Trek to the Title: Lady Wolves' drive for five came with a few potholes

The expectation for the Plano West (23-3-4) girls soccer team is often a state title.

And 2012 was no different.

But before the Lady Wolves would raise their fifth Class 5A State Championship trophy in Georgetown, there was plenty to be done.

"I looked at our team and really felt we had the potential for a state title," said Carley Phillips, West's first-year head coach. "That was our goal and I knew the girls had it in them, but we still had work to do because at that point it was all just talk."

First and foremost, West needed to work on its scoring.

"We had a backline that had been together forever and a strong midfield," Phillips said, "so the ability to finish was definitely a priority."

West went a bit more high-risk with its attack by making wider runs in an effort to get defenders involved. The move paid off in terms of productivity, with the Lady Wolves scoring 59 goals in 2012 as opposed to 41 in 2011, and record, with the team's lone loss coming against Keller Fossil Ridge.

"It wasn't spectacular," Phillips said, "but we had a strong preseason."

West parlayed that momentum into a stout 8-5A start as the team began district at 8-0-1, a mark that included a win over then-No. 1 nationally ranked Flower Mound Marcus.

"It was exciting to start strong," Phillips said. "That proved that we're here and we can win this district."

Plenty of credit for West's hot start could go to the defense as the backline of senior Karson Keogh, juniors Taylor Jackson, Midori Rinkliff and Sparky Fischer as well as junior keeper Claire Wheatley allowed just three goals in the team's first nine district matches.

But winning can cover up problems and West was living dangerously.

"To be honest, at midseason I wasn't entirely sure if we could keep it up," Phillips said. "We had a lot of really close games and one-goal margins and I knew we were going to have to find ways to dominate and win by more than one goal."

That formula wouldn't be found during the regular season as the Lady Wolves followed their 8-0-1 start with a 2-2-1 finish that dropped the team to third place.

"That was difficult," Phillips said. "We put a lot of pressure on winning that district title and it was hard not reaching that goal."

There would be no hangover effect though as West rediscovered its offense in the first three rounds of the postseason, scoring seven goals off the feet of juniors Brooke Ramsier, Casie Ramsier, sophomore Morgan Murphy and freshman Ashley Smith.

"The girls really turned it on come playoffs," Phillips said. "They flipped the switch."

West avenged its loss to Fossil Ridge in the bi-district round, 3-2, and then defeated Grapevine in the area round, 1-0, in a match that was on the road to avoid potential conflicts with weather and the International Cup.

"We took a bit of a risk playing at Grapevine," Phillips said, "but it's always sweeter to beat a team on their home field."

West continued piling up goals and vengeance over the next three rounds as it defeated Flower Mound, 3-1; El Paso Montwood, 2-0; and Marcus, 3-2 (shootout), to reach the state tournament. The Lady Jags and Lady Marauders had both defeated the Lady Wolves and finished higher than them in the district standings.

"You always want to beat the best," Phillips said, "especially if they beat you."

Getting retribution wasn't easy though as West trailed at halftime of both the Flower Mound and Marcus matches.

"That Marcus match was especially tense," Phillips said. "We were facing a 2-0 deficit and eventually had to go to a shootout, so it felt like the state finals."

But it was only the regional finals and Phillips was quick to impart that message.

"I wanted to refocus the girls," she said. "It is such a feat just to get to state, but we were there to win state. This was the start of our fourth season."

As it turned out, West's toughest tests were already aced as the Lady Wolves kept a blank slate at state against Klein Oak (2-0) and Katy Seven Lakes (1-0), and got goals from Keogh, Brooke and sophomore Tori Gates to complete the program's fifth state championship run.

"It's slowly starting to sink in," Phillips said. "It's an amazing feeling; I am so happy and so proud of these girls. It's an elite group they are now part of.

"I could not have asked for a more perfect season."

The Lady Wolves got to relive that season at Friday's pep rally and can do so again at the team banquet. That celebration will be the end of the road for graduating seniors Keogh, McKina Michael, Julie Shindler, Natalie Gibson, Logan Beal and Maddie Everhart.

"We have an amazing junior class," Beal said. "So if they all come back, I think our team will be right back [at state] next year."

This isn't always a simple proposition at West.

When the Lady Wolves won their last state title in 2007, a mass exodus of juniors ensued with nine West students signing Division I scholarships in 2008 that didn't play varsity soccer that season.

That doesn't appear as though it will be a problem for the Class of 2013.

"I'm pretty sure we're all coming back," Casie said, to which her twin Brooke added, "We're definitely all coming back."

And she isn't the only one that thinks so.

"We're all coming back next year," Fischer said.

"We're definitely coming back," Jackson added. "There's no way we wouldn't want to relive this feeling."

Phillips is counting on it.

"Obviously the girls have to make that decision," she said, "but when you get to that highest level and experience that success, it's hard to not want it again.

"Why not try and go back-to-back."

Phillips played four years of varsity soccer at West, winning one state championship in 2002 and now another as a coach. That still puts Phillips one title behind her sister Paige, who won three as a player for the Lady Wolves.

"Paige knows I'm coming for her now," Phillips said with a laugh.

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