La Conner girls’ soccer team re-tooled for new season

Calling the La Conner High School girls’ soccer team a work in progress is a compliment Lady Braves players and head coach Christian Warman accept with pride.

That’s because the retooled roster has taken a blue-collar, hard-working approach to preseason workouts. And the result, according to Warman, is steady progress made leading up to the team’s Sept. 16 conference opener at Coupeville.

“Preseason practices have been going fantastic,” Warman told the Weekly News Tuesday. “Our captains worked very hard in the off-season to keep this team together and create a positive team culture.”

The team is looking to rebound from a rebuilding campaign last spring in which a youthful Lady Braves lineup suffered a string of shutout defeats to more veteran NW2B programs, including 4-0 and 6-0 losses to Coupeville.

“After a very adverse season last year,” Warman said, “this squad has stuck together and become stronger and stronger.”

It’s a quick turnaround for La Conner and league rivals, who are returning to a traditional fall season after having played a spring schedule last school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Warman said the players couldn’t wait to get back to work.

“It’s an enthusiastic young group with lots of promise and a core group of incredibly hard-working upperclassmen setting the pace,” he said. “I expect us to be characterized by our blue-collar work ethic and tenacity.”

Leading the way is senior captain Delaney Cobbs, described by Warman as a superb athlete and fierce competitor.

“Delaney,” Warman stressed, “has also played an integral role in bringing these girls together as a team.”

La Conner is further bolstered by key returnees Karis Drake, Rachel Semrau and Kaliana Bill.

“They will be big factors, along with Delaney,” said Warman, “in inspiring this year’s youngsters and harnessing this new-found energy and cohesion that we struggled to find last season.”

Warman is equally excited about a talented group of underclassmen, including Lydia Grossglass and Bailey Smith, both of whom competed as eighth graders last season and who will be counted upon to be impact players this fall.

The season again offers a competitive conference slate.

“We get the privilege of playing some very high-level programs,” Warman said.

He singled out Mount Vernon Christian and Friday Harbor, the latter of whom sat out the modified season last spring due to a COVID-19 surge in the San Juan Islands.

“Mount Vernon Christian is playing at a high level and I expect Friday Harbor to return strong after missing last season,” said Warman. “It’s such a great opportunity to play against quality teams and step up our own game.”