Great Bend High School girls’ head soccer coach Gus Prieto said that he expects his defense to be the best he’s had in the last four years.
Of course, that may have to wait a week or two into the season due to three returning players starting this year injured.
“The big thing we’ll have to deal with is injuries,” Prieto said. “We have three girls who injured their knee during practice. Two of the girls have been to therapy for it. Two of them should be ready to play a little on Monday, but I’m going to let them play a little bit and see if they’re at 100 percent.”
The Lady Panthers begin their season on Monday at the Wichita South Titans Classic. GBHS faces Wichita Southeast at 4 p.m.
Among the injured is senior center defender Sandra Hernandez.
“She’s been coming back slowly,” Prieto said. “She should be able to play on Monday. I think we’ll try to start her slow and see how she’s doing.”
Alejandra Molina is a junior midfielder who will also have to take it easy on Monday.
“She missed a week of practice,” Prieto said. “She started running here recently at practice and she’s been doing well. The doctor says she is good.”
The third girl out with a knee injury is Berenice Prieto, Gus Prieto’s daughter. Berenice is a senior midfielder who is one of three starting midfielders returning from last season’s team that went 5-10-2 and was removed from the Class 5A regional tournament 1-0 by Hays.
“She was injured in the second week of practice,” Gus Prieto said of his daughter. “She’s been in therapy the last two or three weeks. She’s started running in practice, but I don’t think she’s going to be ready on Monday. I think she’ll be back in the second or third week of the season.”
The Lady Panthers are returning another two senior midfielders in Christina Hernandez and Brandi Schneider.
Junior Summer Bates is the only returning forward that started for GBHS, and Stephanie Lomas, a senior goalkeeper, is also a returning starter.
“We have really good players,” Gus Prieto said. “We have a strong varsity team this year. We have what should be the best defense that we’ve had over the last four years. We have a lot of experience at midfield, but you never know. You can’t really know until you get the girls out there against other teams.”
GBHS will also be looking for production from forwards Judy Carrera, a senior, and Jessica Loera, a freshman.
Great Bend High School
Varsity/Junior Varsity Girls’ Soccer
2012 Lady Panthers
Alejandra Aguilera So.
Abigail Arias Jr.
Summer Bates Jr.
Judy Carrera Sr.
Daisy Delgadillo So.
Viridiana Dominguez Fr.
Manuela Espino So.
Karina Galvan Jr.
Ana Valeria Garcia Jr.
Maria Garcia Fr.
Laura Gonzalez Fr.
Michelle Gonzalez Fr.
Morgan Harwood So.
Christina Hernandez Sr.
Sandra Hernandez Sr.
Zaira Huitron So.
Elizabeth Ibarra Fr.
Cristina Jaquez So.
Jessica Loera Fr.
Stephanie Lomas Sr.
Alicia Martinez Fr.
Alejandra Molina Jr.
Jacqueline Montelongo Jr.
Jessica Montlongo Fr.
Isela Ochoa Jr.
Berenice Prieto Sr.
Abigail Rodriguez Sr.
Nicole Rodriguez Jr.
Brandi Schneider Sr.
Falone Schwartz Sr.
Alejandra Silva Fr.
Kenzie Sinclair Jr.
Kaitlyn Zecha Fr.
Tania Zubia So.
Lady Panthers Schedule
March 26-31 — At Wichita South Titans Classic
April 3 — At Liberal, 4 p.m.
April 5 — GARDEN CITY, 4 p.m.
April 9 — DODGE CITY, 4 p.m.
April 10 — At Hays, 4 p.m.
April 12 — LIBERAL, 4 p.m.
April 17 — At Garden City, 4 p.m.
April 23 — HAYS, 4 p.m.
April 26 — At Dodge City, 4 p.m.
April 27 — SALINA SOUTH, 5 p.m.
April 30 — At TMP-Marian in Hays, 4 p.m.
May 1 — WICHITA SOUTHEAST, 4 p.m.
May 8 — At McPherson, 6 p.m.
May 10 — JUNCTION CITY, 4 p.m.
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