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LAKELAND — The dynasty continued Friday. Perhaps going to the state tournament every year and not winning isn't a true dynasty, but winning four years in a row certainly is. Lakeland Christian's win over Shorecrest Prep takes the program to another level (although it may have already been there), one that only the school, the sport, and the most knowledgeable fans know about. I pulled it up.
Example: Bartow Softball. With just two words, you're just nodding along because you understand that the Yellow Jackets have established themselves at a level just above the typical powerhouse programs. In Bartow softball's case, that happened during a span of 10 years during which they won seven titles, including five in a row.
Lakeland Football: With the most state titles and two national titles by a public school in football, this program is firmly at an elite level.
That's what happened over the past four seasons for the Lakeland Christian girls soccer team as the titles began to pile up.
Go up:How Lakeland Christian women's soccer became a dynasty under Jason Street
4 Pete completed:Lakeland Christian wins girls soccer 2A state title again.
![Lakeland Christian's KJ Straub poses at Pyton Carroll after the Vikings defeated Shorecrest Prep in the 2024 FHSAA Class 2A girls soccer finals at Lake Myrtle Soccer Complex in Auburndale. Receives a hug from the player (22 years old).](https://www.theledger.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/02/26/NLED/72749290007-022324-rf-gsoccer-2-afinals-10.jpg?width=660&height=565&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
So how can a program win four consecutive state titles?
Of course he has talent, but that's just stating the obvious. If you follow sports at any level, the list of talented teams that have failed to win a title is long. Pick one of his winning LCS teams and you'll have the best players in the county. This year's team includes players such as KJ Straub, Halle Johnson, Mari Kerr, Ella Williams, the Carol sisters, Alyssa and Peyton, and goaltender McKenzie the Marotts, just to name a few. I did.
So if having talent is a given, what else is there? It's a cliché, but you also need a little luck, so let's start there. The Vikings definitely benefited from being promoted to 3A when they won their first title. That team had enough talent to beat St. John's, but perhaps trying to win its first state title and win its first St. John's Country Day was asking too much. It might have been.
Conversely, some of the LCS teams that lost to St. John's may have been as talented as the state championship team, but were unlucky in that they played against a stronger St. John's team than the last two teams. did.
It didn't hurt that they didn't have to play St. John's this year, but that doesn't mean the Vikings couldn't still be state champions. All you can do is beat the team in front of you. LCS has done just that. And when St. John's lost, there may have been some emotional disappointment among the LCS players.
“It was my fear that was disappointing to see St. John’s lose,” LCS coach Jason Streets said. “It's not like Shorecrest has been easy, but St. John's is St. John's. They have a winning tradition. When you play against them, it's just different.”
He stressed during practice that the players needed to stay focused.
“We talked about staying humble and respecting what we have to do,” he said.
What else do you need? Why not rise to the occasion? After losing in the championship, many players and coaches lamented that they didn't play their best. In each of the past four state championship games, Lakeland Christian played its best football.
The last time the Vikings haven't played their best in the last four championship games was about 10 minutes early in the second half of the game when they clinched their first title against American Heritage after the Stallions took a 2-1 lead. It only lasted 12 minutes. Ramsey Watkins provided the spark to get things back on track, and LCS got the win with goals from senior star Katie Kearns and rising sophomore stars Maddie Lopez and Karlie Sabato. I have never been disappointed in a championship game since then.
But it's not just stars. The Vikings got contributions from talented role players like outside defenders Katie Williams and Caris Gibson, who capped off their high school careers with great games. There's nothing wrong with having your best players play their best. In last year's win over St. John's, Destiny Carroll earned Player of the Year honors for her defensive play, and KJ Straub neutralized one of the nation's best players.
The situation was similar this year. Championship teams know how to come out victorious when they're not at their best, like LCS did in the state semifinals. However, the Vikings had the best performance in the championship game.
“In the semifinals, I didn't think the team as a whole played well,” Streets said. “I thought some of the players weren't playing their best. We need everyone to be at their best to win this. I thought the backline was great and the effort from the midfield was good. Mari and Ella at the front gave their all. KJ was KJ.”
The Vikings, starting with center backs Grace Hames and Hal Johnson, played with a combination of fearlessness and confidence, cutting off attacks and continuing to steal the ball before Shawcrest Prep could threaten to score. One steal by James negated a Shorecest threat that could have been a disaster for the Vikings.
Caroline Morin was a consistent impact player in midfield and continued to win the ball 50-50. In fact, if there was a theme to this game, it was just the number of times LCS players and Shorecrest Prep battled him one-on-one and the LCS players had possession of the ball.
![Lakeland Christian's Ella Williams, 11, hits the ground during the 2024 FHSAA Class 2A girls soccer finals against Shorecrest Prep at the Lake Myrtle Soccer Complex in Auburndale. gets slammed by.](https://www.theledger.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/02/26/NLED/72749309007-022324-rf-gsoccer-2-afinals-5.jpg?width=660&height=493&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
And fearless? At 5-foot-1, Ella Williams was hit directly by much larger Shorecrest Prep defender Maddie Niedler, who hit her multiple times and went down once on a big collision, but she never backed down.
This is the type of play typical of the LCS during its four years of operation. They put their talent, luck, and desire into a pot of champion beer.
Finally, there is something intangible that certain players bring to the table: a will to win that exudes throughout the team. The LCS had multiple such players on each team. Watkins, for example, obviously had that and was put in a position to be rewarded for it, but she wasn't the only player on the team like that.
Remember when Street said KJ is KJ? That's what he was talking about. In each of his four years, Straub brought an indescribable will to win, a level of passion and talent that cannot be easily replaced.
“What do you say when you have a girl in the middle who doesn't lose?” Streets said. “She just doesn't want to lose, and her emotional drive is fun. At halftime, she's driving the team. This team will be better next year without her leading the team. I can’t imagine it.”
So the next challenge for the LCS is to win without Straub. The Vikings have had different teams and different challenges to win their first four titles, including defeating St. John's for the first time last year. But winning it all without strobes could be your toughest challenge yet.