Rarely will you find the fans of longtime rivals Woodrow Wilson and Greenbrier East not only in agreement, but maybe quietly cheering for each other to pick up a win.
The reason for the rare occasion comes on the pitch Tuesday night when the the Woodrow Wilson girls and the Greenbrier East boys look to end the Region 3 soccer dominance held by George Washington.
The Patriots have not dropped a regional clash in girls soccer since 2017, while the boys have yet to stumble since 2010.
Although George Washington took both regular season matches, Flying Eagles head coach Julie Agnor and Spartans head coach Lucas Lemine are confident in a different outcome when the teams meet at Paul Cline Stadium.
The defending Class AAA girls champions (17-3-2) beat Woodrow Wilson, 1-nil in Charleston on a goal from Liza Westerma, assisted by Deryn Doamekpor.
“These girls know what has to happen and they know how to put it together,” Agnor said. “They are prepared and I am proud of the them. They are going to go out like nobody’s business tomorrow.”
In the boys matchup, George Washington (19-0-3) scored once in the opening half and added two more in the final 40 minutes to secure the win.
“We had a game plan last time, but it didn’t suit the players. We were able to dissect that film a 100 times and re-enforce that our plan was correct. We just weren’t in the best formations for our guys,” Lemine said. “We have made the changes and we have a good game plan. The boys are excited and ready to go out and execute it. It will be two really good teams in a good environment.”
Balance has been the key for the ladies from George Washington with four double digit scorers. Senior all-stater Ava Trethewey leads the team with 15 goals and 26 assists.
Doamekpor has added 15 goals and provided 13 assists in her sophomore season, while freshman Madison Rothwell has 13 goals and 15 assists. Freshman Reese Huffman has also been a threat with 12 goals on the season.
“The last time they got us on a cross on the backside. We kind of fell asleep and we missed that, but we are keenly aware of that now and we know how to defend that,” Agnor said. “We know the players that we have to be most aware of and we are focused on them, but not to the point that we lose our offense.”
Woodrow Wilson (14-5-3) will counter with its own tri-fecta scoring attack of senior Sophia Hall, junior Ama Ackon-Annan and sophomore Mya Wooton.
Hall, who has five goals in the postseason, and Ackon-Annan lead the team with 19 goals, while Wooton has 17 goals to go along with 15 assists.
The Flying Eagles have also been rock solid defensively on the back line and have an experienced keeper in Ally Arthur who has 100 saves on the season.
Last year in the regional battle with the Patriots, Woodrow Wilson played back, relying on defense. That will not be the case this year.
“This year we will be going full blast. If I can just get these girls to believe in themselves and see who they are, it is a win,” Agnor said. “When I look at my team and look at the comparison player to play, I feel like we are the strongest team.”
The last time that Greenbrier East (18-2) played in the Region 3 championship match, the Spartan seniors were freshman.
Adam Seams was the only player that saw the field that day, but Lemine feels his team this year is a much different group.
“This program has continued to rise from where we were then. I am not sure you can much better than what we are now,” Lemine said. “Not just as soccer players, but as individuals. They are phenomenal people from top to bottom. We have the team to get it done. We have the fan base, the school and the community behind us. It has been a special season.”
Seams has been the anchor in the back while still providing some additional scoring punch. Up front seniors Chase Mizia and Luke Dolin are bookend threats for the Spartans.
While Lemine is convinced his team can get the job done Tuesday, he is well aware of the talent that George Washington will run out on the pitch.
“They are very talented and very athletic in the attacking third. They do some things technically that nobody else in the state does and it is constant,” Lemine said. “The structure we have defensively and in transition has to be on point. They are a different animal, but we have the players and they are chomping at the bit.”
