Girls earn six all-league selections

Six Lady Outlaws soccer players earned all-league honors, including Olivia Hougham, Hallie Schwartz, Hollie Lewis, Emma Lutz, Analise Backus, and Sage Wyland.

Seniors Hougham and Schwartz were both second-team all-league picks.

Hougham was honored at center midfield. She scored two goals and tallied two assists during league play.

Coach Brian Holden said, “Olivia is reliable on her hard work. She has a motor that never quits, and she never gets tired. She’s a good passer and can control the ball very well while she’s dribbling.”

Hallie, also recognized at center-mid, scored four goals and recorded two assists. She was the heart of the Outlaws squad, and played every minute of every game. Holden noted that Hallie is strong on the ball, distributes the ball well, and is a leader on and off the field.

Sophomores Lewis and Lutz, and freshmen Backus and Wyland all earned honorable-mention recognition.

Hollie was honored at forward and led the team with six goals, and also tallied two assists. Holden stated that Hollie’s speed, confidence, creativity, and quick feet were key in the goals she scored. She’s also a hard worker with a no-quit attitude.

Emma was also an honorable-mention forward, who scored two goals and tallied two assists in the first half of the season. She missed the second half due to a concussion and a broken arm. Holden told The Nugget that Emma is very coachable, has a passion for the game, and he’s very excited for next year to see what Emma can do when she puts in a full season.

Freshmen Backus and Wyland were center-back defender selections, and round out the all-league picks.

Holden shared that Backus is the most intelligent player on the field. Unfortunately, the Outlaws lost Analise toward the end of the season due to knee surgery, but have high hopes she’ll be back at full strength next year.

“Analise is a patient defender with strength and speed, and distributes out of the back to her team with accuracy,” said Holden.

Of Wyland, Holden said, “Sage is quick, relentless, and a very balanced player. She gained a lot of confidence finishing the season without Analise, and really took on a leadership role.”

Holden shared with The Nugget that in all his years of coaching he’s never coached a team as special as this one.

“I’ve coached boys and girls, middle school and high school, select competitive teams, and players with a ton of talent, but I’ve never been a part of a team like this before. This team is special. What they’ve built within the leadership of the seniors is positive, team, and family. They look out for each other and work hard for each other on and off the field. I’m glad I was a part of it and continuing with a positive, caring team environment will be important as we move forward.”