By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
New Covenant Academy was rolling through its 2021 season with only one loss through April 22. But on April 26, the Lady Warriors suffered a more personal setback when their head coach Eric Crain suffered a heart attack.
Both Crain and his Lady Warriors quickly bounced back, however, and New Covenant went on to a 17-4 overall record and a fourth-place finish in Class 1.
“I couldn’t have been more thankful to have an amazing group of girls that was able to rally around each other, Coach (Jeff) Barstead and me,” said Crain, who returned to watch his team on April 30 before being allowed to return to the sideline on May 18 – the first round of the Class 1 District 6 tournament. “Things were crazy, but the girls stayed focused.
“Each year, we are blessed to have athletes that play multiple sports come out for soccer (volleyball, basketball, track and soccer) and so they are used to being in tough situations. We spend a lot of time throughout the season talking about the mental part of the game, so we can be proactive in our decision-making. Ultimately, we knew we were fighting for each other.”
Crain and the Lady Warriors fought through it all as they won their second-straight district championship, Crain was named Class 1 Region 3 Coach of the Year, and they made their second-straight trip to the final four.
New Covenant graduated four, all-district defenders in Aubrey Klemish, Lillie Bodeen and Madi and Macy Seevers from that team.
• Aubrey Klemish, a Class 1 Region 3 and Class 1 District 6 first-team selection – “She was our anchor as a defensive midfielder,” Crain said. “She was hard-working and did a great job defending the other teams’ main players.”
• Lillie Bodeen, a Class 1 All-State second-team, Class 1 Region 3 and Class 1 District 6 first-team honoree – “She was one of our center backs. She was able to help get the offense started by controlling the ball from the backfield.”
• Madi Seevers, Macy Seevers, both earned all-district second-team honors – “These last two had the least amount of experience in the back field, but you couldn’t tell it. They wanted to win and learn their positions. Their attitude and leadership will be missed.”
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Crain said his team’s biggest strength heading into this season is the experience the Lady Warriors return. But with so many of his players involved in other sports, it may take some time to “get our soccer legs back.”
• Whitley Farquhar, senior, defender – Class 1 All-State first team; All-region co-Defensive Player of the Year; Class 1 District 6 first team. “She will remain in the back,” Crain said. “Our defense has been strong, and it is because of her. Each year, we lose our defense with graduation, but she has been in the back for the past three years and she was able to get the most out of each player every year.”
• Anna Crain, senior, forward – All-state first team; All-region Co-Player of the Year; Class 1 District 6 first team; signed to play at Evangel University. “She will move between the forward and midfield position. She is an extremely talented player and has the ability to take games over with her skill set. She was marked a lot last season, which she handled very well and most likely will happen again this year.”
• Hatty Hesemann junior, goalkeeper – All-state honorable mention; All-region; Class 1 District 6 second team. “She was new to the team and position as a freshman. She really grew into a leadership role for us last season. She gave our team the confidence that was needed to push with more offense. Her postseason awards were well deserved.”
• Katelyn Barstead, junior, midfielder – Class 1 District 6 second team. “Because of COVID, this was really her first year out on the field for us. She was able to get us going vs. McAuley in the district championship when it seemed like we had hit a wall. She has worked a ton this offseason. We are excited to see her in action this spring in her junior year.”
• Jocelyn Feola, sophomore, midfielder/forward – Class 1 District 6 first team. “She can play multiple positions on the field and is very quick in tight spaces, which allows her to get out of trouble. She came up big for us in the district championship game.”
• Mallori McBurnie, sophomore, forward – Class 1 District 6 second team. “Mallori was new to the team and the game. She brings speed and aggressiveness to her position. She continues to improve on her touch on the ball and will play an important role to the team.”
“We have a handful of new faces this season that have experience in other sports,” Crain said of the newcomers. “I am excited to see how they all will fit in for us this season.”
One “new face” Crain is familiar with is junior Isabelle Feola.
“She has been away from the game for two years,” Crain said. “She played her freshman year and was great big contributor to our first final four.”
The Lady Warriors open the season on March 22 at McDonald County and are at home on March 24 against Cassville.
“There is a high chance that we will be moved up to Class 2 due to the new MSHSAA point system,” Crain said. “It won’t change much for us in the regular season since most of our regular since is Class 2 schools. That move will change our postseason opponents.”
