Westside Cougars wins the girls’ soccer championship

Author: Greg James | [email protected]

In two years, the girls ’football team in the Kearns region has risen from invincible to invincible champions of state.

I think these girls achieved everything they wanted, Cougars head coach Crys Sacco said.

With a few small changes to last season’s second, the team seemed to focus more on their goal and their experience helped them over the edge. It changed its name this season to Kearns Cougars to correspond to the school the members of the group represented.

We had girls from Kearns, Granger and Hunter, Sacco said. The championship trophy is going on in the Kearns award event.

Kearns won the championship 28-7 from Herriman Sting. Sting scored in the final quarter to tighten the game, but not until Cougars had taken responsibility.

The game was back and forth until we used them down, Sacco said. As the game progressed, we began to control them. We played them early in the season and they are a tough team.

Cougars played in the first season three years ago. They did not get one touch. Last year, they improved and got away championship game, lost to Valkyrie 12-0.

This year we said: We are going to do it, Sacco said. Our seniors have gained experience. Some of them have started playing rugby and I think it has really helped them become better players.

Essence Charles started as a quarterback; he comes from a family that loves football.

It’s a football family, and he’s played boys ’football, Sacco said. [Charles] makes everything look flawless. He is a real leader. I know he learned a lot as a leader of this team.

The Cougars made it look easy. They won all six regular season games. It included a 14-7 victory over Sam Gordon and Herriman Mustangs. Gordon is one of the league’s opening members and leader on the field and beyond.

In the playoffs in the semifinals, the Cougars were subject to last season’s championship defeat by defeating Utah Valley Valkyrie 21-0.

The Utah Girls Tackle Football League is a place where many girls experience contact sports for the first time.

We also had girls playing rugby this spring, Sacco said. Jasmine [Roth] came from Idaho, and this was his first year. We wanted to give him a chance, and it has changed his life. She might try the Falcons (women’s team) next season. Naliyah Rueckert is a player we could not have done without it. He played in the Pro Bowl with us last season.

Sacco and HeaNisi Kinikini were the head coaches. Nephi Toafe was the attacking coordinator for the team, and Renica Lese Rueckert ran the defense.

We had such good support, dinners the night before the games; it was fun, Sacco said.

The Cougars team included Alyssa Burnside, Angie Chapman, Essence Charles, Brianna Fowler, Ashley Hawkins, Hiva Kinikini, Lili Kinikini, Rian Kornik-Neebling, Kiona Lole, Samahra Lopez, Lionala Mayorga, Riley Moreno Hillman, Paris Ott, Jasmine Roth, Naliy Rueckert, Karma Soaia, Leneja Toafe, Raven Toki-Mauigoa, Nakaiya Wiley, Monalani Siliga and Tusisoloa Siaia.

The league played its first game on April 7, 2015. Since then, it has grown. This season, it started with 32 teams in four divisions and included 650 girls. The high school department had 14 teams. The league recently lost its trial against Utah high school activity as a sport punishable only for girls ’soccer teams.

Girls and women are now breaking the barriers of football as referees, coaches and players. The Utah Girls tackle football league is booming and participation is exploding, league officials said.

UGTFL offers girls soccer in the spring and is currently a club team in Utah. The league is the first of its kind in the country.