South Valley girls soccer wins county crown in first season
GILROY – As the soccer season rapidly approached, 21 girls at South Valley Junior High School were anxiously going around campus getting a petition signed so they could form a team.
The young student-athletes won the battle just by establishing the first-ever girls soccer squad at South Valley and then turned their inaugural season into one they would never forget by winning the Santa Clara County Championship.
“I didn’t think there was going to be a team,” eighth-grader Amanda Bruce said.
The petition that the girls started was eventually taken to the league and looked over by its athletics directors – who took it to their meeting where it was passed.
So, the girls got their team and performed wonders – practicing hard four days a week for an hour and half. In the end, their reward was beating Chaboya Intermediate School 2-0 in the championship game and bringing South Valley its first trophy in girls soccer.
“It was kind of unbelievable,” South Valley soccer player Russhelle Preeshl said. “It was a really good experience, especially to know that we were the first girls’ soccer team at the junior high and we took the title.
“I was very proud to make it to the position that we did,” Preeshl added.
Eighth-grader Amanda Bruce handled the scoring in the championship game, netting both of South Valley’s goals. Stephanie Glenn helped her out by controlling the defense.
Tigers’ head coach Chip Beardsley did not know what to expect since this was his first time coaching a sport. A championship was far from his mind.
“I didn’t think they would win the championship this year, but mainly because I didn’t know what to expect,” Beardsley said. “I was a little skeptical at first but it was a real enjoyable season. It ended up being better than I thought.”
This is the first year for a girls soccer team in the county and the girls won six games – losing only the first game of the season. The next six matches were all theirs.
Regular-season scores:
vs Britton (L) 0-1
vs Herman (W) 4-0
vs Brownell (W) 5-1
vs Bernal (W) 4-0
Quarterfinals vs Sierra Mont (W) 2-1
Semifinals vs Willow Glenn (W) 2-0
Finals vs Chaboya (W) 2-0
