The Intelligencer/Wheeling News Register

Josh Strope, Staff Writer

Dynamic. If there ever was a word to describe the play of St. Clairsville's Jaclyn Dutton, it would be that one. Dutton burst on the scene as a freshman and wowed everyone in the Ohio Valley from fans to coaches to players to sports writers. She is the focus of every defense, yet she still finds a way to get on the scoreboard.

Dutton has been a member of the All-Valley team in her first two seasons with the Red Devils, and her junior campaign ends with her being named the captain of the 13th annual All-Valley Girls' Soccer Team.

'It's really exciting and really an honor to know that people think I have the potential to be a captain,' Dutton said. 'I really try to play my hardest to help my team win and it feels to good to know people see the hard work I put in.'  

It's been rare to see a St. Clairsville box score that didn't have Dutton's name in it as she found the back of the net on average four times per game. Dutton scored seven goals in a game twice this season. Her 51 goals in 2008 were the most by any player in the Ohio Valley - male or female.

Dutton has scored 128 goals in just three years. 'I'm going to try and beat (my goal total in 2009),' Dutton said. 'When I have the ball, I know my team is counting on me so I try to beat as many people as I can. 'Hopefully we can put St. Clairsville on the map next year by winning OVACs.'

Dutton added eight assists and showed she could also play some defense with 85 steals and 156 interceptions. She has been named to the All-Eastern District team, All-Ohio team, and the All-OVAC team.

'Jaclyn is a great player and leader on the field,' St. Clairsville coach Joe Kubik said. Dutton doesn't just play soccer from August to November, but all year-round with travel teams in an effort to perfect her game.

'I enjoy the game and try to play as much as I can,' Dutton said. 'I run a lot and practice with the ball as much as I can. 'I've really trained hard, but even then, without my team working together, we can't accomplish anything. 'We want to be a great team and that's what we are going to work forward to next season.'

Caitlin Birge, Wheeling Park -  The Wheeling Park Patriots had a rough season under first-year coach John Wehrle, but still managed to win the OVAC Division I title as Birge led the way with her aggressive style of play. The anchor of the team, Birge possesses good foot skills and has very good speed. The senior defender was a first-team selection by the OVAC.

Sarah Cashdollar, Steubenville  - As Deanne Beall tries to build the Steubenville soccer program, hopefully the underclassmen will take a page out of the book of Cashdollar. Cashdollar was challenged and was often the difference for Big Red. The junior goalie stopped 212 shots on her way to being named the OVAC Division I Player of the Year. She was a first-team All-OVAC selection and first-team All-Eastern District in Ohio.

Molly Cline, Brooke -  A senior leader in every sense of the word, Cline had a late start to the season due to offseason knee surgery. With the team struggling while she was out, the senior midfielder returned to action and led Brooke to a winning record and the Bruins' first OVAC Cup championship in 12 seasons. During the OVAC Cup Tournament, Cline had a hand in goals in all three games, including the game-winning penalty kick in the title victory against Steubenville Central. Cline was a first-team selection by the OVAC.  

Paige Dalrymple, Weir  - The tallest goalkeeper in the Ohio Valley, Dalrymple's size and agility made her not just one of the top goalies in the valley, but also in the state. So much so that the West Virginia High School Soccer Coaches Association (WVHSSCA) named her the Class AA/A Goalie of the Year. Dalrymple left a legacy that will be hard to live up to at Weir with 56 shutouts and a .997 goals against average for her career. Dalrymple was a first-team selection by the coaches and the West Virginia Sports Writers Association (WVSWA).

Brittany DeCapio, Brooke  - This hard-charging forward was one of Coach Jerod Hall's most valuable weapons on the way to winning the OVAC Cup championship. Her speed made her a dangerous commodity and defenders had to be aware of her at all times. DeCapio, a junior forward, will likely be the focal point of the offense in 2009 as she tries to lead the Bruins to back-to-back OVAC Cup titles. DeCapio was a first-team selection by the OVAC.

Bernadette DuBois, Steubenville Central  - If you can't get shots on goal, you can't score. Steubenville Central didn't allow much of either in large part to DuBois. The center defender of Coach Chris Ledyard's flat-four defense, DuBois' ball control skills, speed, tactical sense, and leadership led to not just the shutting down of opponents, but also was instrumental in getting the ball up the field to spark the offense. Not many players in the valley played defense like DuBois and it earned her the OVAC Division III Player of the Year award, as well as a spot on the OVAC first team. She was also named the All-Eastern District first team and selected to play in the Eastern District All-Star game.

Megan Duke, Weir - Opposing forward didn't have much time to react once they reached the Weir zone because Duke was all over them. Her ability to anticipate offensive attacks and shut them down was unparalleled. Weir's strength was its defense and Duke was the leader, becoming one of the top overall players in the state in her junior season. Duke even flashed a bit of offense on the season by notching a goal. She was a first-selection by the writers, caoches, and the OVAC. The OVAC named Duke the Division II Player of the Year.

Mari Kolanko, Weirton Madonna  - Kolanko's impact on Weirton Madonna was felt not just on the scoreboard but by also by her wealth of experience. Kolanko was the Blue Dons' lone senior starter. The midfielder played all over the field, exploiting opponents' weaknesses. Despite almost all of the attention paid to her, Kolanko was able to score 20 goals and find the open teammate for 13 assists. Kolanko was a first-team selection by the OVAC, coaches, and the writers. Kolanko is also making her second consecutive appearance on the All-Valley first team.  

Bethany Ledyard, Steubenville Central  - Along with DuBois, Ledyard helped control the top backfield in the Ohio Valley. While DuBois patrolled the middle, Ledyard was responsible for the outside, cutting off opponents' attacks before they even got started. She didn't stop at defense. Her field presence and her ability to handle the ball often allowed her to transition to the offensive side, where she managed to notch a goal. Her speed and conditioning allowed her to play a larger portion of the field than most. Ledyard was an Eastern District and OVAC first-teamer and selected to play in the Eastern District All-Star game.

Amanda Looman,  Steubenville Central - The Crusaders were more than just defense. Looman came into her own in her junior campaign, scoring a school-record 34 goals and adding five assists. During a game against St. Clairsville, Looman showed she could match Dutton goal-for-goal when she found the back of the net seven times - another Steubenville Central school record. Looman improved greatly from where she was in her sophomore season and proved she can be a scoring threat every time she gets a foot on the ball. She was a first-team Eastern District and OVAC selection.

Milena Maragos, Weir  - The youngest player on the All-Valley team, Maragos burst onto the scene in 2008 and gave Coach Chris LeFever the scoring threat needed to go along with Weir's shutdown defense. The sophomore forward scored 21 goals and handed out nine assists in her coming-out party. Like every top forward, Maragos has excellent foot skills and has a creative offensive ability to find the back of the net when she needs to. Maragos iced Weir's first state tournament victory with a breakaway goal in the Red Riders' 3-1 triumph against Frankfort. She was named to the writers' and coaches' first team.

Kassi Robinson, Weir -  Playing the midfield is the toughest position in soccer and Robinson did it as well as anyone in the state, often making it look easy. Robinson has a motor that never stops running and you would be hard-pressed to find someone that hustles as much as she does. A co-captain in her junior season, her agility and patience has attributed to much of the team's success. She was always in the right place at the right time and was as skilled playing defense as she was with the ball at her foot. Robinson was heralded with first-team accolades by the writers and the OVAC, while being named to the coaches' second team.

Jesse Rutan, John Marshall  - Rutan was the senior leader for Cindy Lawther's Monarchs and she didn't disappoint as John Marshall responded to post a winning record after a lackluster 2007. Her knowledge of the game was as evident as her ability to play it. Rutan scored eight goals and five added assists as the Monarchs advanced to the sectional semifinals before being knocked out by eventual state runner-up University. Rutan was a first-team selection by the OVAC.

Julie Young,  John Marshall  - One of the most natural athletes in the Ohio Valley, Young stood out among even the best players. Her skill and quickness helped provide the Monarchs with the offensive firepower needed to compete with the state and valley's best. The junior midfielder led John Marshall with 14 goals and five assists, combining with Rutan to form a formidable midfield. Young was a first-team selection by the OVAC and earned a second-team nod from the writers.  

Any soccer coach will tell you the key to winning a soccer match is maintaining possession.

It’s a message John Marshall girls’ coach Cindy Lawther has been preaching to her young and inexperienced team in the early going and it finally came to pass during the Monarchs’ 11-0 victory against Magnolia on Monday at John Marshall High School, their first victory of the season.

“I’m trying to get them to see that in order to be successful, you are gonna have to keep possession and not just push the ball up front on every play,” Lawther said. “These are young girls out here and they needed a game like this to see just how important possession is to win games.”

Learning to keep the ball out of the opponent’s grasp was the key learning factor, as the game was never in doubt.

John Marshall (1-2-1) scored two goals within the first minute of the game and senior Cary Baker was the catalyst for both.

Baker took a sideline pass and dribbled the ball along the endline, drawing two Magnolia defenders.

She then passed the ball between both to an open Jennifer Nguyen who fired the in the top-right corner past Blue Eagles goalie Brenna Leek for the 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the game.

Baker put the Monarchs up 2-0 at the 51-second mark with a shot from the corner that went through Leek’s hands.

John Marshall kept the pressure coming as Magnolia failed to mount any offense and rarely got the ball past midfield.

Jesse Rutan made the score 3-0 with a shot from outside of the box that Leek couldn’t catch.

Less than a minute later, Emily Yoders scored for John Marshall, forcing Leek from the game in favor of backup keeper Brittany Leek.

She fared much the same, allowing a goal by Katy Daney.

John Marshall went into the intermission with a 5-0 lead, and the second half was a mirror image of the first.

Nguyen scored her second goal of the game on a through ball from Baker, and Baker notched her second tally two minutes later.

Lacey Bertrand, Haley Litman, Darby Kale, and Allison Hall finished the scoring for John Marshall.

“Get our first win, that was our first goal heading into the game, and it was great to see these kids get a taste of success,” Lawther said. “When we played Wheeling Park, they controlled the ball the entire game and we never got the chance to get in it.”

Lawther’s squad looks nothing like the OVAC Third Division Champions from 2005. Baker is the only returning starter, with Michelle Harris as the only other returning senior.

“Michelle has always been a good player, but we’ve had so much talent here over the years that she hasn’t gotten much of a chance to show us what she can do,” Lawther said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised about the leadership she has shown so far this season.”

Baker, who only took three shots in the match, spent most of the game getting her teammates involved.

“Cary wasn’t out there to pad her stats, she’s been a starter for four years so we know what we are getting with her,” Lawther said. “Her wanting to help the girls become better players means much more.”

Next up for the Monarchs is Linsly on Wednesday, and Lawther knows her team will need to play like it did Monday to combat an always tough Cadets squad.

Does an 11-0 victory give her team the confidence they need?

“We’ll find out Wednesday,” she said.