Once again Madisonville-North Hopkins and Henderson County share the top spot in the YSE Girls Soccer Super 7, while there was some slight movement below them. Here is how the rankings shake out for the week ending September 19.
1. Madisonville-North Hopkins (12-1-1), Henderson County (8-4-3) – The Lady Maroons and Lady Colonels are still knotted at the top, with a head-to-head 1-1 draw earlier in the season and only a slight deviation between results against five common opponents. The Lady Colonels tied Marshall County in late August, while the Lady Maroons earned a 4-1 win over the Lady Marshalls a couple of weeks ago.
Madisonville is riding a five-game shutout streak, including wins over McCracken County and Oldham County in the Lady Donley Classic and Muhlenberg County at the Constitution Day Invitational by a combined score of 14-0. They only play once over the next seven days, with a match at the Stadium of Champions against the resurgent Hopkinsville Lady Tigers coming up on Tuesday.
The Lady Colonels went 2-1 since the last rankings, shutting out Owensboro and Union County on either side of a 1-0 loss to Paul Lawrence Dunbar. They play their final two regular-season matches against 2nd-Region competition in the coming days, with a home match against University Heights and a road contest with Christian County.
3. University Heights Academy (6-3-2) – The Lady Blazers stay in the third spot after a week of mixed results, with a respectable 0-0 draw with Marshall County to go with a 2-0 win over Fort Campbell and a 3-1 loss to Ohio County. An opportunity for a statement result against Henderson County awaits on Thursday night, before the Lady Blazers turn their attention to the All “A” Classic State Tournament this weekend in Frankfort.
4. Hopkinsville (7-6-1) – We’ll never know what kind of offensive force the Lady Tigers might have been this season with a healthy Ana Hernandez up top, but credit to the them for reinventing themselves as a defensive juggernaut. They haven’t lost in five outings and haven’t yielded a goal since a 2-0 loss to Henderson on September 5. Hoptown blasted Lyon County and Christian County by a combined score of 16-0 last week, with a 0-0 draw at Caldwell being the only blemish. The Lady Tigers will meet Murray and Hopkins County Central at the Colonels Showcase this weekend at the Stadium of Champions, before a visit from Madisonville-North Hopkins on Tuesday.
5. Caldwell County (6-4-2) – The Lady Tigers jump into the fifth spot on the strength of back-to-back draws with UHA and Hopkinsville and a 3-1 win over Hopkins County Central. They haven’t lost since a September 3 setback in the All “A” regional tournament, while only allowing 4 goals during that stretch. Caldwell will be busy over the next seven days, facing Murray and Logan County in the Colonels Showcase at the Stadium of Champions, before a visit from Christian County and a trip to Cadiz to meet former district rival Trigg County.
6. Fort Campbell (8-5-0) – The Lady Falcons may feel slighted by dropping a spot this week, while also holding an early-September 1-0 victory over Caldwell in the All “A” Classic. However, a bit of a wobble this week with a narrow 3-2 victory over winless Crittenden County and a 2-0 loss to University Heights puts them just behind the Lady Tigers. Fort Campbell has an immediate opportunity to state its case, with a Thursday night meeting with Caldwell in Princeton, followed next week with a road match at Christain County.
7. Hopkins County Central (7-4-0) – To say Hopkins County Central has been exposed is probably harsh, but a pattern of beating the teams they should and losing when they step up in competition has emerged. The exception would be a 2-0 win over Fort Campbell all the way back on August 15, but the Lady Falcons seem to be a much different team lately. A mercy-rule win over Lyon County preceded a 3-1 loss to 7th-District foe Caldwell County, with a visit from Trigg County scheduled for Thursday. A good showing at the Colonels Showcase this weekend against Hopkinsville and Christian County could solidify their case for a higher spot in next week’s rankings.
