By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Lebanon Lady Yellowjackets will look to a strong core of returnees and newcomers to lead them in 2020, after losing a talented group of seniors from their 2019 squad.
“2019 was a tough year for us,” Lebanon coach Matt Jernigan said. “We lost eight really tight games and felt like our record did not show the team we were. We are looking to build on those experiences this year and try to pull out some of those close games this year.”
The Lady Yellowjackets finished 7-14 overall and 2-7 in the Ozark Conference in 2019, and fell 3-0 in the Class 4 District 11 semifinals to eventual district champion Jefferson City. They lost six players to graduation, three of who received college offers to play soccer.
Baylei Palmer scored 13 goals and had 1 assist in earning all-district and all-conference first-team honors. Skyler Hough was a center back who scored 1 goal, had 1 assist and was named to the all-district second-team. Zephanie White (3 assists) was on the all-district second team. Katie Brandon (1 assist), Leslee Wedle (1 goal) and Ashley Mendoza (1 goal) also are gone from last year’s team.
“Our senior group last year was amazing,” Jernigan said. “They were good soccer players, but what will be missed most is their leadership. All of the girls were very positive in a tough year and brought the level of play up from those around them.”
The Lady Yellowjackets will be led this season by a mix of senior and junior letterwinners.
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“Like every year, we are looking to be competitive in our district and our conference,” Jernigan said. “We play in the Ozark Conference where there are no easy wins. You have to compete every night to hold your own. We are hoping to grow this year and see some of our younger players step up to fill vital roles for us.”
• Katie Merritt, senior, midfielder – Scored 8 goals, had 2 assists and was named to the all-district first team and all-conference second team. “Katie is a very skilled player who sees the field really well. She is an assist person and can set up great opportunities for her teammates. She also has a rocket of a shot and can score from distance. She moved in last year and really has done well fitting into the team. She has interest from several colleges and we are excited about the steps she will take this year.”
• Amanda DeWitt, junior, center-midfielder – “Amanda has good vision on the ball and will be a key to our play in the midfield.”
• Riley McKinney, junior, goalkeeper – “Riley is a phenomenal athlete and a key for us. She played really well in goal last year and kept us in a lot of games that we would not have been without her. We have been blessed to have several very good keepers come though Lebanon and she is another one that is starting to get some attention from college coaches.”
• Lydia Long, senior, defender – “Lydia is a hard worker and a solid piece of our defense. She is hardnosed and has a great ability to get stops in the defense.”
• Hayli Myers, senior, midfielder – “Hayli will find a bigger role this year as an outside-mid and forward for us. She has played all four years and has varsity experience, so her leadership will be big for us this year.”
• Alyson Johnson, junior, defender – Scored 2 goals and had 2 assists, and earned all-district second-team and all-conference honorable mention honors. Johnson tore her ACL during offseason play indoors and will miss the 2020 season. “Alyson is a tremendous defender and will be missed this year. She will be back for her senior year in 2021.”
• Ashlynn Leachner, a junior defender, will be competing in track and field this season and not playing soccer.
“I believe our strength will be our goalkeeping and our midfield,” Jernigan said. “We have a really good keeper in my opinion and she will keep us in a lot of games. Also, our midfield will be very skilled and have the ability to control the game. We believe they will be able to set up our goal scorers.”
Jernigan has several newcomers he expects to make an immediate impact this season.
“Senior Tyra Rogers is a player that will have a big role for us this year,” Jernigan said. “She will take the role that Baylei Palmer filled last year. Junior Hannah Nordmeyer will be filling a bigger role as an outside-mid this year. She has great work ethic and is a speed threat on the outside.
“Paige Taylor, Jewell Shockley, Lexi Tamayo and Kealyn Rogers are all sophomores that have varsity experience, but will be looked at to solidify our defense this year where we lost three starters to graduation and injury. Chole Shivers will also be returning this year in the midfield. She is a basketball player who is very smart and sees the field really well. She is extremely competitive and we are expecting her to have a breakout season this year.
“We also have about six freshmen that will be competing for varsity spots right out of the gate. Our middle school coaches have done a great job getting the girls ready for high school soccer. We are hoping that they can step in and contribute from the start.”
That youth could be a challenge for the Lady Yellowjackets this season, Jernigan says, but he also is confident they will contribute.
“We will have several players that lack varsity experience on the field,” Jernigan said. “We feel like they can compete at a high level, but them proving themselves on varsity will be something that I’m sure will take a little time. Losing Alyson Johnson will be a big challenge for us, as well. She was the anchor for our defense, so we will have to have girls who step up to fill that role.”
Lebanon will host a jamboree on March 14 with Crocker, Marshfield and Bolivar also participating. The regular season opens with the Heritage Bank Lebanon Kickoff Tournament on March 20-21, which includes McDonald County, MV-BT Liberty, Southern Boone, Crocker and Webb City.
“Like every year, we have a tough schedule,” Jernigan said. “Being in the Ozark Conference, we play some of the best teams in southwest and central Missouri. I think we have a good mix of games in our schedule, too, with some small schools and some bigger schools. We are excited to get started.”
