By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
From the very first day of practice this spring Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel believed that this was a Junior Blue team that could make a Class 6A title run.
And on Saturday's final day of the 2025 season, the Junior Blues will have that opportunty, facing Mill Valley in the 4:30 title game at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex.
Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel celebrates with his Junior Blues after Wednesday's 4-1 Class 6A semifinal win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural, which will be shooting for the first girls state soccer championship in school history, advanced to the championship game with a 4-1 win over Blue Valley Wednesday night at McElroy Field, with the Junior Blues pulling away with three second-half goals.
"The goal was to play a semifinal here because we felt like the girls would perform at their best and it took us awhile but in the second half you saw it on full display,'' Hensyel said.
"To get to the final, that was our goal all year. We've been to the final before. We're not satisfied, we want to win Saturday.''
Rural improved to 18-2-0 with its 11th straight victory as senior stars Kate Hinck and Zahra Friess scored two goals apiece.
"I feel like at the beginning of the season our chemistry just took off and from then to where we are right now I think we're better than any team in Kansas right now,'' Hinck said.
Friess transferred to Washburn Rural this season after helping lead Cair Paravel Latin to a runnerup finish in 4A-1A last spring and is thrilled to get an opportunity to play in her second straight state final.
"I'm super thankful and this is my first time playing with this team so it's been a bit of an adaptation, but it's a great group of girls and they are all wanting to work together and wanting to win so that's what's really helped the drive for us,'' Friess said.
Washburn Rural jumped on top 1-0 with 26:11 left in the opening half on a goal from Hinck, but Blue Valley answered 1:22 later on a goal from freshman Francesca Vore.
The Tigers suffered a major setback at the 20:46 mark when a Blue Valley player receceived a red card, leaving the visitors a player down the rest of the way, but Washburn Rural was unable to take advantage the remainder of the half and the game remained tied.
Washburn Rural senior Kate Hinck, the leading scorer in school history, puts in her second goal of the night in Wednesday's 4-1 Class 6A semifinal win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Zahra Friess (middle) celebrates a goal with her teammates in Wednesday's 4-1 Class 6A semifinal win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hinck broke the tie 2:17 into the second half and the Junior Blues dominated the game from that point on, with Friess scoring goals at the 27:02 mark and with 8:08 remaining to account for the final three-goal margin.
Friess and Hinck were also credited with assists, as was Rural sophomore Emery Hall.
Mill Valley (17-2-10) advanced to the state championship game with a 4-0 win over Maize.
WASHBURN RURAL 4, BLUE VALLEY 1
Blue Valley (11-9-0) 1 0 -- 1
Washburn Rural (18-2-0) 1 3 -- 4
Blue Valley -- Goal: Francesca Vore.
Washburn Rural -- Goals: Kate Hinck 2, Zahra Friess 2. Assists: Zahra Friess, Kate Hinck, Emery Hall.
