For the 15th consecutive year, the girl’s First Region Championship has been a rematch of the Second District title game, this time between Marshall County and Graves County and for the second straight year and the 19th in program history, the Lady Marshals are the regional tournament champions in a 2-1 win over the Lady Eagles. Graves County finishes 2018 with a record of 18-3-1, all three losses coming from the Lady Marshals.
Graves County scored first on a penalty kick taken by their leading scorer, Madeline Byrd, 15 minutes into the first half. Five minutes later, the equalizer came off the foot of Lindy King on an assist from Kylee Crass and it remained a 1-1 tie at halftime. What turned out to be the game-winner was tapped in by Crass off a shot to the goal by King, six minutes into the second half.
In the final 10 minutes, Graves County had three direct kicks off of fouls, the first two saved by Carlen Whirley, the third high over the net and credit to the Lady Marshals defense, they continued to deny the Lady Eagles an easy route to a game-tying goal.
“I told them in the locker room, if they score first…don’t panick…we’ll be fine”, Coach Michael Boone said. “The girl’s just hung tough and we got the equalizer.”
Boone added, “Can’t say enough about the seniors, to go out with two in a row here and just happy for them and look forward to the game Monday.”
The Lady Marshals had eight shots, eight on goal and four corners while the Lady Eagles had 11 shots, seven on goal and one corner. Both keepers came up with six saves.
They will meet the winner of Thursday’s Second Region championship between University Heights and Henderson County Monday in the first round of the state playoffs.
First Region Player of the Year is Graves County’s Raychel Mathis. Seven Lady Marshals were selected to All-Region Teams.
| FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | HONORABLE MENTION |
| Elle Carson (Calloway) | Kirsten Houston (Calloway) | Kallie Garrison (Calloway) |
| Zoe Stom (Calloway) | Keeli Puckett (Calloway) | Anna Hill (Calloway) |
| Madeline Byrd (Graves) | Carly Arant (Graves) | Joza Mikulcik (Calloway) |
| Raychel Mathis (Graves) | Elli Carter (Graves) | Chaney Warren (Graves) |
| Sophia Bayer (Marshall) | Hannah Beth Elliott (Graves) | Kat Howard (Marshall) |
| Kylee Crass (Marshall) | Anna Whitaker (Graves) | Audrea Thomas (Mayfield) |
| Carmen Gunn (Marshall) | Tori Ford (Marshall) | Olivia Bogaczyk (McCracken) |
| Loralei Samson (Marshall) | Jasmine Perry (McCracken) | Katie Caruthers (McCracken) |
| Carlen Whirley (Marshall) | Angela Gierhart (Murray) | Allie Swift (McCracken) |
| Katelyn Operle (McCracken) | Kennedy Keller (Murray) | Allyson Carson (Murray) |
| Parker Greer (Murray) | Hannah Lawson (Murray) | Lily Vanover (Murray) |
| Kess Kelly (Murray) | Nautica Beasley (Tilghman) | Margaret Butts (St. Mary) |
