By MATTHEW PEASLEE
MORGANTOWN — One of the fiercest rivalries in northern West Virginia prep sports over the past few years has been the girls’ soccer battles between Morgantown and Wheeling Park.
Since Stirlin Rivers took over the MHS head coaching job four years ago, the Mohigans and Patriots have met up for some important matches in each season. In 2018, MHS was knocked out by Park in an epic double-overtime match in the regional finals. In 2019, the teams played to a tie in the regular season — a year in which the Mohigans won the state championship.
Last year, the Patriots upended Morgantown in a sectional final. This year, Rivers is excited to see what both teams can offer.
“It’s tough to say what’s going to happen this year because both teams lost very crucial players who have been stalwarts the past three years,” Rivers said. “This year, it’s about which kids are going to stand out and help their team. Both teams are looking for those stars to step up and get their name out there.”
Morgantown has just three seniors on the team and Rivers is counting on some underclassmen to step up and take charge. Sophomore Gracie Brown, the younger sister of former standout Sammie Brown, who now plays at Auburn, is one of those players.
“She’s looking like a junior or senior already, but she’s just a sophomore,” Rivers said. “She’s really powerful, fast and aggressive. I’m really excited to see what she can do this year because she is only going to get better.”
Another sophomore, and younger sister of other MHS players, Ashleigh Weaver, will have a chance to break through this season. Alyssa Weaver graduated last season and now plays at Fairmont State and, unfortunately, junior Amanda Weaver tore her ACL a few months ago.
“Ashleigh Weaver will be leading the front line,” Rivers said. “I am looking for big things out of her. She can score a lot of goals. We’ll be relying on her.”
Michaela August, a senior captain, will be relied upon for leadership this season. Though primarily a center-back defender, she will be pushing the offensive attack, too.
“She’ll be a key for us,” Rivers said. “If we do have success as a team, she will be a big reason for that. She is an impact player.”
The Mohigans finished with an 8-2 record last season after starting the year with six-straight wins. The team pitched five shutouts.
“Defense-wise we are really strong because we have the same defense as last year,” Rivers said. “We just have to wait and see how the offense works out. We’ll be taking it game by game and evaluating our performance and seeing what areas we can improve on.”
Rivers said the team took advantage of the three-week practice period in June to get to know each other better and focus on communication. He has been encouraged by the ball movement and fierce passion on offense. Most importantly, the coach said, the Mohigans believe in themselves and are keen on exceeding expectations.
“They have the mentality that they want to win something,” Rivers said. “They need to see what they can do. They need to understand where they are and where they can be. I’ve told them to strive for excellence. You never know where you might end up if you are always trying your best.”
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