Jackson takes South soccer title

Published 11:25 pm Wednesday, October 28, 2009

EVERETT — The girls soccer game at Everett Memorial stadium between Meadowdale and Jackson Wednesday night simultaneously meant everything and nothing.

For Jackson, a 2-0 winner, it meant capturing the Wesco South title and an undefeated reguar season record. Meadowdale — a spot in the 3A playoffs already assured — must act like the loss is a minor hiccup on the way to postseason glory, since the Mavericks know they will not face the 4A Timberwolves again until 2010.

Prior to the season, Jackson coach Mike Bartley and Meadowdale coach Chris Baldwin discussed the exact scenario that played out on the rain-soaked FieldTurf. They wanted both teams meeting with the South championship on the line. Baldwin, who coached the Mavs to the title in 2008, would have drawn up the final result a bit differently, however.

“We would like to have repeated from last year,” Baldwin said. “Jackson is a good team. They deserve it.”

Both teams played on back-to-back nights and Jackson (9-0 league, 14-0-1 overall), which subbed more liberally seemed to handle it better, especially in the second half.

“We looked a little winded,”Baldwin said.

Meadowdale (7-2, 10-5-1) will travel to face Ferndale in its first district playoff game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Jackson will host Lake Stevens in a winner-to-state 4A District 1 semifinal at 7 p.m. Monday.

Jackson was the aggressor from the opening whistle in every measurable sense of the word. The Timberwolves even held a 8-3 foul advantage in the first half.

The only real scoring chance in the first half came when Jackson’s Megan Bolmes beat Mav keeper Julia Grossenbacher to the ball and slipped a weak shot past the diving goalie. Senior defender Macee Gavett retreated to help and slid in front of the far post and kept the first half scoreless.

Bartley wasn’t happy with his team’s offense in the first half. The Timberwolves were able to get the ball through the Maverick defense but their threats were thwarted before anyone could get a good foot on the ball.

“We talked about trying to get combinations (at halftime), Bartley said. “We wanted to get the ball over the defenders to get them to have to turn around.”

That is exactly how the Timberwolves got on the board in the 57th minute

Cara Wegner beat the charging keeper to a 50/50 ball from the foot of Bolmes that went over the Mavs defense. Wegner escaped just enough to get a soft foot on the ball from the right that found the left side of the net for the Timberwolves’ first goal.

Just three minutes later, Brianna Ellis had a similar situation, beating the keeper to the ball. This time she squirted it ahead to Wegner who staved off a defender at the goal line and kicked the ball while falling backward into the net.

“I thought it was going to go in,” the sophomore forward said. “So I didn’t want to steal the goal from (Ellis).”

At the last minute Wegner had no choice to make sure it found the net. It was a quick two-goal flurry that the Mavericks had no answer for.

Senior captain KC Wilson only needed three saves on the night to record the clean sheet for the Timberwolves, who have not allowed more than one goal this season. The Mavs scored once in their 2-1 loss to Jackson during the non-league season.

When the victory was final, a cheer erupted from the Timberwolves sideline, but it wasn’t something that the girls didn’t expect this year.

“It’s a good first step,” Ellis, one of three Jackson captains, said. “I’ll be satisfied when we win the (state) championship.”

After three trips to the final four in the past six years, Bartley says his girls have not been satisfied with their play despite their record. That need to get better is what has kept them undefeated.

“The team has been focused and playing well,” Bartley says. “But they are never happy with any game.”

Jackson will likely stay, “never happy” until they play well in the 4A finals.