Ava Meyer, Hayden Francisco score twice apiece as Coal City tops Beecher for regional title

MANTENO – Coal City midfielder Ava Meyer fondly recalls the front-row view she had the last time the Coalers won a girls soccer regional championship in 2023.

“When we won regionals two years ago, I was just watching on the bench because I was a sophomore,” Meyer said. “I was just impressed and looked up to the seniors. I just wanted to get here.”

As the Coalers claimed another plaque in the IHSA Class 1A Manteno Regional championship against Beecher on Tuesday, Meyer – now a senior – didn’t just watch the Coalers get back there.

She played a major role.

Meyer had a pair of first-half goals amidst a pair of weather delays, with Hayden Francisco adding two more early in the second half to give the Coalers (15-4-1) their second regional title in three years and fourth in school history over the same Beecher (13-13) squad that defeated them in sudden-death penalty kicks in last year’s championship round.

“Before this year I never really scored many goals, and this year I’ve got it,” Meyer said. “I’ve improved a lot. I can tell my coaches are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself, because I didn’t think I could do this.”

Meyer may have had her own doubts before this year, but head coach Todd Painter has known that the girl who’s grown into part of the program’s senior core had the drive to become what she’s become.

“She’s such a student – she’s a great student in school and a great student of the game," Painter said. “She listens, she’s so coachable, and she’s just a wonderful kid who takes everything we have to say. She never pushes back, never hear a ‘but’ out of her mouth, she just does it, fixes it and practices it.”

Meyer’s first goal came sandwiched between the two weather delays that came eight and 25 minutes in, adding another not long after the second delay ended. After the halftime break, Francisco wasted little time by tickling the twine three and nine minutes into the second half.

Francisco, who said she’d not been playing well as of late, picked the best time to come out of a self-admitted funk.

“Coming back in a regional game felt really good, and my spirit’s up now. ...” Francisco said. “I don’t even know [I broke out]. I just thought about discipline and kept it in my head to not give up.”

While players like Francisco, a junior, and Faith Horkavy, a freshman midfielder who tallied an assist, rose to the occasion Tuesday as just two of several talented young playmakers, there’s no doubt the Coalers earned their title primarily on the backs of their six-deep senior core.

In addition to Meyer’s goals, forward Kylee Kennell had an assist and was joined up front by Anayi Mayorga in the Coalers’ high-pressure attack. Corinna Barkley is the leader of a defensive backline that was stout in front of goalkeeper Chloe Plueger, who tallied a nine-save shutout.

With a roster of just 13, Painter’s relied all season on his senior six-pack to stay durable and on the field, something they all did Tuesday in a physically taxing affair. And that showing perfectly exemplified that group for him.

“For them to do this in that scenario just blows my mind,” Painter said. “ ‘Grit’ is the right word. They have grit, and they came to fight and win.”

For Kennell, one of two captains alongside Barkley, the seniors aren’t standouts from the rest of the team in that regard either.

“I’ve got a great team this year that just worked their butts off to get a regional title,” Kennell said. “Not just the seniors wanted it; everyone wanted it on the team. It felt great to get rewarded for all the hard work we’ve done throughout the season.”

The Coalers will return home to take on Chicago University (6-6-1) in the Coal City Sectional semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday.