Cassville wins Big 8, multiple stat records set

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

After a season averaging less than 0.5 goals per game, the Cassville girls soccer team, infused with an influx of talented underclassmen, turned in a season to remember — breaking the single-season wins record and setting multiple other individual stat records

Jake Forste, Cassville girls soccer coach, said the Lady Wildcats put together one of the most successful seasons in program history, combining a conference championship, a playoff victory and significant contributions from the young roster.

“I think we pretty clearly had a successful season,” Forste said. “Winning the conference for the first time was cool. Going 15-4 was pretty cool. And then winning the playoff game against a very good Osage team, who Mercy ruled us in the playoffs in 2021, was a very vindicating way to make it to the second round.”

Forste said the season ended against a strong opponent, but that did not diminish what the team accomplished.

“Running into the state fourth-place team in Springfield Catholic, as tough as it was to lose, they were clearly the better team on that day, so it felt like a natural end to the season,” Forste said. “Overall this season, we played really well. We integrated six freshmen in our top 15, and I think those freshmen accounted for like 59 goal contributions between goals and assists. So altogether, pretty successful season.”

Postseason awards reflected that success, with freshman Briley Artherton named Big 8 Player of the Year, senior Ava Hinson being named Big 8 Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season, and Forste named Co-Coach of the year with McDonald County’s Emilee Summerlin. First Team All-Big 8 awards went to Artherton, Hinson, freshman Reagan Doucet and senior Tyra Sturgell. Junior Lydia Cupps also secured an honorable mention.

Artherton contributed 10 goals and 15 assists, one short of the team’s assist record. Hinson logged 10 clean sheets and a 0.777 goals against average, both new team records, as well as three assists. Doucet scored 21 goals, a new team record, and added 6 assists. Sturgell, returning team MVP and captain, contributed 2 goals and 2 assists, and Cupps scored 4 goals and assisted 6.

Forste said one of the team’s biggest areas of growth was learning how to win close matches.

“We went 8-1 in one-goal games, and that’s just not a phenomenon that just happens,” he said. “I think that shows a lot about our ability on the front foot and the back foot. Of those eight one-goal wins, I believe six of them were shutouts.

“As the season went on, it just felt like we became more comfortable in those situations. It felt like situations that not only could we tolerate, but we could thrive in.”

While pleased with the offensive improvement from the previous season, Forste said consistency remains an area for growth.

“We had a handful of games where we exploded offensively,” Forste said. “But, we had a handful of games where maybe we scored one or two and it felt like we should have had five. I’d love to see more of that consistency. Instead of one goal here, one goal there, nine goals here, 11 goals there, we’re getting three-plus more often than not.”

Forste said of the record-setting 15 wins, two matches stand out above the rest.

“I think the Monett game, to beat that team to win the conference at home in overtime was just a pretty cool moment,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the records are. That’s quite easily our biggest rival, everybody knows it.”

Forste also pointed to the Wildcats’ postseason victory over Osage.

“The playoff game versus Osage is one that I won’t forget anytime soon,” Forste said. “That was a team with some really talented scorers. It really felt like the best week of practice I can recall in several years. Thirty minutes to an hour of film every day. Scout team trying to execute the things that they do.

“It really felt like a convergence of scouting, film and practicing at a high level that got us that playoff win. That was a super cool moment too. Not to mention, Reagan broke our single-season goal scoring record in that playoff game for the win.”

Forste said replacing the senior class will be difficult, especially in goal and midfield.

“Ava is pretty clearly the best keeper we’ve ever had,” Forste said. “It’s just such a big loss from a leadership perspective, from an on-field presence perspective and, to be honest, from a soul-of-the-team perspective. She’s pretty lighthearted. Her leadership style is smiling, having fun, supporting teammates and all that stuff.”

Forste said senior Sturgell’s impact often went beyond the stat sheet.

“She’s just been our glue for three years,” Forste said. “She’s not flashy. She doesn’t score a bunch. She doesn’t assist a bunch. She just defends her position at an extremely high level. She is the connective tissue in everything that she does.

“She’s just one of those players that never comes off the field, never complains and just works her butt off.”

Cassville’s other three seniors came off the bench, but their contributions cannot be understated.

“We’re losing just some great teammates in Liberty Hilburn, Kierstyn Kalbaugh, and Diana Arguelles. But, we’re returning all the goals except for two from this year’s team. So we feel pretty good about that. We’ll have to figure something out in gold, but we’ve got a few ideas there.”

Despite losing five seniors, Forste said the future remains bright because of the returning talent.

“Briley was the Big 8 Player of the Year as a freshman, which kind of tells you all you need to know about her,” Forste said. “She’s just phenomenal. As the year went on, she became more of a game breaker with the ball on her foot. Her last 10 or 15 games were just pretty brilliant.”

Forste also highlighted Doucet’s record-setting season.

“Reagan broke our goal scored record with 21 and broke our contributions record with 27,” Forste said. “She’s just a walking nuclear bomb on the field.”

The Lady Wildcats also received key contributions from other freshmen.

“Cynthia Alonso was our most improved player as a freshman,” Forste said. “Gracy Farsungchin chipped in with 9 or 10 contributions. We had a few freshman defenders like Alexis Lands who was able to come in and stabilize the back line.

“We couldn’t let these freshmen be freshmen. They had to come in and contribute right away, and they really answered the bell, I mean, in a big way.”

Forste said the Lady Wildcats accomplished most of the goals they set before the season.

“We wanted to win the conference, and we did it for the first time,” Forste said. “That was a big feather in our cap and a real monkey off our back. We wanted to crack the top 20 of the state rankings and stay there and we ended the season at 18. And, we wanted to win a playoff game, and we did that.”

Looking ahead, Forste hopes the program continues to raise its expectations.

“I hope we’re not satisfied with just one playoff win,” Forste said. “I hope we try and make it back to another district final. Let’s play where the lights are brightest. Let’s be in a position to win a district championship.”

Reflecting on the season, Forste said the experience rekindled his passion for coaching.

“This was a great group of girls,” Forste said. “As somebody who’s been around the game a long time, over 30 years at this point as a player and coach and over 12 as a coach, you love these seasons that really reinvigorate you.”

“For me, this was just a truly rejuvenating experience. I’m already ready for next year.”