Inside Preps: Loss Shouldn't Tarnish Great Season

Sun. February 12, 2012 at 6:27 a.m. | By Solange Reyner

The better team didn't win on Saturday.

That might sound like sour grapes coming from a Lakeland-based beat reporter, but I'm pretty certain most watching the Class 4A state final game on Saturday in Tampa between Lakeland's George Jenkins and Cape Coral's Ida Baker would say the same thing.

But sometimes a fairy tale finish isn't meant to be. It happens in life. It happens in sports.

And you have to respect that.

"I'm happy for them," Jenkins senior Ashley Lopez said. "I'm glad they get a ring. They were a good team."

Good, yes. But Jenkins was just off on Saturday.

Was it the wind? Maybe. Nerves? Probably not.

Just lots of missed opportunities.

Still, the end result doesn't take away from a great season for the Eagles.

It also doesn't take away from the job first-year head coach Marissa Kazbour did with this squad, especially during a trying time for the school.

Kazbour came in with high hopes and high expectations and the team didn't crumble under her watch.

There could have been a misstep somewhere considering how comfortable this team was playing under previous coach Joe Lenard, who led the team to two state appearances and one state title during his tenure, but the Eagles stayed on track en route to a No.3 national ranking from ESPN, a top ranking in the state and an undefeated record heading into the championship game.

Lenard's contract wasn't renewed before the start of the season because of his affiliation with a club team that could have affected Florida High School Athletic Association rules about transfers.

His departure opened the door for Kazbour, who came in with a can-do attitude and helped polish what was already there. She also kept the team focused.

But a big part of the run to states was a senior-laden team that wanted to get there, and win it, so bad.

There were six from the 2009 team that made it there but failed to capture a title: Kacy Scarpa, Tori Abnathy, Emily Rice, Christine Knudstrup, Linsi Anderson and Bri Vidal. Lopez, a senior, too, was also key in a leadership role this season.

Two of those players, Scarpa and Abnathy, are heading to major Division I colleges to play soccer. Both signed with Florida State University this past week.

There's plenty to look forward to as well, especially with the return of Jessie Scarpa, a sophomore midfielder who was a big part of why the team got this far to begin with.

Scarpa, who is on the U-16 Olympic Development team, is already a player to watch, both in the state and nationally.

So sure, this team will go down as the one that couldn't win the big one.

And there are sour moods and sour feelings about it all. I'm sure there will be for some time.

But there's nothing they should hold their heads down about. They played their hearts out.

"There's not much more you could ask for," Kazbour said.

[Solange Reyner may be reached at solange.reyner@theledger.com or 863-802-7526.]