Derrick Webb

Derrick is SOSA's chief content coordinator and has worked for the Chillicothe Gazette, the Portsmouth Daily Times and Eleven Warriors. He's a 15-time award-winning journalist, a self-proclaimed baseball purist, a suffering Bengals fan and has never met a stranger.

GIRLS SOCCER: 10 players to keep an eye on this fall

July 18, 2024
, 5:56 pm
, Features

These 10 players are poised for big years on the soccer pitch.

Derrick Webb, Staff Writer

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

After a near three-month hiatus, high school sports are back in Southern Ohio … thankfully.

The fall calendar brings promise in our area as several programs always seem to turn late-season momentum into historic postseason runs. That’s especially true on the soccer pitch.

Last fall, we had three girls programs — Fairfield, Lynchburg-Clay and Fairfield Union — win district titles. We expect more of the same in 2024 with rosters full of talent and expectations in place.

So as we get reacquainted with the soccer pitch, here’s a list of 10 players in our coverage area, and in no particular order, to keep an eye on this fall.

NOTE: This certainly does not mean there aren’t other players who will have great seasons. This is simply a list of 10 players we’ve randomly compiled.

Maggie Risner, Minford

The Falcons’ run to a district title game was well-documented. Risner was in the midst of that storm. While scoring 10 goals and passing out six assists, she helped Minford navigate around a loaded schedule and, eventually, finish 11-6-2. A district title will be in the Falcons’ crosshairs this fall. Risner will play an imperative role in attempting to reach that goal.

Olivia Van Fleet, Lynchburg-Clay

Another year, another regional tournament appearance for Lynchburg-Clay’s ultra successful program. The Mustangs’ defense was suffocating in 2023, allowing 13 goals in 20 games. Van Fleet, an all-district selection, was one of the leaders of the group. While her team finished 15-1-4 with 13 shutouts, Van Fleet was relentless. She’ll be even better this fall.

Vivian Henniger, Fairfield

You may have never heard of Henniger. Casual soccer fans probably remember Faith Donley and Kennedy Zink leading the Lions last year, and rightfully so. They scored 66 of the team’s 101 goals. But Henniger took advantage of her given opportunities, scoring eight times herself and passing out six helpers. She’s a wild card, but could be Fairfield’s next go-to scorer.

Sydney Carpenter, Jackson

If a sophomore leads a conference championship team in scoring, that sophomore is simply special. Carpenter did just that for her Ironladies, who went 16-2-2 and reached a district final. She scored 27 goals and had 10 assists — also a team-high — while Jackson won its first-ever FAC crown. There’s no reason to think Carpenter won’t be just as explosive in 2024.

Quinn Murphy, Athens

The Bulldogs should be looked at as completely dangerous this season with a host of returning talent. Murphy may be the biggest name of that group. As a junior, she scored a team-high 15 goals while helping her teammates go 8-7-2 — four of those losses came in one-goal affairs. Athens will go how Murphy goes and if history repeats itself, that’s good news.

Wheelersburg’s Ella Hochstetler scored 16 times last season.
CREDIT: *Derrick Webb/SOSA*

Ella Hochstetler, Wheelersburg

Put simply, Hochstetler could be the next star in the making. As a freshman last fall, she tallied 16 goals and passed out four assists — a high scoring mark for returners to this year’s roster. With the departure of the team’s leading scorer, Bella Miller, all bets should be on Hochstetler getting additional looks at the goal. If that’s indeed the case, she’ll undoubtedly cash in.

Kyla Gasser, Fairfield Union

Tradition and culture. Those are two things that Fairfield Union boasts of, pridefully. The team’s success speaks for itself. Gasser added to it as a freshman last fall, scoring 13 times and dishing out 15 assists — numbers that aided the Falcons to 17 wins and a district crown. The expectations, as always, are to play in the state tournament. Gasser will play a huge role in that.

Savannah Knapp, Chillicothe

We’re not used to seeing Chillicothe finish the season without double-digit victories. However, the Cavaliers suffered through growing pains with multiple underclassmen in the fold. Knapp, however, was certainly a bright spot. As she continued to develop her game, she scored 15 times and had three assists. She’ll be an unquestioned leader of the group this season.

Jasmyn Jones, South Point

If you haven’t heard of Jones, you need to start paying more attention. She’s one of the area’s absolute best. As a junior, Jones found the back of the net on 32 occasions to bring her career total to 78. Her efforts helped her earn OVC Player of the Year and first-team all-district honors. Nothing should change this coming fall as South Point again looks to its workhorse.

Adeline Lloyd, Unioto

There’s no question that Lloyd is one of the fastest players in the entire coverage area. While using that speed, she proved her value in an immediate manner last fall, providing yet another offensive weapon for Unioto to look for. Now, with a year of experience behind her, she’ll look to take the next step. With capable teammates behind her, you can bank on her being explosive.