When you’re an athlete at Richmond High School, there’s not a lot of time to dwell on championships.
A day after the girls soccer team won its second straight Class D state championship, it was on to other things. Senior Danica Hurley attended a premier soccer practice, and like nearly everyone on the team, began thinking about basketball.
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“We all play softball, too, “ junior Payton Johnson said. “Soccer just comes easier to us.”
Hurley, who scored two goals in Saturday’s 4-1 championship win against Van Buren, is one of four seniors on the team along with goalie Lindsy Hoopingarner and defenders Katie Webster and Leandra Martin.
When those four began playing for Richmond as freshmen, the future of the team was in doubt.
“We had something like 12 or 13 players,” Hoopingarner said. “We went from a .500 season to winning state titles.”
The Bobcats were helped by an influx of talented players who this year made up the large junior class.
And several freshmen also contributed this year. That group should carry them a long way next season although the seniors will be hard to replace. Hoopingarner is a four-year starter in goal whileHurley set a school scoring record with 104 goals. Webster also started since her freshman year while Martin started as a freshman then missed the next two years with knee injuries.
“She came to every team practice, every team function,” Richmond coach Troy Kendrick said. “She hung around two years just for a chance to play. I can’t say enough about her.”
The team that beat Van Buren 1-0 last year in the state title game returned largely intact. But it was definitely improved.
“The chemistry was a lot better this year,” Hoopingarner said. “We just put things together a little better this year.”
Added depth was factor as well this season.
“The freshmen that came in this year spent a lot of time in middle school and the offseason preparing,” Hurley said.
Kendrick, who coaches middle school girls basketball and is holding tryouts this week, spends a lot of time in the offseason working with middle school soccer players.
“We play indoor soccer at Sukee (Arena),” he said. “The girls really look forward to it. I think we’ve been doing it 16 years.”
The Bobcats did have their celebration, complete with a parade through town accompanied by police cars and fire trucks. After, coaches and players gathered at a teammate’s house to enjoy the victory and reminisce.
Kendrick said getting out to a quick lead was the key to Saturday’s win.
“We really emphasized that the last couple of days,” he said. “I’d been told if they score early, they pack it in on defense.”
The Bobcats out-shot the Crusaders 18-5 and might have won by a greater margin if not for an outstanding game from Van Buren goalie Ashley Wilson. With 22 players returning next season, including 12 seniors, they should contend for a third title. For some, though, it ended all too quickly.
“All week the seniors talked about it,” Hurley said. “I really couldn’t ask for a better way for it to end.”
Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
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