PERRYVILLE — If you feel like the Trojans have been there before, it’s because they have.
For the third year in a row, Kent County High School’s girls soccer team is headed to Perryville on Saturday afternoon for a Class 1A East Region I semifinal.
And for the third year in a row, Perryville (8-4) is the top seed and KCHS (3-9) is the fourth seed.
Saturday’s match (kickoff is at 1 p.m.) will be Kent County’s first since a 4-1 loss at home to Colonel Richardson in the regular-season finale Oct. 16.
The focus this week as the Trojans prepped for postseason, after a significant layoff, has been “trying to stay engaged and having fun,” first-year head coach Ben Joiner told The Evening Enterprise.
While the win-loss record might suggest otherwise, Joiner said it’s been a season of success and achievements for a team that starts as many as three freshmen.
Seeing the season through is an accomplishment in itself.
Only eight players turned out for the first day of practice Aug. 14, and the program was in jeopardy of folding.
But now, on the eve of the region tournament, Kent County has a robust roster of 16 led by seniors Paige Miller and Morgan Kendall.
Playing at a consistently high level have been defenders Savanna Reynolds and Reese Strong, center mids Mary Jane Joiner and Kendall, and forwards Zuleika Nava and Delilah Markovic.
Ben Joiner said he is very proud of the fact that the team has stayed intact.
Also, there has been improvement across the board.
But if the Trojans are going to flip the script against Perryville’s girls, they are “going to have to put two good halves together,” coach Joiner said.
NOTES: In the other region semifinal, No. 2 seed Colonel Richardson (6-6) will host No. 3 seed Bo Manor (4-8).
The championship match is Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the higher seed.
Perryville was the Class 1A state runner-up in 2023.