Redmond holds top spot in IMC girls soccer tournament
Published 9:15 pm Tuesday, April 6, 2021
- Redmond’s Dagne Harris (13) boots the ball downfield during a girls soccer match against Ridgeview last month.
REDMOND —
When Ridgeview and Redmond square off on the soccer field for the third time in less than a month on Wednesday night, the matchup will feature unfamiliar roles and a heightened importance.
In years past Ridgeview has been the favorite over its crosstown rival in girls soccer.
This year the Ravens are playing the role of the underdogs, taking on a Redmond team enjoying its best season in years as both teams put their seasons on the line.
“We knew that we were going to be successful,” said Redmond coach Martha Segura. “We had goals set and this was our hope, and it is very exciting to be standing here right now knowing that we have accomplished all the goals that we have set thus far.”
The Class 5A Intermountain Conference is using the culminating week to host a conference tournament in lieu of a traditional statewide tournament, which was canceled this spring due to COVID-19. Redmond holds the IMC’s top seed — certainly an unfamiliar spot for the Panthers. The Redmond-Ridgeview winner plays the winner of Hood River Valley and The Dalles in the IMC championship match on Friday.
For years, Redmond resided in the basement of the IMC standings. From 2013 through 2017, Redmond did not win a conference match, losing 39 of the team’s 40 IMC games and 55 of the total 68 matches.
“Starting as a freshman, we were playing with the Bend schools and it was pretty defeating trying to play those huge schools with our low numbers,” said senior defender Rory Eldridge. “I think each year we progressed in some way, making some minor accomplishments to get to where we are now.”
After the 2017 season, the Oregon School Activities Association reclassified schools, causing a drastic shift to the IMC. Bend High, Mountain View and Summit moved up from Class 5A to 6A, leaving the conference.
Crook County, Pendleton, The Dalles and Hood River Valley joined Redmond and Ridgeview in the new-look IMC.
The Panthers took steps early on, even if they were small at the beginning. The team won its first league game in 2018 and recorded three draws. In 2019 Redmond was a win away from finishing with a .500 overall and conference record.
Now the Panthers (3-0-2 IMC, 6-1-2 overall) are standing atop the IMC standings, having not lost a match since their opener against Bend High. They also broke a nine-year losing streak to rival Ridgeview (2-1-2, 3-5-2) — a team Redmond had not beaten since Ridgeview opened in 2012 and was outscored 16-0 by in two games a year ago.
The Panthers defeated the Ravens 2-1 on March 16 and the teams tied 1-1 on March 23.
“As the years have gone on we have progressed really well,” said senior defender Bella Burgess. “It has been a great way to finish off the high school years for me.”
The growth of the program could be seen in the coaching staff. When Segura took over five years ago, it was just her and assistant Gayle Tompkins on the staff. That two-person staff has swelled to five, allowing for more focused practices.
This year’s Redmond squad is a blend of experience and youth. The team includes nine seniors, six juniors and no sophomores. The rest of the team is what Segura called a “strong freshman class.”
As freshman like Jillian Bremont (six goals) and Charrisse Wedding (five goals) have injected some offense to go along with top scorer and junior Dagne Harris (12 goals), the Panthers have scored more goals in nine games than they have in six of the past seven seasons. Now, the Panthers will try to continue a season that just a few short years ago seemed unattainable.
“The seniors have seen it all, from losing 11-0 against Summit to now beating Ridgeview,” Segura said. “They have that experience and they have helped the freshmen join us. It has been exciting to see that culture develop the past couple of weeks.”