The “Pink Tigers” soccer team is the last sport added at WHS, coming into existence in 2000. The program has a great tradition, going 176-79-15 over the past twelve years. While playing attractive soccer and being successful on the field is great, it is not the most important tradition the team embraces. Starting with the 2008 season the girls have played a breast cancer awareness game. The event is the culmination of a season long commitment to raising funds through various endeavors. As a result, the program has contributed just over $10,000 to cancer related charities in the past 3 years. The 4th Pink it Up! Classic will be on May 9 against Center High School.
In 2010 the Tigers were 17-8 overall and 7-3 in the conference, good for second place. Four senior players left the program with diplomas in May, leaving a huge void in production and leadership. Two of the graduates continued their careers at highly rated NCAA programs.
Fortunately the cupboard is not bare as the Tigers return 7 starters and 11 letter-winners. All of those athletes have contributed to other Tiger programs, as well as being year round soccer players with prestigious club teams in Kansas City. The freshman class is one of the more athletic groups to walk the halls in recent years, and participate in activities in big numbers.
The Tigers will be led by a lone senior in 2011, Sara Rizzolo. Rizzolo is a four year starter and has committed to continuing her soccer career next fall at Coe College in Iowa. She will play as a central back and organize the defense. More importantly she provides direction and leadership for her teammates. Sara continues an important tradition or the Tigers, strong leadership that keeps the focus on what is important, development of all players and having an enjoyable experience.
In the Tiger program all are expected to lead. The Tigers will have one athlete in the unique role of “sub senior” as Hanna Dillingham will complete her eligibility this spring and spend next year in Colombia as she immerses herself in the Spanish language. The Tigers will recognize athletes leaving the program on May 12 when they play O’Hara.
The Tigers will usually line up in a 4-3-3 formation in 2011. The team motto is “Attack forever, defend whenever”. The Tigers will accomplish this by playing a very high defensive line and encouraging all players to attack and support. Upon losing the ball the squad will be applying immediate and aggressive pressure.
The Tigers look forward to playing a challenging schedule, including road games against Bolivar (who ended the the Tigers’ season in the district semifinals) and Harrisonville (the eventual district winners who pushed highly rated Notre Dame de Sion in the state quarterfinals). Those two schools enter the season as clear favorites to advance to the district championship game that will be hosted by Harrisonville. The state has realigned things, and the winner of this district would be considered a favorite all the way through the playoffs, possibly not being an underdog until the state championship contest.
Sedalia Smith-Cotton looks to continue their amazing string of conference victories. The “other Tigers” haven’t lost a conference match since the Ashley Gelbach header delivered by an Anna White serve in April of 2007. WHS nearly prevailed last year as they pushed Sedalia to overtime in a home contest. Sedalia continues to be the league favorite as the Sedalia Select club keeps cranking out technically strong players.
WHS Pink Tiger Soccer 