Baylor loaded for 2010

A Baylor girls' soccer team that graduated nine starters found itself an offside penalty away from overtime against St. Agnes in the Division II-AA state championship game Friday. It turned out to be Baylor's only defeat in a remarkable season.

Of the 15 Lady Red Raiders who played Friday, 10 were either freshmen or sophomores. Four were juniors.

"We're such a young team," sophomore Peyton Thomas said. "We got this far with mainly sophomores. We worked hard this year, but I think we can work harder and develop some of the freshmen and rising freshmen."

"No one expected us to get here," classmate Mary Ellen Williams said. "Next year we want to take the next step. Our expectations are pretty high. We want to make it at least this far."

The next step is a state championship, a title Baylor hasn't had since 2004. The only senior is center midfielder Carissa Sanchez, so expectations will be soaring for next season's squad.

"Of course we can replace (Carissa), but it's going to be hard," Thomas said. "She's the best at that position; she's great."

Neither player was happy about the offside call against Thomas' twin, McKenzie, the team's leading scorer.

"When I saw her make that goal," Williams said, "I knew we had a chance."

Said Peyton Thomas: "I didn't think she was offsides. I disagree with that completely. I look at that game as 1-1, but we lost the state championship game by one goal and that was our only loss of the season."