Pleasant Plains Girls Soccer Team Advances to Title Match After Dominant Semifinal Win

The Pleasant Plains girls soccer squad showcased their prowess on Thursday, overwhelming Johnsburg with a 5-1 victory in the Illinois High School Association Class 1A state semifinals held at North Central College in Naperville. The Cardinals' impressive record now stands at 26-0-2 as they prepare to face Glen Carbon Father McGivney in the championship match set for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Griffins advanced after a decisive 4-0 win over Elmhurst Timothy Christian in the other semifinal.

The scoring onslaught began early for Pleasant Plains when Callie Wagner netted the first goal just three minutes into the game, converting a cross from teammate Bailey Leach from approximately 12 yards out. The Cardinals continued to apply pressure, particularly in the final moments of the first half, where Leach scored twice. Her first came in the 31st minute, following a header from Caroline Willenborg on a corner taken by Willa Ozyurt. Leach then added another goal through a header in the 35th minute, thanks to a crossing assist from Aurora Fraase, extending the lead to 3-0.

With just under three minutes remaining in the half, Willenborg scored the fourth goal after receiving a pass from Grace Sabatka, and Sabatka capped off the first half with a goal of her own just 47 seconds later, assisted by Carly Crawford. The lone goal for the Skyhawks came in the 73rd minute from Charlie Eastland. Leach made a significant impact, taking four shots on goal and converting half of them into scores.

This marks Pleasant Plains' third appearance in the state semifinals, with hopes of capturing their first championship title. Their previous attempts saw them finishing fourth in 2009 and securing a third-place finish after a loss in the semifinals in 2023.