High school season hits thrilling crescendo
Rose Ripslinger’s enjoyed the kind of spring season born from dreams. While leading her Assumption High School team into the postseason, Ripslinger discovered in May that she’d won Iowa’s Gatorade Player of the Year award for the fourth consecutive season. In doing so, she became the first player in the 29-year history of the award to win her state’s trophy all four years in high school.
It got better over the weekend.
Ripslinger provided the final goal in Assumption’s 3-0 Class 1A state title victory over previously unbeaten Nevada on Saturday to cap her high school career with honors. It was her fourth state title in four years and was the final of her 118 career goals. Thanks in part to goals from Maddie Irmen and Rachel Moore, Assumption became just the third program in state history to win four consecutive state titles. That polished an 18-4 season for Assumption, and it ended arguably the most decorated career in girls high school history.
MORE: Ripslinger first to win 4 Gatorade plaudits | Top spring high school title runs
Ripslinger will continue her career at Iowa next season.
Thriller in Virginia
James Moreno’s story is among the most intriguing in all of high school soccer. The son of former D.C. United striker Jaime Moreno, James left the D.C. United academy two years ago to pursue a high school career. It was a decision that sent shockwaves through the DMV community, as James had come to be known as one of the brightest young talents in an area otherwise choked with quality players.
Two years later, Moreno delivered in the way he’d always hoped - with a state title. With 10 seconds remaining in Loudoun County’s 4A state title tilt with Midlothian on Saturday, Moreno put away a pass from Troy Sweeney to give the program its first ever championship trophy. That goal capped a 21-1-1 season and hyped Moreno’s ability even more. He has yet to commit to a program and could still test the waters overseas.
Moreno suffered through an injury-riddled season last year but revived his high school career in a big way this season. He finished with 31 goals, including the biggest one of his young career.
Talented duo decides Northville’s state title in Michigan
Michigan polished off its girls season over the weekend, and the biggest headline revolved around the ocean-deep Northville side. The team had talent stretching off into the sunset, but two names in particular stood out from the crowd - Megan Buckingham and Jamie Cheslik. In May, Buckingham was named Michigan’s Gatorade Player of the Year mere months before she heads off to North Carolina as one of the nation’s top 10 recruits. Cheslik, meanwhile, is a similarly prized recruit headed to Michigan State in the fall.
With those two at the rudder, Northville whipped Eisenhower Utica 2-1 in the state title game over the weekend to take home the program’s first state title trophy in 10 years. Appropriately, Cheslik and Buckingham ran the show. Cheslik set up Buckingham for the opener nine minutes into the game, and Cheslik scored the eventual winner in the second half to propel Northville to victory. The two finished the season with an astounding 58 of Northville’s 75 goals this season, and they held on after Eisenhower got a goal in the final eight minutes to apply some pressure.
That goal? Just the fifth Northville allowed all season.
Hat trick leads Broad Run to Virginia state title
J.P. Reategui understood the magnitude of the stage. Just hours after receiving his high school diploma on Saturday, Reategui stepped onto the field for Broad Run’s approach at its first Class 5A state title in program history. He delivered.
Broad Run’s 3-2 come-from-behind state title victory over Albemarle was fueled by Reategui’s furious feet. He scored all three Broad Run goals to cap his high school career with his most significant hat trick. He scored once in the first half, but Albemarle took a 2-1 lead into the break to set the table for Reategui’s magic in the final stanza. He finished a penalty kick he drew in the 48th, and he hammered home a pinpoint pass from Evan Kalaris in the 69th to secure the victory. Reategui is a Hampden-Sydney College commit.
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