Looking to get back
Yuma Catholic girls soccer returns most of last season’s 3A state runner-up finisher
Last season saw Yuma County very nearly produce its first-ever girls soccer state champion.
Yuma Catholic reached the 3A state championship game, and fell by only a goal to No. 1 Casteel.
It was the first title-game appearance in the 17-year history of the Shamrocks, who enter this season poised to make another run.
YC lost just four seniors off last season’s team, only two of whom were starters. The Shamrocks return four players who scored double-digit goals last season, including reigning Yuma Sun/ Yuma Rotary Club Player of the Year Ariana Leamons (38 goals, 10 assists), now a sophomore, and Yuma Sun all-region midfielder Isela Estrada (14 goals, 14 assists), now a junior. Now-junior forward Savannah Rush (20 goals, 10 assists) and nowsenior midfielder Natalie Camarena (12 goals, 16 assists) were the other two. Other returners with starting experience include reigning Yuma Sun all-region goalie Danisia Ellin, a senior, senior defender/midfielder Katie McArdle, junior midfielder Cazzia Padilla, junior defender Dianna Sanchez and junior defender Faith Sandoval.
“So we should have a good amount of experience returning,” 12th-year coach Jesus Quintana said. “Looking at how we’re performing so far, offensively we’re doing well; we can pass the ball. My main concern right now is on the defensive side, trying to fit the right personnel and right decisions and trying to get them to understand responsibilities.”
Quintana also highlighted two freshmen he expects to make immediate contributions — midfielder/goalkeeper Victoria Diaz and forward Angie Pinentel.
Last regular season, YC went 11-0-1 and outscored its opponents 93-6 — but a low strength of schedule (rated the worst in 3A) left the Shamrocks as the No. 11 seed for the state tournament. They pulled off three consecutive upsets before falling 2-1 to Casteel in the final.
This year, the Shamrocks should be far more battle-tested by the time state arrives.
Their regular-season schedule includes games against 5A state runner-up Notre Dame Prep, 4A state qualifier Mohave and 3A state qualifier Northwest Christian.
“I like the fact that we added those games,” Quintana said. “They’re huge games from an experience point of view.”
The goal, Quintana said, is to “fight for a state title.”
“Obviously last year gave us a big boost, the fact that we were ranked so low and made it to the championship game,” he said. “All that was due to hard work and the resiliency of the team. This year we’re asking our players to keep giving us their best, use last year as a motivator to get us to the state title game.”
Yuma Catholic opens its season today at Imperial (Calif.).
Here’s a look at the area’s other girls soccer teams (Yuma High’s coach was unreachable):
Kofa Kings
Kofa has long been the most