Attempting to defend a championship in any sport is typically a challenge. Doing so while dealing with a slew of unforeseen adversity can make it a downright chore.
For the reigning state champion South High Falcons, moving up to the most competitive girls soccer conference in the state was one thing. But, having to deal with serious injuries to numerous standout performers, including junior Mia Asenjo, the 2018 New York State Player of the Year, put the team behind the eight ball.
After going 21-0 in 2018, the Lady Falcons scuffled through and up-and-down regular season, winning just four times. However, as opponents learned a year ago, they are not short on intestinal fortitude. They showed it in their opening round playoff match with visiting Kennedy last Saturday morning.
Senior Kayla Camacho found the back of the net with 2:07 remaining on the clock to break a tie and give No. 5 South a 2-1 victory in a match that the Falcons thoroughly dominated. With the goal, Camacho became the leading scorer in program history. Senior Bryanna Pizarro, the Nassau Conference AB-I Most Valuable Player, assisted on both goals.
“We dominated the second half, but obviously you start to get a little worried because we hadn’t put one in,” South coach Demetri Adrahtas said. “When you don’t convert and you leave it to chance, bad things happen. It was great to see Kayla come through and become the school’s all-time leading scorer.”