Ava Meyer, Hayden Francisco Score per piece as Coal City Tops Beecher for regional titles – Shaw Local

Menenteno and midfielder of Coal City, Ava Meyer, is happy to remember the view in the front row when she had won a football championship for girls for the last time in 2023.

“When we won regional two years ago, I just watched the bench because I was in the second year,” said Meyer. “I was just impressed and looked up at the seniors. I just wanted to come here.”

When the Coalers applied for another badge in the IHSA Class 1a Manteno Regional Championship against Beecher on Tuesday, Meyer – now a senior – not only watched the Coalers return there.

She played an important role.

Meyer had a few goals in the first half in the middle of weather delays, whereby Hayden Francisco added two more in the second half at the beginning of the second half to give the Koalern (15-4-1) their second regional title in three years and fourth in school history about the same cubstick (13-13), which she last year last year in last year Defeated.

“I never really scored a lot of goals this year and I got it this year,” said Meyer. “I have improved a lot. I can say that my coaches are proud of me and I'm proud of myself because I didn't think I could do that.”

Meyer may have had her own doubts this year, but head coach Todd Painter knew that the girl, who has become part of the program of the program, had the effort to be what she has become.

“She is such a student – she is a great student at school and a great student of the game,” said Painter. “She listens, she is so trainable and she is simply a wonderful child who takes everything we have to say. She never pushes back, never hears 'but' from her mouth, she just makes it, repairs it and practices it.”

Meyer's first goal came between the two weather delays that were eight and 25 minutes and did not add long after the second delay. After the half -time break, Francisco wasted little time by tickling the cord three and nine minutes in the second half.

Francisco, who said she hadn't played well lately, selected the best time to get out of a self -managed radio.

“The coming back in a regional game felt really good and my mind is up now,” said Francisco. “I don't even know [I broke out]. I only thought about discipline and kept it in my head so as not to give up. “

While players like Francisco, a junior, and Faith Horkavy, a newcomer to score a midfielder, raised an occasion as two of several talented young players on Tuesday, there is undoubtedly that the coalers deserved their title mainly on the back of their six daily senior core.

In addition to Meyer's goals, striker Kylee Kennell had a template and was accompanied by Anayi Mayorga at the top of the high -pressure attack. Corinna Barkley is the leader of a defensive backline that was strong in front of goalkeeper Chloe Prueger, who achieved a degree of nine saven.

With a list of only 13 years, Painter relied on his Senior Six Pack throughout the season to stay durable and in the field, which they all did in a physically exhausting affair on Tuesday. And that shows this group perfectly for him.

“So that you can do this in this scenario, I just blown around the spirit,” said Painter. “'Grit' is the right word. They have Grit and they came to fight and win.”

For Kennell, one of two captains next to Barkley, the seniors are not outstanding in this regard from the rest of the team.

“This year I have a great team that has just dropped their butt to get a regional title,” said Kennell. “Not only the seniors wanted it; everyone wanted it to be a team. It felt great to be rewarded for all the hard work that we did throughout the season.”

The Coalers will return home at 5 p.m. on Friday at 5 p.m. to take over Chicago University (6-6-1) in the semi-finals of the Coal City.