The Kickapoo girls soccer team likes to keep things loose before they take the pitch. “Before every game, we tell a joke,” said senior Abby Light.
“Julia Kline said last game, ‘Have you hear the joke about butter? Never mind I probably shouldn’t spread it,” added junior Sabrina Jones.
And like butter, this program is on a roll. The Lady Chiefs have won their district every year since 2017. “I really think we can go as far or farther than last year,” said Sabrina.
A top-three finish at state would be unlike any Kickapoo team before. And it feels possible because they have a player unlike any before her. “Her sophomore year, what she did, and what she’s done here her junior year is special,” said Head Coach Phil Hodge.
What she did as a sophomore was set the school’s new scoring record with 37 goals. “I am so proud of her,” said Abby. “It’s really great. With it being her first year, it’s just so great for her to get her name out for everyone to know.”
She’s already got 30 at the halfway point in the season. “She can do it again,” said Abby. “She can beat it again this year.”
Other teams are doing whatever they can to slow Sabrina down. “The word is out,” said Hodge.
“They definitely target her because they know she’s a huge threat up there,” Abby added.
“Yeah, if I go around people they usually trip me,” Sabrina said with a laugh. “I have to perfect my sliding on my stomach technique because I’m always getting my ankles chipped at. But I’m alright.”
Hodge appreciates how she takes everything as a learning experience. “We overload her with information I feel like sometimes,” he said. “But she absorbs it and is coachable. Always smiling and working her tail off.”
And her teammates appreciate that while the other team focuses on Sabrina, it opens up opportunities for them. “It definitely makes it so everyone has to show off their own talents,” said Abby. “Because if they’re going to step to her, then someone is going to have to show up and show out that game.”
All joking aside, it’s those teammates that Sabrina credits for helping her break that record. “I like being at the right place at the right time,” she said. “I know that if I use my speed my team will find me through.”
