New coach, new attitude for Highlands girls soccer team

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 23, 2018 | 11:33 PM

Once first-year Highlands girls soccer coach Jenna Plummer got the word she was hired as the Rams’ third coach in the last three seasons, she figured she would sneak on over to a players-only practice to check out her new team.

Plummer didn’t exactly peer through the fence, wearing a trench coach, sunglasses and fedora. Instead, she and her assistant stayed in the car and observed.

“I was sitting in my car, and they all arrived 15 minutes early, (Vince) Lombardi time, which I was happy about,” said Plummer, who was a standout at Penn Hills before playing at West Virginia Wesleyan. “They went on a run, and coach Bethany (Smith) and I got in her car and we followed them around. I timed their run from the time they left until they got back and it was seven minutes (long), and they were struggling.

“I got out and introduced myself and I said, ‘Do you guys know how long you ran?’ and I heard ‘20 minutes.’ I told them, ‘You guys ran for 7.5 minutes, and you stopped twice.’ I knew fitness was going to be a big thing too with them.”

That’s when the program — two years removed from a WPIAL Class AA semifinal appearance and looking for a new direction — found its magnetic north. Spend any length of time at practice, and it is evident the Rams (1-13-2, 1-9-2) don’t have the look of a team coming off a one-win season.

“Our mindset is in a much better place,” senior goalkeeper Samantha Gildner said. “Last year, it was like, ‘Let’s go play,’ (and) this has turned into a much more serious (team).”

So serious that Plummer cancelled her plans to attend Wesleyan’s homecoming festivities, which are scheduled for the first weekend of the WPIAL soccer playoffs.

“We’re planning on being in playoff contention. That is our mindset, and that is was what we’re looking forward to,” Plummer said. “I told them I had plans for that weekend that playoffs are going to be happening. I canceled them already.”

Plummer and her Rams have every reason to be optimistic. The bulk of the Rams returning this season were part of that 2016 semifinal team and feel the 2018 Rams can make a run.

“The one thing I learned from (Plummer) is enthusiasm. … Every individual person wants a taste of success, but the greatest success that we can get is as a team,” senior defender Larkin Richards said. “We’re rising back up to where we want to be.”

“Rise” is the buzzword this year. “Rise” to the competition, “rise” to hit potential and “rise” to the challenge.

“Last year, we were all at some point blaming each other,” Gildner said. “Coach Jenna has really brought a positive attitude, and it’s rubbed off on all of us.”

The Rams have the potential to shake up the Section 2-AA standings. Highlands returns last year’s leading scorer in senior midfielder Jaci Bowser (11) and assists leader in junior midfielder Ariana Kovach (15).

“We definitely have leaders and quality girls at every level, and we definitely have a core middle and defense of very strong girls,” Plummer said.

Plummer also expects good things out of junior forward Hailey Hiester.

“I anticipate (Bowser) and (Hiester) being our top goal scorers this year,” Plummer said.

Gildner, who is receiving some college interest, has been working out on her own and with a personal trainer during the offseason.

“(Gildner’s) a force to be reckoned with,” Plummer said. “I would not want to face her if I was on the other team.”

Plummer said she doesn’t know much about the teams in the Rams section. She’s more focused on her team. After the WPIAL’s reshuffling this past winter, Highlands remained in Section 2-AA. With the exception of East Allegheny, Highlands’ section rivals are up and down the Alle-Kiski Valley in Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport and Valley.

The Rams open the Plummer era when they take on Ambridge and then Quaker Valley at the Ambridge Tournament. Highlands opens section play at home against rival Freeport on Sept. 5.

“We had a serious talk as a team, and we decided that we’re not going to focus at all on what happened last year,” Plummer said. “This is whole new team and a whole new attitude they came in with. They’ve risen to every single task that we put in front of them.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

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