No. 1 Gretna girls soccer has sights set on Nebraska state title
GRETNA, Neb. (BVM) 鈥� The 22-month wait wasn鈥檛 easy for the Gretna girls soccer team.
On May 11, 2019, the Dragons suffered a gut-wrenching loss to Omaha Marian in the Class A state semifinals match after four of their players were lost to injuries. A month later, the program suffered a real loss when Addisyn Pfeiffer, who would鈥檝e been a senior on this year鈥檚 team, was killed in a car accident. Then Gretna lost its 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淲e were very confident going into last season so it was tough not having a season,鈥� Gretna head coach Digger Hawkins said. 鈥淟osing a player in a car accident, that made it even tougher not to have a season. 鈥� It鈥檚 definitely good to be back on the field for sure.鈥�
The Dragons honored Pfeiffer during a match last week, and they鈥檝e been doing the best possible job of honoring her with their dominant performance on the pitch since their season began in March. Gretna is ranked No. 1 in the state with a perfect 14-0 record and has outscored its opponents 108-4. Earlier this month, the Dragons also secured the Metro Conference title in their first year in the conference, and there doesn鈥檛 appear to be any way of stopping them from making a serious run at their first state title since 2014.
鈥淲e take each game as it comes,鈥� Hawkins said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 overlook anyone in Class A. 鈥� We鈥檝e just got to keep it going.鈥�
It鈥檚 certainly clear that opponents have yet to find a way to stop star senior Sarah Weber, the reigning Gatorade Nebraska Girls Soccer Player of the Year. The future Cornhusker has 29 goals in 14 matches after netting 52 goals through her first two high school seasons. But even if opponents find a way to somewhat neutralize Weber, the Dragons have no shortage of other scoring options. Seventeen other players have goals for Gretna this season.
鈥淚鈥檝e always said we鈥檙e more than one player,鈥� Hawkins said, 鈥渁nd if people want to pay close attention to Sarah that鈥檚 fine because we鈥檝e certainly got other players that can do the job.鈥�
That makes the Dragons even more dangerous. And considering how close they鈥檝e been to reaching the title in recent years, they鈥檙e even more driven to reach the ultimate goal of a state championship. Since winning it all in 2014, Gretna has finished as the state runner-up twice (in 2015 and 2016) and lost in the state quarterfinals twice (in 2017 in 2018) before losing in the 2019 state semifinals.
By the time the state tournament rolls around next month, it will have been two full years since their last championship opportunity slipped away. But the long wait could pay off in a big way for the Dragons.
鈥淚f you look too far down the road you could get turned over,鈥� Hawkins said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e just got to take each game as it comes. It was great to win Metro, but we know there are some tough teams in Class A. We just can鈥檛 overlook anyone.鈥�
