By Ted Waddell
FLORIDA — October 31, 2003 – It sure didn’t look like Kansas anymore.
As rains lashed the soccer field at S.S. Seward High School on Monday afternoon, all the Section IX Class D semifinal soccer match between the third-seeded Eldred Lady Yellowjackets and the second-seeded Chapel Field Lady Lions needed was a girl named Dorothy, a cute little terrier and a twister or two coming down out of the leaden skies over the cornfields to make the afternoon complete.
But the Lady Lions and Lady Yellowjackets played on in monsoon-like conditions to see who would advance to Wednesday’s Class D championship game against top-seeded S.S. Seward at Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh.
The match was decided by a single goal in the first half. Eldred’s Jenny Haas scored on an assist from Jamie Schombs at 30:36, thus propelling the Lady Yellowjackets into the finals with a 1-0 shutout victory.
“I said I was going to score this game, and I did,” a soaked Haas said following the win.
“It was awesome . . . it’s the best feeling in the world,” added the 17-year-old senior center halfback.
Asked to sum up the regular season with an eye to the Class D finals, Haas said, “We desired this so much. We’ve been trying for the past three or four years, and we finally advanced [in sectional competition].”
Jamie Schombs is a 15-year-old sophomore who plays right halfback for the Yellowjackets.
“It was crazy,” she said of setting up the game-winning shot for her teammate. “I was hoping she would get it in, and she pulled through.”
Eldred Coach Jolene Porter said of the win, “I think we just wanted it more than they did . . . we worked awful hard for it.”
“Once we got the goal, I told them to keep playing and maybe we’d come out on top,” she added.
Jamie Schombs’ sister, Alli, a junior goalie for the Lady Yellowjackets, made 24 saves in the contest.
Eldred is now 8-9 on the 2003 season. Chapel Field finished its season with a 11-6 won-lost record.
Note: As noted above, the Class D final was scheduled to be held Wednesday afternoon at Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh.
But Monday’s rainfall and the additional showers that fell on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning forced section officials to postpone the game. The championship contest between S.S. Seward and Eldred will be played at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Recreation Park in Newburgh.