In 2008, boys and girls soccer was split into two classes after playing as one class statewide since 1995.
The big schools were grouped into Class AAA, while remaining schools comprised the newly formed AA-A classification.
Since that restructuring, Charleston Catholic has been the dominant player at the state tournament, especially on the girls side.
Returning to Raleigh County as the No. 1 seed on both the girls and boys side, Charleston Catholic will look to add to its legacy when the state soccer tournament kicks off Thursday in Beckley.
The Irish girls have won 10 state titles since 2008, including the last five in a row. Add in three runner-up trophies and Charleston Catholic has played in 13 of the 16 state championship matches.
While nothing is guaranteed in sports, a 14th trip to the championship match Saturday looks to be a solid proposition for the Irish.
Charleston Catholic (19-0-1) is the top ranked girls team in AA-A and the No. 2 team in all classes. The lone tie this year came in the first match of the season on the road at AAA Wheeling Park.
Now riding a 19-game win streak, Catholic has recorded wins over Morgantown, Washington, Hurricane and East Fairmont. The Irish have surrendered only seven goals all season with three coming in the opening match against Wheeling Park.
Charleston Catholic has built the winning streak with defense, recording 15 consecutive clean sheets, while scoring 115 goals over the same span.
Molly Messer leads the team with 44 goals and 22 assists. Junior Mia Lough has added 29 goals and 20 assists, while senior Aurelia Kirby has 24 goals and 13 assists. Sophomore Ella Green adds more fire-power with 11 goals and 15 assists.
The Irish will open its quest for a sixth straight title at 9:30 a.m. Thursday when they play No. 4 seed Point Pleasant (9-5-5). Charleston Catholic won the regular season match, 2-0 back in early October.
East Fairmont (22-1) is the No. 2 seed and will battle No. 3 seed Elkins (16-4-1) in the other girls semifinal Thursday following the opening match.
The Bees will be riding a 20-game win streak and will hit Carter Foundation Field with a triple-threat scoring attack. The lone loss for East Fairmont was a 4-2 decision to Charleston Catholic, Aug. 27 at home.
Dynamic freshman Lily Larnerd who has scored 41 goals and had 25 assists, while junior Brooklyn Shupe has found the back of the net 32 times. Sophomore Lauren Paugh has converted on 31 netters. Senior Addy Cogar has 18 goals and nine assists for the Tigers.
East Fairmont took the regular season showdown between the schools, 2-0, played in Elkins on Oct. 3.
The Charleston Catholic boys have five state titles to their credit. The Irish won three straight times from 2009-2012 and back-to-back in 2021 and 2022.
The boys also have three runner-up finishes including a thriller last year that went to Point Pleasant in a shootout after playing to a 1-1 draw.
Five of the seven losses for the Irish (13-7-3) have come at the feet of AAA schools. The other two setbacks were to St. Joseph Central and Ripley.
Senior Owen Snyder paces Charleston Catholic with 22 goals and 15 assists, followed by junior Aiden Anton with 12 goals and nine assists.
The semifinal opponent for the Irish is No. 4 seed Grafton (13-4-6) who battled Catholic to a 0-0 draw in early September.
The Bearcats had to win the sectional and regional title on the road against Robert C. Byrd and Herbert Hoover, respectively, to make the its state tournament appearance.
Senior Ethan Weaver leads Grafton with 12 goals and seven assists.
East Fairmont is also the No. 2 seed on the boys side and will play No. 3 seed Point Pleasant.
The Bees (16-2-5) also recorded a draw against Grafton and heads to Beckley with a pair of solid scorers. Junior Kollin Maxey leada the team with 19 goals and seven assists, while senior Brayden Christopher has 13 goals and 14 assists on the year.
The defending AA-A champions also played a brutal schedule this year compiling an 11-10-1 record. The Big Blacks knocked off Ripely in the regional round. The Vikings took a 4-2 win over St. Joseph Central to win the sectional title before falling to Point.
Charleston Catholic and Grafton will kick at 4:30 p.m. with East Fairmont and Point Pleasant to follow at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The girls AA-A championship match will be played at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with the boys title match set for 11:30 a.m.
