CHESTERTOWN — Delilah Markovic’s first-half goal broke up Cambridge-South Dorchester’s bid for a clean sheet on Friday, and was integral to a morale-boosting effort from Kent County’s girls in their first high school soccer match of 2025.
A year ago, in the opener for both schools, Cambridge tagged Kent County with an 8-0 shutout loss.
The score this year was similarly lopsided, KCHS head coach Ben Joiner acknowledged, but he also said he has seen “a tremendous amount of progress” from the preseason play day in Cecil County on Aug. 25 to the Sept. 5 match against a veteran and fundamentally sound Cambridge squad.
Friday’s match was played on the turf of Washington College’s Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium in Chestertown while the stadium field at Kent County High School is undergoing a sprinkler upgrade.
Ben Joiner and Joel Tolbert are back for a second year as coaches for a KCHS team of mostly underclassmen. Two-thirds of the players on the roster of 14 are freshmen and sophomores.
Eight players return from last year’s 3-10 campaign, led by seniors Mary Jane Joiner (defense), Savanna Reynolds (defense), Zuleika Nava (forward) and MVP Markovic (midfield, forward), who was the Trojans’ leading scorer.
Also back are sophomores Madison Garcia (midfield), Reese Strong (defense), Kayla Aguilar (midfield) and Ashlynn Elborn (forward).
Among the newcomers are Bella Hinefelt (midfield, defense), who is the only junior on the team; sophomore Lyric Frase (midfield, goalie); and freshmen Madeline Troupe (defense), Amelia Ritchie (midfield, forward), Kyla McBridge (goalie) and Mayrin Ramirez (forward, midfield)
Troupe and Ritchie have come up through the Kent County Middle School soccer program.
Coach Joiner said he has been impressed with the progress the Trojans are making,
“We’re starting to play together, playing smarter and understanding game situations,” he told The Evening Enterprise in an interview during practice Monday, Sept. 8.
While acknowledging that more work needs to be done on “all aspects of the game,” Joiner said the focus remains on the process — not wins and losses.
Joiner has two goals for his players in 2025: to come together as a team and support one another, and to play with joy.
And, he noted, “we will win a couple of games along the way.”
Kent County travels for its next two matches — Thursday, Sept. 11 at North Dorchester and Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Crisfield.
The next home match is Sept. 23, tentatively scheduled for Trojan Stadium.
