Soccer: Dublin Scioto Irish boys, girls teams enjoy strong seasons
It was another banner season for the Dublin Scioto boys soccer team, as it captured a third consecutive OCC title and senior midfielder Jayden Lunsford was named Player of the Year in both the district and OCC-Capital Division.
The Irish went 7-0 in the league to finish ahead of runner-up Worthington Kilbourne (4-1-2).
“The seniors can take that with them for a long, long time, three consecutive league titles,” coach Erik Ekis said. “It’s the first time in program history and they can hang their hat on it anytime they think back to their high school experience.”
Seeded 10th in the Division I district tournament, Scioto lost at seventh-seeded Hilliard Darby 2-1 in the second round Oct. 21 to finish 10-6-1 overall. The Irish had a first-round bye.
Lunsford capped a stellar four-year career with the program. He has committed to Bowling Green.
“Jayden is probably the best all-around player I’ve coached in maybe 30 years,” Ekis said. “It’s remarkable. He checks all the boxes as far as talent, athleticism, leadership. He’s a great teammate. He’s the total package in a soccer player and we’re going to miss him for sure. He’s a generational-type player and I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes in college.”
Senior Vince Kawana (defender) was first-team all-league and second-team all-district. Senior Alan Abdelnour (midfielder) was first-team all-league, senior Devan Smith (defender) and juniors Dillon Bunner (midfielder) and Finn Daugherty (forward) were second-team all-league, junior Jordie Tshimanga (defender/forward) was special mention all-league and junior Jeb Smoot (goalie) was honorable mention all-league.
Ekis, who completed his fourth season, credited the seven seniors for their contributions to the program.
“This is an amazing group, an especially hard group to say goodbye to,” he said. “They’re all such great guys. It’s definitely a tough group to see out.”
Girls squad falls
in district final
The Scioto girls team reached a district final for the first time since 2011, losing 3-0 to second-seeded Olentangy Liberty on Oct. 30 to finish 13-3-3 overall under first-year coach John Lawrence.
“We had a belief all season and we knew we could get to this point,” Lawrence said. “We knew we were going up against a tough opponent, but we were confident.”
The Irish went 5-1-1 in the OCC-Capital to finish second behind Delaware (6-1).
Senior midfielder Tiffany Trinh, who had six goals and three assists, and senior defender Mya Swearengin were first-team all-league. Trinh was first-team all-district and Swearengin was second-team all-district.
Senior forward Rachel Fullerton, who had eight goals and three assists, senior midfielder Sammi Norrod and senior defender Kylie Nettles were second-team all-league.
Junior forward Tamia Graham led the Irish in scoring with nine goals and six assists and was special mention all-league, while senior forward Devin Keidel (6 goals, 3 assists) was honorable mention all-league.
Sophomore Maddy Johnson (50 saves) and junior Whitney Dunlap (13) split time in goal.
“It’s a special senior class,” Lawrence said. “I got lucky to have nine seniors and good players. They led the way from the beginning and they went through a lot. I didn’t get hired until mid-July, so for seniors not to know who their coaches were going to be their senior year, it’s difficult. They handled everything well. It’s a mature group.
“They lead by example. They’re not just special players, but they’re special people and I was honored to be a part of the legacy they’ve left here in this program. They’ve changed our program for years to come.”
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SCIOTO BOYS SOCCER
•Record: 10-6-1 overall
•OCC-Capital standings: Scioto (7-0), Worthington Kilbourne (4-1-2), Canal Winchester (4-3), Westerville North (3-2-2), Big Walnut (3-3-1), Delaware (2-5), Westerville South (1-3-3), Franklin Heights (0-7)
•Seniors lost: Alan Abdelnour, Adam Amara, Jayden Lunsford, Vince Kawana, Micah Kapukha, Saeed Sanaallah and Devan Smith
•Key returnees: Dillon Bunner, Finn Daugherty, Jeb Smoot and Jordie Tshimanga
•Postseason: Lost to Hilliard Darby 2-1 in second round of Division I district tournament
•Recap: The Irish enjoyed another winning season, highlighted by going 7-0 in the OCC-Capital to capture their third consecutive league title. Lunsford, a midfielder, was named Player of the Year in the league and district, and coach Erik Ekis was honored as league Coach of the Year.
Kawana, a defender, was first-team all-league and second-team all-district.
•Quotable: “Nobody likes their season to end, but it has to happen for everybody except for the two teams playing in the (state) final. It was a great year. It just ended a little bit sooner than we’d hoped.” – Ekis
SCIOTO GIRLS SOCCER
•Record: 13-3-3 overall
•OCC-Capital standings: Delaware (6-1), Scioto (5-1-1), North (4-2-1), Canal Winchester (3-2-2), Big Walnut (3-3-1), Kilbourne (2-2-3), South (1-6), Franklin Heights (0-7)
•Seniors lost: Aline Abdelnour, Natalie Beasley, Rachel Fullerton, Devin Keidel, Kylie Nettles, Sammi Norrod, Cameron Robinson, Mya Swearengin and Tiffany Trinh
•Key returnees: Whitney Dunlap, Tamia Graham and Maddy Johnson
•Postseason: Defeated Gahanna 1-0; def. Watkins Memorial 2-1; lost to Olentangy Liberty 3-0 in Division I district final
•Recap: Scioto ended its first season under coach John Lawrence by reaching a Division I district final for the first time since 2011 before losing 3-0 to Liberty.
The Irish finished second in the OCC-Capital at 5-1-1, behind Delaware (6-1).
•Quotable: “I can’t say enough about this group. This is a special group and for this senior class to lead the way, it’s a special moment for us. They left their legacy. I’m very proud of them.” – Lawrence
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Soccer: Dublin Scioto Irish boys, girls teams enjoy strong seasons
