CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – It’s been a climb up the mountain over the last four years for Kirkwood girls soccer and head coach Kelley Guth. On Tuesday night, the Cobras downed Northeast 14-0 to cap off an undefeated district record and secure the school’s first regular-season District 13-3A title.
They’ve come a long way in four years. The Cobras didn’t win a district matchup during the program’s inaugural season.
“It’s really exciting for our girls and, of course, the program in general. It’s been a long road in a short period of time. We’ve come a long way, and I’m super proud of the progress we’ve made,” Guth told Clarksville Now.
“It’s a new school, and we’re always striving to improve and grow and get better. I think we’ve shown that progress, and it’s great to finally see that result come in the district.”
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It’s the first time in more than a decade that neither Rossview nor Clarksville High has won the district title. Kirkwood picked up its first win over the Wildcats with a 2-1 victory on Sept. 10, then followed it up with a 4-3 win over the Hawks on Sept. 15.
Guth and her team have taken pride in knocking off two of the district’s historical powerhouses. “Obviously, they’re historically the stronger programs in the district and in the region. We have a really strong district, so it’s a battle. I just think there’s a lot of respect there for what they’ve done,” she said.
Shires leads the way
One of the reasons Kirkwood has been able to knock off teams of that caliber has been the superb play of junior Ellie Shires. She’s averaging a goal per game with 11 goals on the season to go along with seven assists.
For Shires, the district title was the culmination of three years of work. “I think it feels great to finally win after three years. We’ve worked so hard since freshman year. I think the change that we’ve made from freshman year to my junior year now has been incredible, and I think that we’re definitely becoming that team and earning respect from other teams.”
With the program’s first regular-season district title out of the way, the Cobras now have their eyes set on more: bringing home tournament gold.
“We’re now kind of in that preparation mode for postseason play,” Guth said. “Our eyes are on the prize. We want to win a district tournament title, and we won’t be satisfied unless we come home with it.”
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