The Trojans’ Girls’ Soccer team capped off an incredible 2024 campaign on Friday night with a 3-0, championship-clinching win over the Bowie Bulldogs. Anderson finished with an overall record of 14-3-3 and was 11-3-2 in district, narrowly edging out Lake Travis (11-4-1) and Westlake (10-4-2) for the championship. The win cemented Trojans Girls’ Soccer as just the second Anderson program to win a championship in District 26-6A, showing how truly remarkable their season was.
We set a goal this season to finish higher than we did last season and I am beyond proud of this team for accomplishing that to the highest extent!
– Coach Emily Horvath
The Trojans exploded out of the gate, winning 6 of their first 7 contests (including a huge matchup with Westlake) en route to a 6-0-1 record in late January. After losing at Lake Travis on January 26th, Anderson returned to form with back-to-back shutouts against Del Valle and Dripping Springs. A few weeks later, the Trojans carried a 6-2-2 district record into perhaps their biggest week of the season, rematches with Westlake and Lake Travis. They suffered a tough defeat at Westlake on Tuesday but were able to avenge their loss to Lake Travis in a game that proved to be a decisive one in the race for the district championship.
Senior Mason Galligan told me that “After a tough and emotional loss to Westlake, we knew in order to make playoffs we had to play every game after that like a playoff game” and the Trojans did just that. Following the 3-1 win over Lake Travis, the Trojans never gave up another goal, rattling off 4 straight shutouts to finish the season and capture the championship. “We had an opportunity to show that we were the best team in our district, and I think that mindset was one of the most important factors into our winning streak and first-place finish” Galligan added.
Junior Gracie Ruthven led The Trojans in goals this season, as she found the back of the net 19 times, 13 of those in district play. Sydney Gaynor and Claire Navarro each potted 11 goals in 2024, the former leading the team with 11 assists on the year. This trio with help from seniors Stella Tatum (8 goals) and Gracie Huff (7 goals), led a high-flying offensive attack that narrowly beat out Lake Travis for the district lead in goals in 2024.
As great as the offense was, Anderson’s defense was just as good if not better. Anchored by centrebacks Evelyn Grossman and Haley Zator, the Trojans gave up just 17 goals all year and 14 in district play. Grossman attributed that success to the team’s “heavy focus on trust, communication, and fluidity” and their ability to “balance adapting to offensive styles of other teams with playing our own game”. This led to a fantastic defensive season and allowed Kendall Meachum and the Trojan goalkeepers to record 10 shutouts.
Now, Anderson is gearing up for a huge first-round matchup against Stony Point. The Tigers finished the season 8-6-5 and nabbed the final playoff spot in District 25-6A, barely beating out Vandegrift. “I know we can come out with a win and go far in playoffs,” junior keeper Charlie McCreery told me. The game is tonight at home at 7:30 so everyone show up, be loud, and cheer on your Trojans!
