WINCHESTER — There were moments for each team in Wednesday’s Region 4D girls’ soccer championship game where the ball was ping-ponging around the penalty box from shots and deflections, and one where James Wood goalkeeper Alaynah McGuire had to dive on a loose ball after a Blacksburg shot bounced off the post and toward the middle of the field.
A strongly hit ball that traveled where no one expected it to go finally gave one of Wednesday’s combatants something to celebrate, and ultimately made the difference.
A Blacksburg own goal in the 73rd minute lifted North top-seeded James Wood to a 1-0 win over South No. 2 Blacksburg at Kelican Stadium and gave the Colonels their second region title in three seasons.
DeLaney Newcome played a centering pass to Kierny Prunty, and her touch went inadvertently toward a Blacksburg player stationed near the top of the goal box and a few yards away from being even with the right post.
Unfortunately for the Bruins (13-3-2), she was angled toward her own team’s goal when she attempted to clear the ball with her first touch. The ball sailed in the air inside the far left post, and that was the only ball that found the back of the net in a game that saw the Colonels finish with a 9-6 shot edge.
It wasn’t the type of goal anyone dreams about, but good things can happen when you put pressure on an opposing team near the goal box. James Wood (15-3-1) has displayed grittiness all season, and a Colonels team that recorded its 13th shutout and won its 12th straight game on Wednesday didn’t allow Blacksburg to come close to scoring the equalizer in the last seven-plus minutes.
“It was an awesome championship game,” said James Wood seventh-season head coach Donavan Russell, who was doused with a bucket of Gatorade on a night where he earned his 100th career victory. “It’s a game that really could have gone either way.”
Much more often than not, the Colonels’ determination helps tip the balance of the game their way.
“We played the full 80 minutes,” James Wood senior forward Avery Wright said. “I think that’s really important for us. That’s how we win late in the game. When our legs are tired, we just keep pushing. We know we can do it, and we have confidence in each other to keep going.”
James Wood will now host the loser of Thursday’s Region 4C championship game between Woodgrove and Heritage on Tuesday in the Class 4 state quarterfinals. The Bruins — who have lost their region title games in Winchester or Frederick County each of the last three years — will travel to the winner of that game on Tuesday.
Just like in 2024, James Wood will look to complete a 4-0 postseason at home when they play Tuesday’s game. The Colonels didn’t start Wednesday’s contest as well as they wanted, but they did go into halftime with a 5-1 shot edge and seemed more likely than the Bruins to emerge victorious.
James Wood peppered a lot of balls toward the Blacksburg goal in the penalty box in a scramble off a corner kick in the 35th minute, and had some other quality opportunities against Blacksburg goalkeeper Anna Dove (three saves), who Russell called the best keeper the Colonels have faced.
“I knew we were going to be tired,” said Russell, whose team needed overtime to beat North No. 3 Charlottesville in Monday’s semifinal round. “Hot day, and Blacksburg’s a really good team. We watched plenty of film on them. I thought we matched up well with them, and that’s kind of what we saw in the first half.
“I thought we had a little bit of better run of play. We definitely had really good chances. But that’s the kind of game a championship game is going to be. It’s going to be back and forth.”
The Bruins picked up their play in the second half. Many of the Class 4 teams that travel to Frederick County are more accustomed to playing on artificial turf, and Blacksburg coach Julia Howland felt her team played better once they got a feel for the Kelican Stadium grass. For example, Dove groaned loudly when she saw how slowly one of her passes was moving along the ground early in the game.
“We moved the ball. We possessed,” Howland said. “I think we adjusted well [to the grass]. We just have to finish in critical moments.”
Fourteen minutes after the Bruins hit the left post with a shot and McGuire ran back to fall on the rebound, a Blacksburg player dribbled deep into the James Wood penalty box in the 68th minute. But the Colonels broke up the penetration and knocked the ball out for a corner kick.
McGuire then knocked down the ensuing cross from the left side of the field and made a save with her left hand after the ball rolled away from the goal. The Bruins had another opportunity that slammed off a James Wood player and bounded away in the same sequence.
Outside of the post shot and the scramble in the 68th minute, Blacksburg’s dangerous opportunities were limited, and the Bruins never truly tested James Wood in the final 12 minutes.
McGuire only had to make three true saves in a game in which players like Meadow Falkner, Aubrie Darnall, Karlie Orndorff and Reese Lessard showed why the Colonels have only given up 11 goals all year.
“Defensively, we definitely wanted to come out strong, hard and fast,” Falkner said. “They have great forwards. They’re fast, and they’re strong. But our team came together as one in the back, and we just wanted to make sure nothing came between us and the goal.”
Howland said the Bruins will look to show their resilience in the next round.
“Overall, the team culture is strong,” she said. “The girls are super excited to be in the postseason, and for what’s next.”
After the game, James Wood’s coaches and players were more than happy to put put aside thoughts of what’s next for another day. They posed for numerous types of photos and chatted with their fans.
Russell said it was good to see his players spend so much time savoring an accomplishment so few achieve. No Frederick County or Winchester team had ever won a regional title until the Colonels won theirs in 2024, and Handley in 2025 is the only other local Class 4 school with a region title.
“One thing I remember about winning this a couple of years ago is that we didn’t enjoy it long enough,” Russell said. “It’s pretty cool to enjoy it and let the kids enjoy it. And it’s a memorable win regardless, but being my 100th win and a region championship is really special. As a coach, you couldn’t draw it up much better than that.”
Russell emphasized it’s the players that win the games. Getting a chance to give Russell his 100th win added to the day for the players, and they certainly enjoyed dousing him.
“It’s definitely special,” Wright said. “It’s so exciting. Regional champ, and his 100th win is insane. We’re just so excited we got the win together.”
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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