County's top 10 teams in girls soccer
