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By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
MONETT, Mo. – Cassville had a game plan for Sophia Nixon, it just didn’t work.
The Logan-Rogersville junior scored in the second minute of the game and teammate Lexie Vernon added two goals and an assist as the Wildcats beat Cassville 4-1 Wednesday in the Class 2 District 10 soccer championship at Burl Fowler Stadium.
“Giving up a goal inside of two minutes definitely was not how we drew it up but she’s a great player,” Cassville coach Jake Forste said. “We had a game plan for Nixon and she was able to beat a double team and find a tiny bit of space which was just enough to put it on the backside netting. She’s an all-world talent in my book.”
The Wildcats played in their ninth straight district title game on Wednesday and won for the first time since 2016. They’ll be making their third sectional appearance since 2011.
“It’s always great,” coach Brett Wubbena said. “I know there are some great teams that don’t win a district championship.”
After Nixon’s goal – she has 56 on the year – Vernon scored on a set piece in the 29th minute and then assisted on a goal by junior Shelby Ince in the 37th to give Rogersville a 3-0 lead at the half.
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Cassville senior Jazmin Aguirre scored on a penalty kick in the 22nd minute of the second half to give her team life. Ten minutes later, Vernon sent a free kick into the net to make it 4-1.
Cassville wasn’t without other chances.
“Their keeper made one great save on a one-on-one breakaway and we hit a post on another,” Forste said. “Those go in and it’s a different game. The ball’s bounced our way more times than not this year. Tonight it kind of didn’t. Three set piece goals from them, that’s something we haven’t given up in a long time. (Vernon) was able to put some set pieces in the back of the net. That’s tough.”
“We had a great save,” Wubbena said. “Had a one-on-one with the keeper and Jessy Bond stopped that. It was fantastic.”
“I think Cassville’s coach did a great job preparing for Nixon,” he said. “She’s been outstanding this year for us. They hustled everything and that always helps but we said it was important to get an early goal and we were able to get one of those … it truly was a team performance.”
Rogersville improved to 17-6-1 with the win and has now won 13 of 14 games. The whole season hasn’t been smooth sailing, though.
The Wildcats lost three straight to begin the year and then tied in their fourth contest. It didn’t help that the girls basketball team – with players like Nixon, senior Taylor Overstreet and Ince – was still playing on March 16, three days before the soccer opener, as Rogersville won the Class 4 third-place game.
“Make sure to thank Denny McHenry for having an outstanding basketball season where he takes it all the way to the first day before our first game,” Wubbena said. “All those basketball players there right up the middle for us. They were able to get a practice in. They didn’t have any time off. They just came right out there.”
It took time for the Wildcats to find their identity, and several injuries along the way didn’t help.
By the time the team won the Branson Invitational in mid-April, Wubbena said the Wildcats figured out who they were.
Now the team will face St. Clair on Saturday in the Class 2 sectionals. The Wildcats lost 3-0 in that round in 2011 and 2016.
