Coach Greg Musser described the 2020 girls soccer campaign at Seymour High School as “a remarkable season.”
The Owls head coach said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team had to make adjustments to practices and matches throughout and “roll with the punches.”
“There was a lot of uncertainty if we were even going to have a season. We had to overcome a lot of injuries. We finally had some depth,” he said. “We didn’t have an alpha that was just going to go out and score, but we had a lot of girls that could score.”
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Seymour posted a record of 11-3-1, including 6-0 in the Hoosier Hills Conference, which gave the school its first league title in 23 years. Seymour’s HHC match against Jeffersonville was canceled due to the coronavirus.
The Owls gave up only two goals in their HHC matches. Musser said his team played excellent defense.
“I was impressed,” he said. “We got a lot of monkeys off our backs. Winning the conference was more important than winning the sectional.”
Musser listed the team’s two biggest wins as beating Columbus East to secure the HHC title and blanking Silver Creek 3-0. The Dragons came to Seymour with a record of 19-1.
Mallory Moore and Alyssa Perry were named co-winners of the Owls’ most valuable player award.
When the seniors were given a chance to speak during the awards program, Moore said, “Soccer brought me a lot of pleasure. The soccer family is my second family. It was a pleasure to play with my teammates.”
She said she welcomed the support she received from teammates, coaches, parents and fans.
“She has a great personality. She picks everybody up,” Musser said of Moore.
Perry also made a heartfelt statement.
“Soccer is my first love,” she said. “I love all you seniors.”
She said she was thankful for her teammates and for the way the coaches pushed her and her teammates to be better athletes.
Musser said the coaches aggravated Perry in practice, and that made her play harder.
“She used it as motivation,” he said. “Early (in her career), we saw her love for soccer.”
Both girls received numerous awards, including all-HHC first team and academic all-state honors and Moore made the all-district first team and Perry was all-district second team.
Kylee Nowling received the coaches award, Jimena Leal received the top team player award, Rachel Lenart was the recipient of the most improved plaque and Kendall Sterling was named the junior varsity MVP.
“We knew (Lenart) had all the talent in the world,” Musser said. “By the sectional, she was playing a lot. Her mental approach brought her over the top.”
The coach said Nowling made sacrifices to play. Nowling, who lives in Brownstown, had to get up at 4 a.m. and have her mother drop her off with relatives in Seymour on her way to work.
Musser said Leal did everything the coaches asked of her.
“I’m happy she decided to come back and play,” he said.
Other Owls named to the all-HHC first team were Lillie Wessel, Brooke Trinkle and Addi Chandler. Named to the second team were Nowling, Leal, Sydney Musgrave, Kirby Hill and Haley Westfall.
Musser said he was most proud of the girls who were named to the academic all-state team. On that list were seniors Chandler, Ellie Cornn, Montana Crossman, Hill, Moore, Musgrave, Nowling and Perry and juniors Eliza Cash, Camryn Sterling, Wessel and Ellen Zabor.
He said players had to earn a varsity letter, be a junior or senior and carry a grade-point average of at least 3.7 to be eligible for the academic all-state honor.
Musser praised the 12 seniors and told stories about things that happened in matches or practices during their careers, saying every one of them will be missed.
That group included Chandler, Kim Clemente, Crossman, Cornn, Hill, Leal, Moore, Musgrave, Nowling, Perry, Maria Sebastian and Jocelyn Soto.
Musser said this is the winningest senior class in the history of SHS girls soccer.
Ryan Chandler announced his resignation as an assistant coach.