Large group earns All-CIF accolades in girls’ soccer
The Flintridge Prep, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Crescenta Valley High girls’ soccer teams all finished second in their respective leagues this season. They had something else in common — multiple players receiving All-CIF Southern Section recognition.
After turning in quality seasons, 12 local players were bestowed with All-CIF accolades on Monday. The CIF Southern Section office unveiled the first teams for all seven divisions.
Leading the way was Flintridge Prep, which had five players selected. Crescenta Valley and Flintridge Sacred Heart had four and three players, respectively, pick up postseason honors.
Earning first-team accolades were Kaitlyn Kelleher of Flintridge Prep, Sierra Rhoads of Crescenta Valley and Kayla Mills of Flintridge Sacred Heart. Kelleher and Rhoads received Division III honors and Mills earned Division I accolades.
Kelleher, a senior midfielder, collected two goals and three assists for seven points.
“You could always count on her working hard and being anywhere we needed her to be,” said Flintridge Prep Coach Esteban Chavez, whose team finished 13-3-6, 5-2-3 in the Prep League. “Her leadership and work ethic were contagious on and off the field, and she could do everything extremely well.”
Rhoads, a senior, showed her versatility for the Falcons. Rhoads played forward and defense for Crescenta Valley (15-5-2, 11-2-1 in the Pacific League).
Rhoads finished with a team-best 19 goals and seven assists for 45 points.
“She’s the most versatile player that I’ve ever coached,” Crescenta Valley Coach Jorden Schulz said. “I could move her anywhere and she would get the job done. She’s just a smart player.”
Mills, a senior, made the transition from forward to defender this season for the Tologs (15-3-3, 7-1-2 in the Mission League). She finished with four goals and a pair of assists.
“She could do anything for the team,” Flintridge Sacred Heart first-year Coach Cesar Hidalgo said. “We needed her back there on defense and she made it a strength for our team.
“It’s great to see her get All-CIF. Things worked out well for her.”
Those named to the second team were Whitney Cohen of Flintridge Prep, Whitley Boller of Crescenta Valley and Flintridge Sacred Heart’s Sarah Teegarden.
Cohen, a senior defender, had three goals and seven assists for 13 points. Boller, a senior midfielder and defender, had five goals and two assists. Teegarden, a senior midfielder, finished with four goals and two assists.
Six athletes received third-team recognition, including Abby Letts, Kaelin King and Chelsea Johnson of Flintridge Prep, Crescenta Valley’s Katie Callister and Sarah Worden and Savannah Viola of Flintridge Sacred Heart.
Letts, a senior, defender, finished with six assists and helped the Rebels go 11-0-5 in matches in which they didn’t allow a goal. King, a senior forward, registered a team-best 20 goals and nine assists for 49 points. Johnson, a junior defender, had one assist.
Callister, a senior midfielder, notched nine goals and seven assists. Worden, a junior defender, had one goal and four assists.
Viola, a senior midfielder/forward, finished with eight goals and 12 assists for 28 points.
