Kiefer overwhelmed by St. Johns Country Day in the 1A final

Deland – The girl in class 1a on Saturday was a story of David against Goliath.

The Pine School, who made a Cinderella for her first appearance in a state finale in the program history, was denied his storybook finish. Instead, it was Goliath or St. Johns Country Day who was big.

The knights were hidden in a defensive masterpiece when the Spartan St. Thomas Aquin tied to most girls' football titles in the history of state history with a 4-0 victory of the Spec Martin Memorial Stadium on the always university campus.

The last time that a goal was giving up in December and in the last nine games there was a distance in the last nine games, St. John's Country Day joined the state bracket as No. 1. The knights ended with a 16: 2: 1 record their best season in the program history.

For head coach Kelly Hilton-Green, however, it made it difficult to maintain the perspective at the moment.

“It is currently frustration and thinking about the whole season will take time, but we are frustrated,” he said. “We were not allowed to play our regular game today, and of course (the Spartans) are a good team. So they forced us to mistake, we panicked a bit, but that's what good teams do. … they were the better team that day and are well -deserved champions. My girls had an incredible season, but it just didn't come together today. ”

With waves of defenders who shaded Giovanna Waksman, the possibilities for Pine, who suffered the first shutout this season, were limited. The Sophomore, which leads the nation with 87 goals and 188 points, only recorded one shot. Many of their attempts were mainly remotely and went far.

Cece Nocki opened the hits in the eighth minute when her free kick from midfield over her head over the Knights Junior goalkeeper Addison Buckner and the back of the network. The upper seed doubled his pillow in the 31st minute on a corner kick. The knights denied the Spartans in their first two attempts in the penalty area, but Victoria Sarka put a rebound to make it 2-0.

The St. Johns Country Day (20-3-1) added two points in the second half in a nozicki penalty and a goal by Reygan Ropero.

It is the 15th state championship of the Spartan, but its first since its run of nine inconcentral crowns in 2022.

“We have had a better game process in the past two years and it was brutal to go in a thin way and to see how the teams celebrate,” said the head coach of St. John's Country Day, Mike Pickett. “We used it as a fuel, it was definitely a driving force.”

Middle of attention

The two games that Waksman did not achieve were the only two pines this season. It was not difficult to see where the Spartans focused on their focus.

“Seven and diet gates in 18 games? If you don't concentrate on you, you won't win, ”said Pickett. Annabelle was boss under the resistance on Saturday. The newcomer remained draped from the game's leading goal scorer from the game's opening whistle and played it physically. The duo fought all day long, with everyone earning a yellow card against each other due to fouls.

The Spartans have entered Waksman on Throw-In the course of the game. While Ernst was glued to Waksman from behind, others, like the Senior Cal Holshouser -junior Calli Berrier, had covered the front and numerous litters back out of their borders. Only in the second half did these litters go to other knights.

“You did your homework well,” said Hilton-Green. “We could have spread the ball earlier, but they had started a good start and we weren't in this situation all year round.”

“She could be a professional”

During the few times, Waksman had space to operate and dribble the field, she was hit with a wall of Spartans. The entire back line followed her with every movement that was not worried in the attacking third party with non -marked knights. The second student had to award at these places due to the number of numbers.

“Our whole goal was to frustrate them and bring them to the ball because it is obviously so good,” said Pickett. “She is an experienced professional, a really good player and I have a lot of respect for this child. I saw a lot of film about her. She could now be a professional, only with her way of thinking how she reads the game and her movement from the ball. … we had the feeling that if we lost the game, it had to be someone else. “

Waksman's best chance of a goal came in the 25th minute on a corner that started a service from Captain Jaiden Anderson. She broke up in the back of the box, but her header was removed from the danger by a defender of St. Johns in the goal line.

In the second year, the knight's best chance was to break through late in the first half. Waksman dribbled past defenders and delivered Paige Duffin a low cross in the box, but the eighth grader could not hit the junior goalkeeper Alyvia Bishop.

“We are really proud of each other because we came here”

There is a bow in the 2024-25 Pine Girls football season.

Read the impressive achievements of the Knights as follows: 16-2-1 record, plus-132 goal, seven shutouts, district 8-1a champions, first regional final appearance and title, second place in class 1a.

Hilton green and many of the players are already thinking about an encore.

“The girls want to return here again,” he said. “You are just upset, but you got a taste of it. We have a lot of young students playing what I think is fantastic. “

Pine will lose three seniors due to the degree in Clover Delilippis, Sydney Schraier and Kiara Noll-Johnson. The roster may look largely the same in 2026, but even if the knights cannot duplicate these heights, the second captain Hope Katz simply estimates what has just taken place.

“I don't know if we can return here again,” she said: “It was really nice to come here at all.

“We are really proud of each other when we came here.”

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. It can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @Patbernadeau or by email at Patrick.Bernadau@tcpalm.com.

Kiefer overwhelmed by St. Johns Country Day in the 1A final

Middle of attention

“She could be a professional”

“We are really proud of each other because we came here”

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