Great Bend midfielder Joselin Pando earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference soccer honors. Pando directed the midfield play for the Panthers and helped move the ball into the offensive zone.
Great Bend’s leading scorer Yulisa Valdez and goalie Casanda Enriquez earned second-team honors.
The Panthers (5-12, 0-8 WAC) improved four wins from last year with victories over Wichita Heights 5-4, Hays TMP 3-1, Wichita Southeast 4-0, Wichita South 6-1 and Junction City 3-1.
WAC FIRST TEAM
LIBERAL—Ashley Carrillo, 12; Valeria Gonzalez, 12; Ashley Melendez, 12
DODGE CITY—Jasmine Ruiz, 9; Mia Rayo, 12; Matty Scheck, 12
HAYS HIGH—Caroline Robben, 12; Katie Dinkel, 11
GARDEN CITY—Destiny Rojo, 12; Andrea Aguilar, 11
GREAT BEND—Joselin Pando, 12
PLAYER OF YEAR—Jasmine Ruiz, Dodge City
COACH OF YEAR—Jose Vital, Garden City
WAC SECOND TEAM
HAYS HIGH—Claire Humphrey, 11; Aleyia Ruder, 12; Aspen Melvin, 11; Dani Willeford, 9
GARDEN CITY—Thania Flores, 11; Ivanee Medrano, 12; Leydaly Enriquez, 11
GREAT BEND—Yulisa Valdez, 12; Casandra Enriquez, 12
LIBERAL—Arely Molina, Liberal, 10
DODGE CITY—Abigail Gallegos, Dodge City, 12
WESTERN ATHLETIC SOCCER
Hays High 6-2 13-4
Garden City 6-2 12-6-1
Dodge City 5-3 12-4
Liberal 3-5 6-10
Great Bend 0-8 5-12
GREAT BEND (0-8, 5-12) *Hays 0-6; W Wichita Heights 5-4; Hays-TMP 3-1; L *Liberal 1-8; L *Garden City 0-10; L *Dodge City 0-8; L *Liberal 3-7; L *Garden City 0-9; L Nickerson 1-2; L *Hays High 0-7; L *Dodge City 0-8; L Hays-TMP 1-4; W Wichita Southeast 4-0; L Manhattan 0-11; W Wichita South 6-1; W Junction City 3-1; L Andover 0-10
BY BRETT MARSHALL
DODGE CITY — When Jasmine Ruiz arrived for the spring preseason practices of girls soccer at Dodge City High School, all she had hopes of was to make the varsity and see if she could fit into the team as an incoming freshman.
Little did she realize what her first high school season would become two months later.
The 5-foot-5-inch Ruiz not only made the starting lineup, but she scored goal-after goal-after goal, and kept on scoring like the Eveready Bunny commercial.
The final tally reads 43 goals in 17 games to help the Lady Red Demons to a 13-4-0 record only to see their postseason end in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Wichita Northwest in the Class 6A Regional championship game.
For her exploits, Ruiz was named the 2022 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Joining Ruiz on the first team all-WAC squad were Dodge City’s Matty Scheck and Mia Rayo. Co-champion Garden City featured Destiny Rojo and Andrea Aguilar and co-champion Hays featured Caroline Robben and Katie Dinkel. Liberal’s 2021 POY Ashley Carrillo, and teammates Valeria Gonzalez and Ashley Melendez joined Great Bend’s Joselin Pando.
Garden City High School Coach Jose Vital was voted Coach of the Year as he guided the Lady Buffaloes to a 6-2-0 league record to share the WAC championship with 2021 champion Hays High.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I didn’t expect anything like that being a freshman and knowing there are many other outstanding players. I could not believe it.”
Ruiz appreciates the postseason honor.
“One of my goals this season was play my hardest,” Ruiz said. “I like the girls I play with. We have a lot of fun and work hard.”
Her coach had nothing but high praise for his dynamite forward.
“Jasmine is a hard worker, on the soccer field, and in the weight room,” Hernandez said. “Most importantly, also in the classroom (4.0 GPA). She got second place in our Demon Strong strength and agility testing for female students.”
The 43 goals (also 6 assists) were a school record (breaking the mark of 21) and a career goal-scoring record in her first season. The Demons scored 70 goals, so she scored 61 percent of the goals.
The 43 goals is the most goals scored since Garden City all-state player and junior college all-American Cyndi Benitez scored 45 in 2005.
“A thing that sets her apart is her strength and determination to get to the goal,” Hernandez said. “She’s a positive person that leads by action and understands that hard work pays off when it is consistent.”
Ruiz said she enjoys playing on the attacking side of the field where she can utilize her strength, speed and agility to position herself to where she can get passes from teammates close to the opponent’s goal.
“The juniors and seniors were amazing teammates and I love them,” Ruiz said. “They are a huge part of how I got this (award). They helped me do my best.”
Ruiz’ top-scoring games on several occasions were five goals.
“I don’t think too much about what I’m actually doing,” he said. “I just let my feet go where they think they need to be. I just do random stuff and shoot it and many times it goes in. I just try to be more open so I can get the ball from my teammates.”
Despite her stellar debut at the high school level, Ruiz knows she can be even better.
“I’m left-footed and I want to work on my right-footed kicks so I can use both of them about the same,” she said of her plans on what to work on the summer and off-season practices. “Team-wise, I want to help us do better so we can win the WAC next year. There are some really good teams and we have competitive games and that’s always a challenge and also a lot of fun.”
