Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
CHILLICOTHE — For the third straight season, the Unioto Shermans took home the Scioto Valley Conference girls soccer crown, and for the third straight year, a Sherman has won the conference’s Player of the Year award.
Junior Abi Seals was awarded the honor, succeeding former teammate Jayla Campbell, who won the award in 2018 and 2017.
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CREDIT: Jenny Campbell/SOSA
“I’ve been working really hard since freshman year,” Seals said. “I had a rough freshman year because I was working really hard and I didn’t feel like it was paying off. But I realized that I had to keep going and pushing through that. Now that I’m the Player of the Year, in my junior year, it’s amazing to me because I never thought I’d make it this far.”
Seals’ teammate Sydney Free, also a junior, was awarded the conference’s Goalie of the Year award, her second consecutive such honor. Free pitched five shutouts this year in a campaign where the Tanks are 9-6-2.
“Both are hard-working and very driven,” Unioto coach Jeremy Clark said when asked about Seals and Free. “Sydney is a great, vocal leader while Abi leads by example. They are great to coach. We’re excited for the tournament run.”
Unioto’s XiXi McKell, Jaidyn McKell and Sophia Garza also earned first-team all-SVC honors. XiXi McKell was imperative in the midfield, Jaidyn McKell was a cornerstone of a defense that only gave up two goals in league play, and Garza was a cornerstone of the midfield as well.
Westfall’s trio of Chloe Tanler, Madalynn Yates and Mahaley Farmer are also all-league selections after leading the Mustangs to an 11-4 record during the regular season. The Mustangs finished 3-1 in SVC play.
Tanler currently has 69 career goals, which is by far the program record. Yates, a senior, is Tanler’s partner in crime and is a University of Rio Grande commit, and Farmer has given Westfall scoring flexibility.
Piketon goalkeeper Natalie Cooper, Southeastern’s Sierra Mitten and Zane Trace’s Haynna Addy were also all-league selections.
The honor is Mitten’s second career all-league award, Addy’s third and Cooper’s first. Mitten and Addy both led their teams in scoring.
The league’s honorable mention all-league selections are as follows: Piketon’s Olivia MacCrae, Unioto’s Kylee Bethel, Zane Trace’s Lily Clark, Southeastern’s Eva Kingery and Westfall’s Lyndsey Yates.