South Oldham claims school’s eighth girls’ state soccer championship
The South Oldham girls’ soccer team jerseys bear two distinctive features not common among their competitors in Kentucky.
But the first — the seven stars over their crest representing their seven state titles — will have to be changed next year thanks in part to the philosophy of the second feature.
Their right sleeve carries the Greek letters Sigma Omicron Epsilon, “Σ Ο Ε.”
To the Dragons, it means “South Over Everything.”
With South Oldham’s 5-0 win over Elizabethtown on Saturday at Frederick Douglass High School in the KHSAA Girls’ State Soccer Championship, the Dragons asserted their dominance and reclaimed their standing as the state’s most decorated program, breaking their seven-title tie with Sacred Heart.
A legacy of greatness
The eighth star will be the first under coach Kenneth Burke who succeeded Cy Tucker eight years ago. Tucker ranks as Kentucky girls’ soccer’s most successful state championship coach and is also second in all-time wins.
“Cy Tucker, he’s a great friend of mine and he’s a legend,” Burke said. “Him getting those seven on there, sometimes, you fight those ghosts of the past. We talked about playing for the kids that played before us and the kids that are here now and the kids that are in the future. For us to be able to go out there and put another star onto it and leave our mark … I don’t have the words.
“It means the world to me. It means the world to our community and I couldn’t be more proud of our staff and our kids.”
South Oldham learned from last year
South Oldham had a few ghosts this season after finishing runner-up in 2021 to Notre Dame. But that experience shared by nine seniors and four returning starters helped, players said.
“We knew what it was like to play in this environment. Some of our younger girls, maybe not, but we just helped them,” said senior captain Betsy Huckaby, a Louisville commit who scored South Oldham’s third goal on a shot from outside the box. “This atmosphere is second to none in high school sports so just coming in and being confident was just something that helped us.”
South Oldham’s offensive firepower and defensive tenacity smothered its opponents. The Dragons gave up a state-low eight goals in 25 games with goalie Katelyn Feeney recording 17 shutouts. Meanwhile the offense scored 117 goals led by Marley Kahle (30), an Appalachian State commit, and Huckaby (21).
“It’s crazy to think that last year we were in the same spot, but it’s just so much better,” said Kahle, who scored the game’s first goal on an assist from Ava Roberson just 7:32 into the first half. “The first time that we had our very first summer practice, we said to the whole group, ‘We are working this hard to win a state championship.’”
Katie Beth May scored less than four minutes into the second half to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead on a calm finish directly in front of goal set up by Ally Byrd’s assist. Huckaby added the third about 10 minutes later. An own goal put South Oldham up 4-0 with more than 22 minutes left. Roberson hammered in the final nail near the end of the game.
Elizabethtown draws inspiration
Elizabethtown (22-5-3), playing for Coach Rob Zoeller in his first season back with the program after more than a decade away, won its first 5th Region title since 2014 and made its first state finals appearance ever.
“For a team that regularly plays one senior and starts seven freshmen and sophomores, it’s like, ‘Soak it all in. We’ll be back here,” Zoeller said. “That will be the mission next year. Come back and maybe rewrite the script like South got to rewrite it from last year.”
South Oldham’s tournament path included No. 8 Assumption in the first round and No. 2 Lexington Catholic in the semifinals before lining up against an Elizabethtown team rated No. 4 by the KHSAA’s RPI and No. 10 by the Maher Rankings. The Dragons (23-2) also played the hardest regular-season schedule in the state, according to RPI data.
“I think every day was just an absolute battle because our schedule was so tough,” Burke said. “Every day, because it was such a tough game, we never really looked past the next one. And as long as you do that, it kind of sets you up for a postseason run. Because you just take one game at a time, one step at a time. And I think that mindset was really good for girls this year.”
All-Tournament Team
Jill Planeaux, Bishop Brossart; Olivia Marie Jones, Corbin; Abby Payne, Owensboro Catholic; Zippi Willgruber, Bowling Green; Kylie Archer, Brooke Beasley, West Jessamine; Caitlin Loope, Katherine Truitt, Lexington Catholic; Noelle Garcia, Emma Zoeller, Isabella Yates, Elizabethtown; Katie Beth May, Marley Kahle, Breanna Dardano (MVP), South Oldham.
