By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
10 years ago on Tuesday, April 14, the Kennedale girls soccer team capped off one of the greatest runs in UIL soccer history. The Wildcats beat Jasper 6-0 in the Class 4A state championship in Georgetown.
The win completed a 27-2 season and secured Kennedale with back-to-back titles.
Kennedale also beat Kilgore 6-0 in the semifinal round.
Abby Olmos was voted state champ MVP with 3 goals on 6 shots. Cara Hunt, Allie Thornton and Bailey Crowley also scored for coach Michael Strange’s group.
“I knew they were going to be a special group. They were solid,” Strange said. “Overall, the girls, parents, admin – they were all great.”
Kennedale became the 5th girls soccer team to win back-to-back UIL state titles and those numbers still hold up a decade later. The 6 goals are tied for second most in any girls championship across all classes and their 12 goals in 2 state tournament games are most all-time.
Against Jasper, Eryka McIntyre had 2 assists and the defense was stellar, allowing just 2 shots total. Against Kilgore, Kennedale allowed just 1 shot (not on goal) and scored 5 times in the first half. McIntyre scored 2 goals while Olmos, Thornton, Crowley and Alondra Olmos added 1 goal each.
The Wildcats out-scored their two opponents 48-3.
In 2015, there were 3 classes in Texas High School Soccer for the first time. The two years prior to Kennedale winning its first state championship, the Wildcats were playing up and against teams much larger than them in enrollment. Still, the Wildcats reached to the second round in 2013 (losing to FW Arlington Heights).
Kennedale reached the fourth round in 2014 where it lost to Byron Nelson.
“It seemed easier to win in 2016 just because we went through it before and knew what to expect,” Strange said. “And we were winning by so much. But you hear so many stories of teams getting so close to state or losing at state – for us to win back-to-back, it was a great time.”
The 2016 seniors included Abby Olmos, Kylie Deel, Hunt, Claire Hamilton, Mikayla Harris, Thornton and Lauren Otts. Strange still keeps up with his players and stays involved in soccer as a high school official. Several of the Kennedale players came back to the high school in January to celebrate the 10 years since winning its second title in a row.
“The girls are great and it’s awesome to see them as moms and wives now,” Strange said. “You don’t think of that back in high school, but it’s just crazy how quickly it goes by and happens.”
Kennedale nearly made it back to state in 2017, but finished off 22-2-1 and in the regional finals.
The Wildcats posted a 76-6-2 record from 2015 through 2017.
