By Robert Wilson
Madison-Ridgeland Academy has won one girls soccer state championship in school history, winning in 2012 in a program which was started in the 1990s.
Second-year coach John Kehoe wants to double that number this season.
The Ireland native and Director of Player Development for the Mississippi Rush has led his MRA team to one of the best seasons in school history and has a 13-1-1 record this year.
Despite a handful of injuries to some key players, Kohen has put together an outstanding team.
MRA not only has an outstanding record, the Lady Patriots in the hunt in the MAIS Division I conference. MRA has a 5-1 record going into Thursday’s league game at Madison St. Joseph. Prep leads the conference with a 7-0 record, MRA is second and defending state champion Jackson Academy is third at 2-3.
MRA’s biggest win was a 1-0 victory over JA Sept. 10 at MRA. McMillan scored the winning goal and MRA’s defense kept JA from scoring. MRA had not beaten JA since 2021 when it won 3-2 on penalty kicks. MRA lost to JA 2-1 on overtime and 1-0 on penalty kicks last season.
MRA has St. Joe, Prep, JA, and Presbyterian Christian next week to finish the regular season.
The top two seeds receive first round byes. The semifinals are scheduled for Oct. 10 and the championship for Oct. 14 at Hartfield Academy in Flowood.
Kehoe – who played soccer at Belhaven and was a graduate assistant and then a full-time assistant from 2011-2017 – hopes to get his players to the title game. He has had his share of injuries this season.
“We graduated three seniors last year (Caroline Redding, Maddie Overton, and Abi Alden Benton) and we return a strong class, but have had some big players out this season,” Kehoe said. “Senior AC Mertz tore her ACL this summer, who had been a starter for the past three seasons. Junior Presley Hughes has just undergone ligament surgery in her ankle. She started at center back last year. We have been unable to get Kinsley Deruiter and Mae Ellen Mallet onto the field this season who would have been big contributors.”
Despite all that, MRA is rolling.
“Seniors Kassidy McMillan and Allie Redding are leading the group,” Kehoe said. “Juniors Lucy Davis, Margaret Ann Hollis and Presley Arnold have been a huge part of what we’re trying to do again this year. A lot of players have contributed a lot of minutes from eighth grade through our sophomore class.”
MRA has made a dramatic improvement from last year’s team, which finished 9-8 and lost to Prep 2-1 in the state semifinals.
MRA’s only loss to the Prep, a 6-1 decision on Sept. 5 at Prep.
“This has been a team effort from everyone involved,” Kehoe said. “Our staff does a great job. Athletic trainer Jared Shore has kept kids healthy to our strength and conditioning staff Coaches George Adams and Bryan Madden has worked weekly with the metrics of rest to work ratio.
“This group has really come together off the field. A very good balance of youth and experience on the field.”
“There’s a long way to go this season,” Redding said. “We’re just taking it one game at a time.”
Said McMillan: “Chemistry has continued to grow throughout the season and can’t wait to see where that leads up through the end of the year.”
Chemistry like the 2012 team, coached by Jeremy Shortt, and stars like Bailey Butler, Brennan Steed, Tolley Yoste, and Amber Thomas.
Kehoe started at MRA in 2018.
“MRA was looking for a part time boys coach in 2018, and it worked out for me to join them,” Kehoe said. “Once I got around campus and saw how things ran, I really felt comfortable, and it worked out for me to join the full-time staff a couple of years later. My daughter is in kindergarten now, and it’s been great having her on campus with me.”
