Seniors start, end Newkirk matchup
KHS SENIORS Jacquelin Rivera (9) and Zoey Padilla celebrate after Padilla scored a goal last week against Newkirk. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug. com]
It was an emotional start to Kingfisher’s soccer senior night matchup with Newkirk…and then it ended on an emotional high.
All seniors got the start in the 10-0 District 3A-2 victory, but three of them were in uniform for the first and only time this year.
Maleonia Vogt, Peyton Walker and Addy Matthews have missed the entire season with injuries.
Vogt is still trying to recover from an knee injury suffered last season while Walker and Matthews suffered foot injuries toward the end of basketball season.
All three were on the field to start the match.
Newkirk started with possession, but kicked it to Vogt, who passed to Walker, who passed to fellow senior Kylee Rojas.
Rojas kicked it out of bounds to allow the three injured players to substitute out.
Once play resumed, it was all Kingfisher.
The Lady Jackets scored eight goals in the first half, starting with freshman Molly Weber’s goal just minutes into the contest.
Ariana Rivera scored next, followed by two straight goals from freshman Maya Haney.
Kingfisher’sfourhealthy seniors combined to score five of the final six goals.
Rojas punched in one from short range to make it 5-0 before Harper Evans, a sophomore, scored from the right side for a 6-0 lead.
One of those seniors, Jaquelin Rivera, got her first goal of the season and then fellow senior Hannah Click netted the final goal of the first half.
Rojas put in her second goal early in the second half.
And, for the first time this year, Zoey Padilla came out of goal to play striker.
Normally a goalkeeper, Padilla ended the game via the mercy rule with her goal less than midway through the second half.
Padilla and freshman Liliana Garramone combined for five saves.
The Lady Jackets didn’t play Dove Science on Friday as the school doesn’t have a girls’ team.
That gave KHS a forfeit in that matchup.
Kingfisher is now 7-4 overall and 4-2 in District 3A-2.
That has Kingfisher in fourth place with games at Cordell Tuesday (after press time) and Community Christian on Thursday.
The Lady Jackets all but have fourth place in the district - and the playoff appearance that comes with it - wrapped up going into the week.