August 14—Mitchell Last season provided a variety of learning opportunities for everyone involved with the Mitchell High School girls soccer team.
In 2025, the Kernels hope to apply what they’ve learned to achieve even better results.
Throughout the 2024 season, Mitchell was in position to win close games only for a missed assignment or key play to swing the outcome the wrong way. A sense of optimism spreads throughout the MHS roster as a result of studying those games and understanding the importance of remaining poised in high-pressure situations.
“They’re a lot more confident in their positioning information than they were last year,” second-year head coach Kindra Decker stated. “The girls learned from those losses in the beginning of last year that we just have to be more conditioned and ready to go from the first game.”
Much of Mitchell’s summer practice sessions focused on conditioning drills and a more detailed practice plan in preparation for a quicker start to the new season, which Decker and the coaching staff will continue to evolve based on their own learning experiences beginning in 2024.
The Kernels also emphasized the importance of being disciplined on the offensive end, knowing that creating scoring opportunities like last year will require a team effort. The team finished 5-8-1 in 2024, ranking in the bottom third of Class AA in scoring with an average of 1.8 goals per game.
The players’ familiarity with one another is beneficial, from summer workouts to developing comfortable bonds and learning everyone’s tendencies. Mitchell returns 10 letterwinners from last season to key positions on the field.
“It’s just easier to click with them,” said junior forward Taryn Thomas. “You get to know where they like the ball to be, where they like to run, and what shots they want to take. You just know where to put them and what situations they like to be in.”
Thomas returns as the leading goal scorer from 2024, earning a spot on the all-Eastern South Dakota conference team after an 11-goal campaign. Kenzi Kayl, the No. 2 scorer, is also back for her senior season, partnering with Thomas and junior Emilie Ellis at forward. Seniors Kassedy Knippling and Jessica Gerlach lead the Kernels’ defense.
Mitchell will also have a new goalkeeper after Tenley Peterson graduates. The group of defenders faces additional pressure in attempting to neutralize opposing attacks, making communication critical.
“If someone needs a break or if someone gets beat, you have to work 10 times harder to cover them,” Knippling told the crowd. “We have to keep our lines on defense and cover everyone to have the least amount of shots on goal as possible.”
A front-loaded schedule allows the Kernels to track the team’s progress since the beginning of the summer, working on adjustments to passing patterns and attack runs. Above all, they’ll try to limit mistakes on the field throughout the entire 80 minutes.
“We want to control what we can and finish those games that we thought we left short last season,” Decker told reporters. “We want to grow throughout the season, but starting off on the right foot is something that is certainly important.”
“We have to learn how to put the game away,” Knippling explained. “We can’t stop playing with 10 minutes left, and we can’t start 10 minutes late. We just have to prove ourselves, point out the good, and support one another.”
Mitchell begins the season on the road against Harrisburg, the defending Class AA champion, at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 15. The Kernels will face Tea Area in their first home game at Joe Quintal Field at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 16.
