Title Tuesday: Stratford, FPD, Central Fellowship eye soccer championships

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          Stratford has given six goals in 19 matches.

          One came in the Eagles’ tightest win of the year, 2-1 on penalty kicks, against FPD on April 16.

          FPD has given up 25 goals this season. A full 36 percent of that total came in a 9-0 loss to Stratford on March 6.

          And the Vikings’ lone losses have come against Stratford.

          Oh, and there’s the little matter of the 2023 state finale, when FPD topped Stratford 4-0 at Mercer/

          So, clearly, the vibe will be electric when the Eagles and Vikings go at it Tuesday night in the GIAA Class 4A state championship at Stratford’s Spencer Frank Hays Field/Hutchinson Soccer Complex.

Tuesday
Girls, at Stratford
2:30 p.m., Class AA: Central Fellowship vs. Westminster Christian
5 p.m., Class AAA: St. Andrews vs. Westminster-Augusta
7:30 p.m., Class 4A: Stratford vs. FPD

          Throw in the fact that this is the high school competition finale for FPD standout Bowen Matthews, a junior who plans to graduated next December and enroll early a month later on her Auburn soccer scholarship, and emotions will even higher than normal.

          Matthews, incidentally, scored three times in that win, as an eighth-grader. Teammate Katelynn Jackson, also a junior, scored the other goal.

          That the Eagles are in a title slump dating back to 2006, well, it just adds to the anticipation.

          FPD is led by Matthews, owner of plenty of program records, having stormed past the career scoring mark in April of 2025. Nearly five months ago, she passed the 1,000-point mark for FPD’s girls basketball team.

          But Jackson and senior Elcee Leslein are among those who add an offensive boost.

          The Eagles (19-0) provide more balance, with Emma Lizotte, Maddie Biesterfeld, Hadley Stewart, and Annie Garner leading those with double-digit goals.

          That’s helped the Eagles give up but six goals all year: Two to AA finalist and defending champ Central Fellowship, and one each to Trinity Christian, FPD, and two more to St. Anne-Pacelli in last week’s 3-2 overtime win in the semifinal.

          Attempts to get stats were unsuccessful.

          Stratford has 11 wins by at least eight goals, which shortens the match. FPD has six, which could be a boost in a tight 80-minute battle.

          The Vikings have seven seniors, the Eagles four.

Lancers eye third straight title

          What once was a hope is now an expectation for Central Fellowship’s girls.

          The Lancers go for a third straight title on Tuesday when they face Westminster at 2:30 p.m. for the GIAA Class AA girls title.

          CFCA beat St. George’s 4-1 in the semifinal to improve to 22-1. Westminster took down Heritage 3-1 to improve to 16-3.

          The Lancers return several key players, including all-staters Lois Tanner, Kassidy Walls, Emory Andrews, and Morgan Cunningham.

          Tanner averages 3.2 goals a game and Morgan Riley 1.9 assists.

          Both teams have given up only 22 goals, but Westminster in three fewer matches. The Lancers average about a goal more a game,and have 11 shutouts.

          The Lancers beat the Lions 2-1 in last year’s championship, after beating the Lions 2-0 in the 2024 finale, after losing to the Lions in the 2023 championship.

          CFCA took out Calvary Christian 3-2 in the 2022 championship.