When Abby Gross took over as the girls soccer coach at Whiteland last fall, she wanted to set the bar for the program a bit higher than it had been in the past.
The trick, of course, is getting the players to buy in. Fortunately for Gross, she had Emily Williams on board.
“(Williams) definitely made that process easier,” Gross said. “She’s one of those players that I know always has my back, and she’s one of the players that has really high expectations for herself and her team.
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“She appreciated when I came in and I tried to raise some of the standards.”
The standard was indeed raised; Whiteland went from eight wins to 12 last year. And with Williams back to lead a solid senior class, the team again has pretty lofty goals.
Williams didn’t put up the biggest numbers in 2017 — on a team with three 20-goal scorers, she had just six goals and 12 assists. But she was the straw that stirred the drink for the Warriors, and she wound up being named the team’s most valuable player.
“She kind of steadies the field and helps keep the players calm, and she knows what to do,” Gross said. “She knows how to get out of pressure and just is kind of that bond for our team that helps us maintain our composure.”
“That’s my mentality, to always try to make a good serve up or make good plays in the midfield and set it up,” Williams added. “But I need to score more this season.”
Whiteland will still have Madisyn Proctor, who had a team-best 28 goals last year after scoring 26 as a sophomore. But Williams knows she’ll need to become a bit more assertive herself in addition to keeping Proctor fed.
Williams has proven herself capable. She has 23 career goals, including 11 as a freshman, and she tallied three in a win over Greenwood Christian late last season.
No matter how much she ends up scoring, though, Williams’ impact will always extend way beyond the stat sheet.
“She’s a great leader,” Gross said. “She’s one of those players that leads by example and really keeps her teammates accountable — and that’s on and off the field.
“You don’t always see her as vocal, but the work she does with her teammates on and off the field is vital.”
That work has helped build a roster full of players who are all in on Gross’ system. Williams is thrilled with the results and eager to watch them bear fruit on the pitch this fall.
“It’s definitely even better this year with a lot of new players,” she said. “Their attitude is really good, and we have focused practices where people are really trying to get better. I’m really happy with the work ethic and attitude.”
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A look at Johnson County’s high school girls soccer teams:
Center Grove Trojans
Coach: Mike Bishop
Last season: 10-5-3; lost to Columbus North in Class 3A sectional semifinal
Key returnees: Piper Belden, Kailee Joseph, Gracyn Montfort, Megan Perry and Katie Schier, seniors; Katelyn Jansen, Jostin Reeves and Kelti Wise, juniors; Macy Detty and Paige Waskom, sophomores
Outlook: The Trojans again figure to be deep and talented, particularly in the midfield, and could be one of the stronger teams in the state. Perry and Belden should be a potent scoring tandem up front, while Wise provides some experience in goal behind a perennially tough defense. The postseason path has become a difficult one, but Center Grove should be ready to contend with just about any team it faces.
Franklin Grizzly Cubs
Coach: Mari Weidman
Last season: 4-12; lost to Columbus East in Class 3A sectional semifinal
Key returnees: Madeline Alexander and Emilie Hill, seniors; Emily Kleinhelter, sophomore
Top newcomers: Mollie Hill, Addison Marshall and Mackenzie West, freshmen
Outlook: Weidman, an assistant coach last year, takes over a young but promising squad. Evansville recruit Emilie Hill will again lead the way for the Grizzly Cubs, and she figures to get plenty of help from younger sister Mollie as well as improved returnees Alexander and Kleinhelter. If the young talent can develop quickly, then Franklin might be able to surprise some folks in the Mid-State Conference and in the sectional.
Greenwood Woodmen
Coach: Joe Mushrush
Last season: 10-7; lost to Columbus North in Class 3A sectional opener
Key returnees: Veda Craig, senior; Alicia Ader, Olivia Brawley, Shelby Hanson and Brooklyn Stubblefield, sophomores
Top newcomers: Tori Graber and Bianca Salazar, freshmen
Outlook: After losing a huge senior class that included two-time Daily Journal Player of the Year Kayla Rance and goalkeeper Maddie Moan, the Woodmen will be relying heavily on a talented group of sophomores to help fourth-year starter Craig fill the void. Several young players will be thrown into much larger roles, but Mushrush is confident that Greenwood will still be able to win its fair share of matches.
Greenwood Christian Cougars
Coach: Joanna List
Last season: 3-14; lost to International in Class A sectional opener
Key returnees: Cassie Bigelow, Andrea Cottongim, Alexis Mead and Cameron Northern, juniors; Katie Potter, sophomore
Top newcomers: Savvanah Frye, sophomore; Ellie Bigelow and Alayna Boyer, freshmen
Outlook: First-year coach List, a former Franklin College player, has just 12 players on her roster, about half of whom have never played soccer before. But she does have Northern, the reigning PAAC Player of the Year, leading an athletic group that’s eager to learn the game. The going might be a bit rough early on, but List believes the Cougars “will be rock stars” by the time the season reaches its end.
Whiteland Warriors
Coach: Abby Gross
Last season: 12-4-1; lost to Center Grove in Class 3A sectional opener
Key returnees: Madisyn Proctor, Courtney Taylor, Leesha Thacker and Emily Williams, seniors; Stephanie Brady, Manvir Chahal and Alaina LaPorte, sophomores
Top newcomers: Thaya Manitkul-Davis, senior; Sarah Turcotte and Juli Witherington, freshmen
Outlook: The Warriors lost a pair of 20-goal scorers but have their top goal producer back in Proctor and last year’s team MVP in Williams. That pair should get plenty of help from Turcotte up front and Manitkul-Davis in the midfield. If the young reinforcements can step in and excel, Whiteland could again contend for the Mid-State Conference title that it shared with Mooresville and Plainfield last fall.
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