McClain falls to Alexander in DIV Regional Semifinals; ends record-setting season 

JACKSON — Playing in the Division IV Regional Semifinals Tuesday evening, the battle of the two champions from the Southeast District saw a physical game between the McClain Lady Tigers and Alexander Lady Spartans where it was Alexander advancing by a 2-1 score. 

The record-setting Lady Tigers saw their season end with an overall record of 15-3-2, as they won their first-ever Frontier Athletic Conference championship in girls program history, and they also won their first-ever district championship, a first for any soccer team at McClain. 

Tuesday evening, on Oct. 28, saw the both teams play a classic soccer contest with the Lady Spartans (16-3-1) scoring the first goal of the match, as senior Karah Allison scored a goal with 35:12 on the first-half clock for a 1-0 advantage at Alumni Stadium at Jackson High School. 

That was the lone goal of the opening half, as Alexander held a one-goal advantage at halftime, but that wasn’t the end of the action in the first 40 minutes played with both teams having shots on goal. The two SE District champions battled strong with MHS just off on a shot at the 29:45 mark, and later Alexander tried increasing their lead with 28:52 remaining in the first half. 

Both teams continued to pressure the other's defense, but both units continued to hold strong, including an outstanding leaping save by Alexander senior keeper Brooklyn Metts to keep the Lady Tigers trailing by a 1-0 score late in the first half. 

“It is a tough game, a game of momentum,” McClain head coach Blain Bergstrom said. “They (Alexander) get one early on us, and then we kind of settled in. I told them the first 10 minutes are key to every half, and they got one early on us. We settled in, got our chances and just didn’t capitalize in the first half, but we felt like there were some opportunities to take advantage of in the second half.”

McClain scored early in the second half, evening the score at 1-1, as junior Larah Henson put the ball into the back of the net with 38:28 left in regulation with the assist from Mylie Lovett. 

As quickly the momentum shifted to the Lady Tigers’ side by tying the score, Alexander grabbed that momentum right back to their favor when senior Arbor Albano took back the lead for the Lady Spartans with a goal near the net with 37:47 on the clock, 45 seconds later, for a 2-1 Alexander advantage. 

“We talked to the girls at halftime, and sure enough we came out quick, got a quick corner kick, and Larah fought her way through there and did a nice job of getting the ball to the back of the net,” Bergstrom said. “The thing is you've got momentum on your side, you’ve got to keep that, and we didn’t do a very good job of that. 

“We gave up a ball midfield, bad foul, and sure enough we didn’t step when we should have in the back and they came back with a quick goal right after us. In the game of soccer, it is a game of momentum a lot, and we didn’t capitalize on our goal by keeping them out of that.”

With the momentum shift back to Alexander, both teams amped things up as the two teams battled tough on Holzer Field at Alumni Stadium, and the physical play was allowed to keep going until the final buzzer sounded on the regional matchup. 

That said, the two defenses continued to keep any more goals from being scored, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort by either team, as the MHS defense stepped up with a huge stop at the 23:51 mark off a corner kick by Alexander. 

At around the 15:20 mark, McClain had another chance to tie the score when a shot was stopped, and the score stayed 2-1 with a big save by McClain keeper senior Leah Lovett with 6:29 on the clock. 

Though time finally expired as MHS had the ball in Alexander territory a couple more times, the season built by the Lady Tigers in ’25 became the new standard set for the future of the program. 

To win the district championship, Alexander also defeated McClain’s FAC counterpart (and Highland County rival) Hillsboro by a 2-1 score. During the regular season, the Lady Spartans played another Highland County school, defeating Fairfield (also winners of a district championship in Division V) by a 5-0 score on Sept. 27. 

En route to their regional semifinal berth, the Lady Tigers had tournament wins against Fairland (2-0) and Wheelersburg (2-1). 

In their 8-0-2 FAC championship season, MHS won and tied with the following scores: Chillicothe (6-0), Washington (8-0), Jackson (3-2), Miami Trace (1-1), Hillsboro (4-0), Chillicothe (5-0), Washington (5-0), Jackson (1-1), Miami Trace (4-1) and Hillsboro (4-3). 

McClain’ non-conference regular season wins were against: Logan Elm (7-0), Zane Trace (6-1), Peebles (5-2), Circleville (5-1) and Eastern Brown (3-2). 

“The senior class record compiled over the last four years is by far the best we’ve had, and every year over the past three years the overall record has gotten better,” Bergstrom said. “When they were sophomores they were better, the team last year won 12 games, and this year we had 15 wins, and compiled over four years it is the best span of wins over a four-year period for any senior class.

“They keep setting the bar higher. We won a district title, and that’s never happened (in soccer) in school history, and this is the team (Alexander) that got us last year in the district semis, so two years in a row Alexander has had our number. They are well-coached and a good team. Our girls played hard, but we just didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we had.”

The Lady Tigers have nine seniors on their ’25 roster, and those players are Karlee McGlone, Lydia Mootispaw, Mylie Lovett, Becca Bergstrom, Abigail Marsh, Addison Olaker, Brie Cummins, Bailey Parson and Leah Lovett.

“They are a good group, and some of them I’ve coached not just in soccer, but basketball, and coached them in multiple sports. There was a core of them that came back, and we added a couple more that one transferred in and two came out for their senior years,” Bergstrom said.  “My goalie Leah, and my left back Brie, they are great athletes, and they came out and played this year. 

“The rest of the seniors, we have Bailey Parson who is dominant in the back, has played four years starting there and has just been a key. Abigail to the right side has been solid for three years as a starter. Addison Olaker has played at top for multiple years, Karlee McGlone had played on the left wing most of the times and played multiple positions. 

“Mylie Lovett was a strong midfielder and did a lot of great things for us all season. Lydia Mootispaw transferred in and was a winger that helped out during the beginning of the season with five goals. 

“All of these girls have been very key to the success. Of course, I can’t forget my daughter (Becca), it is just hard to say.”