WILSON MAKES MISSOURI ALL STATE TEAM

Karson Wilson recently received some fantastic recognition with her selection to the the 2009 Missouri All State High School Girls Soccer Team (2nd Team). Well done Kat!

Check out all the other selectees here. Our District is well represented throughout the first and second team.

WILDCATS TAKE HOME MANY AWARDS CONFERENCE AND DISTRICTS

The Cats racked up some top honors in Conference and District play this year. The teams hard work, determination and amazing record did not go unnoticed. Great season Wildcats!

All-District 1st Team
Emily Buerge
Alex Erickson
Karson Wilson
Anna Holden

All-District 2nd Team
Kayla Birchfield
Cati Brill
Sara Clarke
Tina Harold

All-District Honorable Mention Team
Jaclyn Sumner
Kelsie Sumner
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The Cats won the inaugural Missouri River Valley Conference Championship with a perfect 10-0 record with 7 shutouts, scoring 88 goals and allowing only 3 against in conference play.

All-Conference 1st Team

Emily Buerge
Kayla Birchfield
Karson Wilson
Anna Holden
Alex Erickson
Sara Clarke

All-Conference 2nd Team

Tina Harold
Cati Brill
Shalyn Wheeler
Jaclyn Sumner

All-Conference Honorable Mention Team

Kelsie Sumner
Kaila Leipard

Academic All-Conference

Tina Harold
Alex Erickson
Cati Brill
Emily Buerge
Sara Clarke
Karson Wilson
Anna Holden
Kayla Birchfield
Shalyn Wheeler

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Varsity Team Awards

Most Valuable Player - Emily Buerge
Defensive Player of the Year - Cati Brill
Offensive Player of the Year - Anna Holden
Most Improved Player - Melissa Bullard
Miss Hustle - Karson Wilson

Junior Varsity Team Awards

Most Valuable Player - Rebecka Lokits
Defensive Player of the Year - Kayla Davis
Offensive Player of the Year - Melissa Bullard
Most Improved Player - Abby Fisher
Miss Hustle - Lauren Rynard

Great season ladies. I look forward to next year. Till then, keep playin!

2009 SOCCER VIDEO

Kum Ba Yah Anyone?

I'd like everyone to join hands in a wonderful round of Kum Ba Yah. If not, how bout a game of Six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Anyone?

BOLIVAR WINS DISTRICT 5 CHAMPIONSHIP

Bolivar whooped Warrensburg 3-0 tonight to win the Class 2 District 5 Championship. Pembroke went down in flames 4-0 vs Notre Dame deSion (NDDS). The schedule for sectionals show 5/28 at 6:00 PM in Warrensburg (how ironic). I’ll be there for sure rooting for Bolivar. Go Liberators!

BOLIVAR WINS THEIR GAME VS MARSHFIELD

I got to watch a bit of the Marshfield vs Bolivar game before the Cats played and was impressed by both teams. Marshfield attacked the ball and showed great speed in key positions. Bolivar played a quality game (what little I saw of it) but did allow some chances on their goal.

I happened to stand next to Marshfield's coach (Paul? I'm horrible with names) while watching the Harrisonville game and I enjoyed his company and knowledge of the game and teams. I think the hardest thing about this new district alignment was trying to figure out all the new teams strengths and weaknesses and where they all fit. I still don't think we've seen Bolivars A game. I'm hoping they give it to Warrensburg....and I'm sure they will!

WILDCATS LOSE IN DISTRICT SEMI-FINAL

The Wildcats came up short tonight, falling 2-1 in double overtime against a tough Warrensburg team. The Cats had beaten the Tigers 5-0 earlier in the year but knew that this would not be an easy game since we lost three of our top starters in the Pembroke Hill game. The team that hit the field tonight showed great honor and spirit. Everyone stepped up and gave it all. They left it all on the field.

The Cats scored first off a wonderful Alex Erickson corner kick. Karson Wilson strode in and drove a towering header through a hole in the defenders. I thought she might have grazed her head on the cross bar she jumped so high. It wasn't until the second half that Warrensburg was able to capitalize on a scrum for the ball in the box. Shots were blocked at least twice by the keeper and defense but we were unable to clear the ball before the Tigers poked it home. Both side created opportunities with shots on goal but the score remained tied at the end of regulation. The first overtime came and went and then on to a second. The Cats had at least two shots fall wide of the goal and both sides won corner kicks they failed to convert. I thought we might finish out the second overtime and go to PK's until Warrensburg was able to put a perfectly placed shot on goal to end the game with four minutes left.

I was really proud of all the girls for keeping their composer in this hard fought battle. This has been a wonderful season and your record reflects it. The Cats finished the season 14-3 with 11 shutouts, 102 goals for and only 9 goals against. Well done ladies! Well done!

WILDCATS DOWN THE BULLDOGS IN FIRST ROUND DISTRICT MATCH

The Wildcats shutout the Carl Junction Bulldogs in their first round matchup with 8 goals. The Bulldogs were a classy team that played a spirited game. Their keeper had some great saves in the game and was inspiring to watch. The field, while well groomed and flat, had a couple huge pools of water from the recent rain. The girls did well to keep the ball clear of the puddles but there was at least on time where they tried to dribble through the deep end. I think one girl even tripped over the diving board.

The win put the cats at 14-2 for the season with 11 shutouts and 101 goals for - 7 against.

Other district scores:

#4 Marshfield Blue Jays - 2
#5 Logan-Rogersville Wildcats - 1

#3 Warrensburg Tigers - 4
#6 West Plains Zizzers - 0

#1 Bolivar Liberators - 6 or 7 (I didn't stay for the second half)
# Clinton- 0

Next round will be Marshfield vs Bolivar and Warrensburg vs Harrisonville.

CARL JUNCTION BULLDOG INFO

I finally found some Carl Junction info.

2009 Season Scores

CARTHAGE----------------L 1-2 (pk)
SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC----L 0-10
HILLCREST---------------L 0-6
NIXA TOURNAMENT
---ROGERSVILLE----------L 0-8
---NEOSHO---------------L 0-6
---WILLARD--------------L 0-1
MCAULEY-----------------L 0-3
NEOSHO TOURNAMENT
---NEOSHO---------------L 1-5
---HILLCREST------------T 0-0
NEOSHO------------------L 0-7
CARTHAGE----------------L 0-1
JOPLIN------------------L 1-3
NIXA--------------------L 0-8

GRAIN VALLEY VISITS HARRISONVILLE FOR CATS LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME

The Wildcats welcomed Grain Valley to Memorial Stadium and played them to a full 80 minutes with a score of 8-1. I wasn't able to make the game (sorry no pictures) but the following ladies provided Harrisonville with the goals.

3 Emily Buerge
2 Kaila Leipard
2 Melissa Bullard
1 Karson Wilson


Way to finish out the season Cats! Next up are the Carl Junction Bulldogs in Bolivar, MO for the first round of the District Soccer Tournament.

ST. LOUIS ATHLETICA WAS WORTH THE TRIP

We did a short road trip to see the St. Louis Athletica play vs their Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) opponent, the FC Gold from San Diego, CA. I've covered some Women's National Team Soccer back in 2000 when I did KCSoccerSpot.com and this game was eye opening for me. The Athletica won the game, their first of the season and league, on an amazing corner that was bent past the post and keeper.

The game has progressed so much in the last 10 years. I saw the pace in the first 10 minutes and commented to my daughters that there was no way they could sustain it for the entire 90 minutes. I was wrong. These girls were fast and had lungs to match. They were not only fast at the front but all across the pitch. I've never seen anything like it. The league is made up of not only the best the US has to offer but hand picked international players as well. What is really great to see is a smattering of the 90's and 2000 era team mixed in with the new young guns. Tiffany Milbrett and Brandi Chastain were in the house. Unbelievable.

And pace is not all that's changed. These ladies were amazingly skilled and tactically sound as well. Both sides were playing a wonderful game with minimal touches, threading passes into spaces a mouse couldn't run through. I got a press pass to shoot pictures at the USA vs Canada game in Kansas City in August 2000. I was like a kid in a candy store. We tied 1-1. The game, while entertaining was a much more physical match but much less tactical game than what I was seeing in MLS at the time. The Athletica and FC Gold both would have given the 2000 USA Womens team a run for their money if not a spanking.

The game was held on Southern Illinois University's stadium just 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The atmosphere at the game was reminescent of the old KC Mystics W-League games we used to attend here in KC. Small stadium with a great showing of fan support. Fantastic access to the players and a great seat no matter where you stood. The team went all out to make this an enjoyable game for us. The stadium is far away from the hustle and bustle of the city but close enough to hotels and other major attractions to make this a great weekend getaway.

We ended up staying overnight at a hotel just minutes from the stadium and then hitting the Gateway Arch and a riverboat ride on the way home. A great weekend I'm sure the girls won't forget.

The great surprise ending of the game? We were walking out and heard the girls names being yelled from the stands. What? There sits last years Harrisonville Assistant Coach Annie Sevy and her family. She was getting ready to move back to H'ville for the summer so she had enlisted her Mom and Dad to move her stuff back from Greenville College in Illinois. Small world.

I MISSED THIS ONE

I just found this entry on Warrensburg and Bolivar's game. It gives a glimpse of both teams style of play from Warrensburg's viewpoint.

Click here.

...and for the record, I'm not predicting anything, just passing on info when I find it. The Wildcats have to play every game one at a time starting with the Carl Junction Bulldogs. I've passed on their scores when I find em and I'm sure they will be a formidable opponent.

Pre-District Jam Video 2009

DISTRICT BRACKET - HARRISONVILLE TAKES SECOND SEED?

They have posted the District Championship Bracket. Harrisonville earned a second seed even after beating Warrensburg 5-0, a team Bolivar beat 2-1. Go figure. I'd rather have the girls go into this as the unknown underdogs (Cats) anyway. The District tournament will be held in Bolivar, MO (about 2.5 hours from Harrisonville).

Schedule is as follows:

Harrisonville vs Carl Junction Bulldogs
Saturday May 16th 1:00 PM

Semi-finals vs Warrensburg or West Plains
Monday May 18th 6:30 PM

District Championship vs ?
Wednesday May 20th 6:00 PM


View Larger Map

MORE SENIOR NIGHT PICTURES

MORE SENIOR NIGHT PICTURES

CATS CELEBRATE SENIOR NIGHT WITH A SHUTOUT

The Harrisonville Wildcats celebrated Senior Night with a 10-0 shutout win vs the Holden Eagles tonight.

Goals

4 Kaila Leipard
3 Alex Erickson
2 Kayla Birchfield
1 Karson Wilson

SCORES FROM AROUND THE DISTRICT

Waynesville Tigers - 2
West Plains Zizzers - 0

Springfield Catholic - 4
Bolivar Liberators - 1

Logan-Rogersville Wildcats - 4
Marshfield Blue Jays - 3

DISTRICT SEEDING

District seeding should be just around the corner. The site says it should be posted after 5/4/09 but that has been well over 24 hours. My GOD! I can't stand the suspense! I keep checking but nothing has posted on the web site yet. Argh!!

Check here for Class 2 District 5 seeding and championship schedule.

PEMBROKE HILL MAY BE A GOOD INDICATOR OF NOTRE DAME STRENGTH

The Wildcat game vs Pembroke Hills on Friday may be a good indicator on how strong the Notre Dame DeSion team may be this year as Pembroke recently played NDDS, losing 0-3. The Cats lost to NDDS 0-6 in last years district championship and could potentially face them again in sectional play if both win their districts in a few weeks.

Check here for more stats on the Pembroke team.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS PROVES TOUGH CHALLENGE

The Wildcats seemed surprised tonight in the opening minutes of their game against the Excelsior Springs Tigers. The Cats rolled over the Tigers earlier this season in a 11-1 free for all that left them confident in the lead up to this conference match. The Tigers would have none of it; scoring a goal against the stingy Harrisonville defense after only 10 minutes into regulation. Anna Holden evened the score for the Cats in the 33rd minute and they came back invigorated for the second half. Kaila Leipard scored the game winning goal with a slow roller after a scrum for the ball in the box. The Cats hung on for the win.

Congrats to the Cats for a tough win against a much improved Tiger team and congrats to the Tigers on a great game.

Next up is another conference match against Holden at home on Thursday May 7th with Pembroke Hill coming next week.

ROAD TRIP TO SEE ST. LOUIS ATHLETICA - WOMEN'S PRO SOCCER (WPS)

We are planning a road trip next Saturday, May 9th to watch the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) St. Louis Athletica play the Santa Clara FC Gold. Notable team player include US National Team and 2008 US Olympic gold medalists keeper Hope Solo and midfielder Lori Chalupny.

They have special Mothers Day ticket packages we are taking advantage of.

Click here for a link to their team site.

Here's some info from their site.

"Mom takes you to all your games why not take her to one. With the Mothers Day Special package, give Mom the Mothers Day gift she will never forget. Join Saint Louis Athletica when they take on FC Gold Pride on Saturday May 9th at 7:00pm. Along with this 4 ticket special Mothers Day price the first 500 packages purchased will receive a special gift for Mom. All Gift packs include 4 tickets 4 fan kits and a special gift for Mom. See prices below:

· Club $35
· Premium $55
· Center Line $80



Ralph Korte Stadium is located just twenty minutes from downtown St. Louis on Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville’s campus. With a capacity nearing 5,000, the stadium offers not only terrific views of the St. Louis skyline, but also a variety of ways to enjoy the action."

BULLDOGS BEAT THE WILDCATS 3-1

The Cats met a well rounded Kearney team tonight and fell 3-1. Kearney hit the scoreboard first with two goals in the first half coming in quick succession. Harrisonville's Kelsie Sumner scored their lone goal early in the second. The Cats were able to string together some great offensive play throughout the match but Kearney's quick counters and blazing forwards were difficult to contain.

SCHEDULE CHANGE

There has been a schedule change! The Wildcats were to play Smithville Friday night and that game has been cancelled and we will play Kearney tomorrow 4/30/09 at home. Kearney comes to us with a 14-2 record and sports the KC area's second leading scorer, Alex Massey, who currently has 26 goals on the season. The Cats will do well to shut down this scoring powerhouse and put some points on the board. Go Cats.

CATS DOWN OAK GROVE AT HOME

The Wildcats faced Oak Grove at home tonight on the turf field of Memorial Stadium. The Cats scored like a democrat votes, early and often, shutting out the Panthers 10-0 for the second time this season. The Cats are now 9-1-0 with only two goals against.

Scoring Summary

2 Kayla Birchfield
2 Karson Wilson
2 Anna Holden
1 Emily Buerge
1 Kelsie Sumner
1 Alex Erickson
1 Shalyn Wheeler

RAYTOWN PROVES A TOUGH TEST

The Wildcats looked to Raytown (8-2-0 ranked 8th in the Missouri Western Coaches Poll) this week to test them on the field as no team has done of late and test they did. Raytown's style of play was fast paced with clean passing and high pressure on defense. The Birds earned three yellow cards in the match while the Wildcats played a clean and physical game. The Cats rarely got more than a glimpse of the goal with the ball at their feet and failed to convert on those chances but created many great opportunities on the attacking end.

The Bluebirds countered quickly and searched our defense for an opportunity to score but found none until the final minute of regulation when a ball over the top from the midfield found the foot of Raytown's Paige Staples. With only one minute left to play, the one goal lead stood.

While a disappointing 1-0 loss for the Cats, the game was a great opportunity to prove they could hold their own against one of the better teams in the KC area. The defense held strong and Sara Clarke had many great saves in front of the net. The Cats, now 8-1-0 for the season, can take pride in the fact that this goal is only the second goal against them all season.

Next up...Oak Grove at home Tuesday at 5:00 PM. Go Cats!

BOLIVAR SETS THEIR SIGHTS HIGH

TWO CATS HIT THE TOP TEN

Two Harrisonville Wildcat forwards have made the top 10 in Kansas City area scoring. Alex Erickson and Anna Holden have scored 16 and 17 goals respectively so far this season. Try this link. You may have to register to see it. It's free.

OTHER SCORES AROUND THE DISTRICT

MONDAY NIGHT
Bolivar Liberators - 2
Warrensburg - 1
Boliver's Sarah Magana scored both goals for the winning side.

Marshfield Blue Jays - 2
West Plains Zizzers - 0


TUESDAY NIGHT
Marshfield Blue Jays - 0
Bolivar Liberators - 3

GRAIN VALLEY FALLS 10-0

Missouri River Valley Conference foe Grain Valley fell to the Cats 10-0 tonight. Too many goals to count. More later. This puts the Cats at 8-0 on the season with 61 goals for and only 1 against with 7 games in shutouts.

Next up...Raytown on the road Friday (at 4:00?). This should be a good test of the team.

We will face Smithville the following Friday in a matchup against the #2 ranked team in our Class.

CLINTON FALLS TO CATS AT HOME

Harrisonville continued their winning ways tonight in a 11-0 victory over the Clinton Cardinals.
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Anna Holden 3 G - 2 A
AJ Erickson 2 G - 1 A
Kelsie Sumner 1 G
Emily Buerge 1 G - 3 A
Caitlyn Minick 1 G
Karson Wilson 1 G - 2 A
Kayla Birchfield 2 G - 2 A
Kaila Leipard 1 A

JV won their game 1-0 on a Kelsie Sumner goal.

Go CATS!

SCORES FROM AROUND THE DISTRICT

Marshfield Blue Jays - 2
Logan-Rogersville Wildcats - 0

Glendale Falcons - 9
West Plains Zizzers - 0

Springfield Catholic - 2
Bolivar Liberators - 0
Click here for a local report.

ODD FACTS

The Cats will face the Clinton Cardinals at home on Thursday. While this will be their second outing against a mascot of the bird family, the Holden Eagles being the first, this will be their first song bird. The Wildcats have fared well against other mascots of the cat family, the Tigers(Sedalia, Warrensburg and Excelsior Springs) and the Panthers (Oak Grove). I know.... I'm just a plethora of information.

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

Sunny skies welcomed the Cats home as they met the Excelsior Springs Tigers tonight in a Missouri River Valley Conference matchup. The Cats carried a 5-0 record into the match, all in shutouts. While they preserved their unbeaten streak, their shutout streak was broken as they allowed the Tigers to score one late in the second half before closing out the game with a final score of 11-1 with six minutes left on the clock. Great game ladies. Lots of great hustle and physical play but I was most impressed with the confidence and passing under pressure.

Goals and Assists for the game:

Anna Holden 4G - 1A
Karson Wilson 1G - 2A
Kayla Birchfield 1G - 2A
Alex Erickson 3G
Emily Buerge 1G

JV lost 0-3 with two goals coming in the second half. Judith got a bunch of good JV pictures. I didn't do so well tonight on the varsity game. They are downloading now. Enjoy.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY!

The Cats had another game rained out tonight, the second time for this match up vs Platte County, a game rescheduled from their opening tournament of the season. Mother nature has intervened twice more this season with games against O'Hara and Marshall. No word yet whether (pardon the pun) this game will be rescheduled.

The Cats will face Conference foe Excelsior Springs at home tomorrow night. The Tigers recently won 6-3 vs Grain Valley and took a loss 3-0 vs a tough Kearney team in early April. Should be a good full field test of the Cat's game. Cross your fingers that the weather cooperates. Right now it is forecast as sunny and 60 degrees. Go Cats!

NEXT UP - PLATTE COUNTY PIRATES

The Cats will face the Platte County Pirates in the championship game of the Platte County Invitational Tournament on Monday, April 13th. The original game was rescheduled due to incliment weather. Platte County is a strong team, beating the Cats 6-2 in the finals of last years tourney. The Cats come to the final after accumulating a 5-0 start to the 2009 season, outscoring their opponents 29-0. Platte County's squad has the skill and tactics that will truly test the capabilities of the rock solid Harrisonville defensive unit. The Cat's offense need to focus on their first touch on the ball as the Pirates control the ball well and quickly close and cut off passing lanes when not in possession. Good luck ladies.

ALSO RAN

A few of the girls have been begged by the Harrisonville Track Coach to run track meets on days when soccer games don't coincide. Soccer takes first priority but it is a great opportunity to showcase their speed work. Kelsie and Jackie Sumner placed first and second in the 800 meter run of the Harrisonville Invitational Track Meet. Tina Harold and Shalyn Wheeler have also been pulling double duty.

CATS CONTINUE THEIR WINNING WAYS

The Wildcats won again on the road tonight 10-0 vs Oak Grove in the Panther's first varsity home game. The JV squads tied 2-2. Had to miss this one for work again but Jude got some photos (before her battery died an early death) and they are up on the photo link. Too many goals to list but a great total team effort.

I found a good article on the new soccer programs at Oak Grove and Grain Valley. It is great to see new teams coming into the area. Welcome and have a great season.

Check out the article on Oak Grove and Grain Valley Soccer here.

Update 4/14/09 - I got scores and assists from Coach Cook tonight.
Alex Erickson got an amazing 5 goals and one assist. Emily Buerge got two goals and three assists. Kayla Birchfield got two goals and three assists and Anna Holden got one goal.

GREAT WRITE UP IN THE LOCAL PAPER

The Cats had a great write up in the local paper; probably the best I've seen for a soccer game in this football town. Lots of great pictures too.

Check it out here.

DISTRICT 5 SCORES

Here are some recent scores in other Class 2 District 5 play. District 5 teams are in bold/italics.

Bolivar Liberators - 4
Marshfield Blue Jays - 0

Hillcrest Hornets - 6
Carl Junction Bulldogs - 0

West Plains Zizzers - 0
Poplar Bluff Mules - 8

Click here for a good article on Bolivar's 4-1 loss against Ozark Monday.

ROLLIN, ROLLIN, ROLLIN

The Cats beat the Holden Eagles 11-0 last night in their first Missouri River Valley Confence West game of the season. I wasn't able to make the game so I'll have to list the scoring later. Unbeaten and unscored on is not a bad way to start the season. Keep on rolling ladies! Next up, O'Hara.

If someone has pictures to post, send them to ksumner11@embarqmail.com

CATS PRESERVE THEIR PERFECT RECORD

The Wildcats preserved their perfect record with a 5-0 win over the Warrenburg Tigers in Harrisonville Monday night. Kayla Birchfield opened up the scoring just 30 seconds into the game. Anna Holden, Kaila Leipard, Karson Wilson and Alex Erickson each added a goal. Sara Clarke and her defense notched their third shutout in as many games.

A stiff wind from the South was blowing all evening and hampered both offense and defense for both teams. Any touch down wind from offense quickly collected speed and outpaced even the quickest offensive player to the endline. A well cleared ball from the defense seemed to track backwards at times, keeping the attack alive. The Wildcats played with the wind the first half but quickly learned to keep the ball close and controlled play. The second half found them with the wind in their faces and they adjusted well, playing long balls over the defense with cutting runs from midfielders and forwards.

In other play, the JV squad lost their opening game of the season 0-1 in a hard fought back and forth battle. The score remained knotted through the first half. Warrensburgs JV squad finally knocked one home in the second half and Harrisonville was unable to break through their defense to equalize.

There is no rest for the weary as the ladies travel to Holden tomorrow night. Good luck and keep rolling Cats!

Pictures are downloading as I sleep. Good Night All. zzzzZZZZzzz




Kaila Leipard nods home a goal off a well placed corner kick.

CATS TO FACE WARRENSBURG MONDAY NIGHT IN FIRST DISTRICT MATCH

The Harrisonville Wildcats and Warrensburg Tigers will face their first district challengers at Memorial Stadium in Harrisonville Monday night. Both teams come into the match undefeated and unscored upon after their first week of play. The teams traded games in the 2008 season with the Wildcats coming out on top 3-1 late in the season on the road.

2008 Play
April 1
Harrisonville 2 Warrensburg 3

April 29
Warrensburg 1 Harrisonville 3

Warrensburg 2009 Results
Warrensburg 2, Marshall 0
Warrensburg 9, Grain Valley 0
Warrensburg 1, Sacred Heart 0

SEDALIA PICTURES ARE UP

I finally got the Sedalia pictures up from the Platte County Tourney. We didn't get a bunch. The overcast skies played havoc with the action shots. Lots of defense as we played a bunch of it. Enjoy.

click here for photos

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

The Wildcat's were thinking it was "daja vu all over again" tonight as they faced their rival Sedalia Smith Cotton Tigers in the second round of the Platte County Invitational Soccer Tournament. The game was a rematch from last years second round game at the same tourney in which the Cats pulled an upset victory against a stubborn and physical Tiger team, earning the Wildcats a trip to championship game. The Cats faced off with Sedalia twice more during the 2008 season, suffering a mud caked 6-2 drubbing on the road and a hard fought 1-0 loss at home.

Just like last year's tourney game, the Cats struck first. Kayla Birchfield scored with an assist from Emily Buerge early in the first half. The team then fought through a barrage of shots from lengthy attacks by Sedalia's potent offense that taxed the Wildcats' (and spectators') nerves.

The tempo during the first half seemed to wear on Sedalia as the Cats came back to the second half renewed and pressing the fight. If somewhat slower, the Tigers returned ready for a more physical cat fight, leaving many of the Wildcats searching for ice bags after the game. The Harrisonville defense dug in and Sara Clarke had a brilliant game making the one goal lead stand.

Their perserverance earned the team their second shutout in as many games and pushed the girls to a now familiar championship game on Saturday where they will likely face last year's tournament champion Platte County Pirates at 6:00 PM. Now it's time to make history, not repeat it. Go CATS! Beat the Pirates!

Quote of the game (as Coach Coleman led the team off the field in victory): "Alright team, everyone on the ambulance!"
Runner up quote (after my daughter caught a hard ball to the face): "It's OK. It's just a little piece of cow."


Spectacular Save


Sara sets the Defense
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National Anthem...or The Wall...you choose the song.

CATS OPEN UP THE SEASON WITH A BANG

The Cat's 2009 season opened on a brisk afternoon at the Platte County Invitational Soccer Tournament. They met the Savannah Savages in the first round of the tourney and came out the victor in a closely fought 2-0 game. While Harrisonville controlled play throughout most of the game, the cats failed to score on well over 40 shots before Freshman Anna Holden pressed one home from the right side of the box with 18 minutes of regulation left. Senior Kayla Birchfield scored moments later to seal the deal. Sara Clarke and her fierce defensive unit recorded the shutout. The Cats will face the winner of tonights Platte County vs Smith Cotton game on Thursday at 5:00 PM. Great start ladies!

WIZARDS NEW SOCCER SPECIFIC STADIUM CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN

OK, technically, it has not begun but you gotta clear the land before you can build the dream. Check out the photos of the demolition of the Bannister Mall complex where The Trails Stadium will be built.

STADIUM WEB PAGE

PHOTO SLIDE SHOW

WILDCATS TO TAKE ON NEW DISTRICT COMPETITION

It is getting to be that time of year again. The girls have already begun the conditioning after school. Many are still finishing out basketball, cheerleading and indoor soccer leagues.

The girls will take on a whole new district this year after the realignment in the high school district class system. The shift from a two to three class system has given the Cats a little breathing room in district play. We've left our old rivals of O'Hara and the dreaded Notre Dame behind and now sit amongst other public schools in Class 2 District 5. These teams are gone but not forgotten as they sit in Class 2 District 6, a likely pairing for the second round in the state championships. Future district rivals, Bolivar and Harrisonville, both made it to their class 1 district finals last year but were unsuccessful in winning the championship. Clinton and Ruskin both follow the Cats to the new district. The following teams make up the Class 2 5th District (listed in my preseason ranked order):

Harrisonville High School
Warrensburg High School
Bolivar High School
West Plains High School
Carl Junction High School
Logan-Rogersville High School
Marshfield High School
Clinton High School
Ruskin High School