2026 Highland County Girls Soccer Preview
The 2026 girls soccer season for Highland County is set to start this week, as a new fall sports year has arrived.
The Hillsboro Lady Indians and McClain Lady Tigers will be competing in the Frontier Athletic Conference (FAC), while the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs and Fairfield Lady Lions will compete in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC).
Below are previews on the four Highland County varsity girls soccer teams for the ’26 season.
HILLSBORO INDIANS
Head Coach: Leslie Molen
Conference: Frontier Athletic Conference
2025 FAC Record: 5-5-0
2025 Overall Record: 10-9-1
The Hillsboro Lady Indians have a familiar face back at the helm of their girls soccer program for the upcoming season with Leslie Molen named the new head coach for the ’26 Lady Indians, a position she once held over a decade ago with successful teams.
Molen takes over for Amanda Miller, who coached the Lady Indians team for the past six seasons (2020-25). Molen — who previously coached the HHS girls team from 2004-13 — enters the ’26 season with a roster that consists of five seniors, four juniors, six sophomores and two freshmen.
Last season, Hillsboro was 10-9-1 overall with a Frontier Athletic Conference record of 5-5-0.
Seniors for Hillsboro are Phoebe Holland, Madi Karnes, Arianna Evans, Riley Mee, and Esther Brandyberry. Brandyberry collected one assist in ’25. Evans — an All-FAC honorable mention selection last season — had nine goals and 16 assists. At keeper in ’25, Holland led the Lady Indians with 77 saves in 20 matches.
The junior class for HHS includes Grace Palmer, Ella Jordan, Piper Wilkin and Morgan Kelch. Palmer finished last season with three goals, while teammate Wilkin had three goals and two assists. Jordan in ’25 finished the season with 12 goals and 10 assists. Karnes had two goals in ’25.
Sophomores are Quinn Swope, Cathleen Smart, Ellie Brandyberry, Blair Gard, Emarey Schurman and Parker Wilkin. Hillsboro’s freshmen are Mati Vaughn and Harper Couser. Gard last season had seven saves and an assist for the Lady Indians. Parker Wilkin collected two assists in ’25, while Shope scored a goal.
HHS graduated four seniors from last season who combined for 43 goals and 11 assists, including All-FAC selection Kobie Miles, who led HHS in ’25 with 35 goals, as HHS as a team in ’25 scored 73 goals. Also graduated from HHS was All-FAC first-team selection Meredith Dietrick.
The non-conference schedule for Hillsboro consists of matches against Peebles, Fairfield, Western Brown, North Adams, Eastern, Lynchburg-Clay and Wilmington. The FAC schedule will have two games each against McClain, Washington, Miami Trace, Jackson and Chillicothe.
Hillsboro begins the 2026 season on Friday, Aug. 14 at home against non-conference opponent, the Peebles Lady Indians at 7 p.m.
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MCCLAIN TIGERS
Head Coach: Blain Bergstrom
Conference: Frontier Athletic Conference
2025 FAC Record: 8-0-2
2025 Overall Record: 15-3-2
The McClain Lady Tigers begin the 2026 season after winning a district championship a year ago, and with Blain Bergstrom back as their head coach, he and his Lady Tiger team will continue to have lofty goals while playing in the Frontier Athletic Conference and the Southeast District.
McClain were the FAC champions in ’25 with a conference record of 8-0-2, and they finished 15-3-2 overall as they went 2-1 in the postseason with district victories over Fairland and Wheelersburg to become district champions. MHS lost in the regional semifinals in a close game against Alexander by a 2-1 score. The two ties by the Lady Tigers last season were against Miami Trace (1-1) and Jackson (1-1).
In their pursuit of being FAC champions, MHS scored 41 goals in eight conference games, while allowing nine goals against conference opponents, including five shutouts.
McClain for the ’26 season has eight seniors, five sophomores and five freshmen. MHS has no juniors on the varsity roster.
Seniors for the Lady Tigers are Izzie Carter, Larah Henson, Kay Hughes, Paisley Pryor, Laura Stevenson, Ana Lugo, Allie Burgess and Baylee Hickok.
The Lady Tigers last season were led in goals by All-FAC first-team member Pryor, who will be a senior this season. Pryor totaled 28 goals and also had eight assists. Also back is Henson, who is also a senior this season. During her junior year of ’25, Henson had 11 goals and eight assists. MHS also had Burgess finish with an assist last season, while teammate Hickok scored a goal.
The sophomores are Kalliegh Freeze, Lexi Crabtree, Aubri Scott, Kayleigh Scott and Dashawna Cassell. The freshmen new to the program include Mia Wagner, Sydnee Walker, Lyndi Cockerill, Gracelynn Ross and Ellen Cullom.
Aubri Scott scored two goals last season and also collected an assist. Kayleigh Scott finished the ’25 season with one goal and one assist.
MHS graduated nine seniors from the ’25 district champion team, including keeper All-FAC honorable mention selection Leah Lovett, who had 89 saves last season.
Also graduated is All-FAC first-team selection Addison Olaker, who scored 15 goals and had 12 assists in ’25, and All-FAC first-team selections Becca Bergstrom and Bailey Parson. In all, McClain’s seniors a season ago totaled 30 goals and 33 assists.
The Lady Tigers will face Hillsboro, Chillicothe, Jackson, Miami Trace and Washington in two FAC games each this season.
McClain’s non-conference schedule includes matches against Unioto, Logan Elm, Zane Trace, Fairfield, Peebles, Eastern and Circleville.
MHS begins their ’26 regular season on Friday, Aug. 14 at home against the Unioto Lady Shermans at 7 p.m.
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LYNCHBURG-CLAY
Head Coach: Dennis West
Conference: Southern Hills Athletic Conference
2025 SHAC Record: 3-2-1
2025 Overall Record: 7-9-2
The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs want to get back to the top of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference following a season where they saw their 100-plus non-loss streak (win/tied scores) come to a close, resulting in a rare season where LCHS wasn’t at the top of the standings.
That was last season, and for the upcoming 2026 season the Lady Mustangs — who were district runners-up — have five seniors, three juniors, 11 sophomores and six freshmen.
LCHS lost five seniors from the ’25 season due to graduation, including All-SHAC and All-Ohio selection Caitlyn Collins, as she had 145 saves her senior season..
The ’26 roster for LCHS consists of seniors Baylee McClain, Savannah Bell, Caraline West, Addie Cordrey and Willow Smith. Juniors this season are Lizzie Hall, Lily Ferguson and Lily Lane.
Bell in ’25 finished with nine points (four goals, one assist), West had eight points (three goals, two assists), Cordrey totaled one assist and Smith finished with three points (one goal, one assist) in ’25. Hall ended last season with three points (one goal, one assist), Ferguson — an All-SHAC selection — totaled 22 points (10 goals, two assists) and Lane — also an All-SHAC selection — had six points (two goals, two assists) in ’25.
The 11-player sophomore class includes Brystal McClain, Everleigh Barry, Scarlett McElwee, Kinsley Fulks, Riley Markey, Riley Patrick, Gabby Grabill, Carlee Schoultheis, Kylie Tong, Kendra Doss and Shaylin Mozingo. Barry in ’25 had one assist, while McElwee had one goal.
Lynchburg-Clay’s six freshmen are Charlee Rusch, Lillian West, Addi Haygood, Shelby Markey, Lacey Warner and Josie Cordrey.
The Lady Mustangs will face conference (SHAC) opponents Ripley, Fayetteville, Eastern, Peebles, Fairfield and North Adams with seven girls teams competing for the ’26 season in the SHAC.
Lynchburg-Clay’s non-conference opponents are Minford, Western Brown, Unioto, Clinton-Massie, Georgetown, Hillsboro, Blanchester, Westfall, Wilmington, Valley and Williamsburg.
LCHS starts the ’26 season on Saturday, Aug. 15 at home against the Minford Lady Falcons at 11 a.m. at Lynchburg-Clay High School.
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FAIRFIELD
Head Coach: Jacob Alexander
Conference: Southern Hills Athletic Conference
2025 SHAC Record: 5-0-1
2025 Overall Record: 13-7-0
The 2026 Fairfield Lady Lions are returning to the soccer field following a ’25 season where they won their second district championship in program history and played in the regional semifinals.
A majority of the Lady Lions return to the ’26 team as they look to continue their streak of success with a roster that has eight seniors, six sophomores and three freshmen.
Fairfield graduated six seniors — including All-SHAC selection Ava Hooper — from the ’25 district champion team who combined for 22 goals and 14 assists.
Seniors for the Lady Lions are Meri Jackson, Miley Brown, Emerson Zink, Kaylee Hurless-Miller, Landry Teeters, Vivian Henninger, Isabelle Hale and Whitlee Morrow.
Henninger — the ’25 All-SHAC Soccer Co-Athlete of the Year and an All-Ohio selection — returns for her senior season following a ’25 year where she totaled 69 points with 31 goals and seven assists.
Jackson last season finished with 95 saves at keeper for the Lady Lions as she was also an All-SHAC selection. Zink in ’25 totaled three goals and eight assists. Morrow had one assist last season. Also back is All-SHAC selection Teeters.
There are no juniors on the roster. Sophomores for FHS include Kaylynn Ault, Ruby Henninger, Landyn Hodson, Brya Fauber, Cameron VanDyke and Jaylin Allgood. Ruby Henninger finished with one assist in ’25, while teammate Hodson had two goals and one assist. Fauber last season totaled four goals and three assists a season ago. VanDyke had one goal a season ago, and Allgood collected an assist.
The freshmen for Fairfield are Daphne Zink, Oakley Purvis and Addison Tolle.
The Lady Lions will face conference (SHAC) opponents Ripley, Fayetteville, Eastern, Peebles, Lynchburg-Clay and North Adams with seven girls teams competing for the ’26 season in the SHAC.
Fairfield’s non-conference opponents for ’26 are Clinton-Massie, Hillsboro, Bethel-Tate, Piketon, Clermont Northeastern, Unioto, Alexander, Wheelersburg and Miami Trace.
The Lady Lions open the ’26 season on Friday, Aug. 14 on the road against the Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons in non-conference action at 5 p.m.