After advancing to the Class 4 state tournament in 2023 and 2024, James Wood girls’ soccer coach Donavan Russell could tell it didn’t sit well with the team’s veterans that they were knocked out in the Region 4D quarterfinals in 2025.
The graduation of Maddie Shirley (22 goals, seven assists) also left the Colonels without a single returner with more than seven goals for 2026.
As a second-year captain, Russell knew that senior Avery Wright — who aspires to be a teacher and principal — would continue to play a major leadership role as the Colonels looked to return to the state tournament.
Once the season started, the girl whose exceptional defensive skills, passing and brilliance under pressure have played a huge role in James Wood’s success ever since she was a freshman showed she could also be the offensive force that the Colonels needed.
Wright is The Winchester Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year after a season in which she led the area in points with 49 (16 goals, 17 assists) and led the Colonels (15-4-1) to their second region title in three seasons and third state berth in four years.
Among area players, Wright’s 16 goals were second to Handley’s Mia Hudson (21), and her 17 assists were seven more than the next best total (Clarke County’s Eryn Demko with 10). Wright’s efforts earned her Virginia High School League First Team All-State status for Class 4 and selection as the Region 4D Player of the Year.
Not bad for someone who hadn’t played forward before this season.
“She’s just been such an integral part of what we’ve done here as a program,” said Russell, who completed his eighth year and seventh season as James Wood’s head coach in 2026.
Wright started doing gymnastics at age 2, but when she was 8, she wanted to try something new. That’s when Wright became the first person in her family to play soccer, taking up the sport at the recreational level.
Wright would go on to play for Shenandoah FC Elite from third until seventh grade and Loudoun Soccer Club from eighth until 12th grade. Wright became entrenched on defense in fourth grade, and she became an immediate starter at outside back on James Wood’s varsity as a freshman.
“Her defensive skills were just incredible,” Russell said. “She walked in and earned that outside back spot. When she started playing for us, it opened up how we could play our game. She wasn’t stuck just defending. She got up the field and was making crosses into the box, and that really opened up how we could do things.
“She was tenacious. We could trust she can make the right decisions. She was so consistent. It was easy to put her in the starting lineup in that position, because she was just so dominant at it.”
Wright was named a First Team All-Region 4C and Northwestern District selection and had five assists. She played a key role on a James Wood team that made history in 2023 as the first Frederick County/Winchester team to qualify for the state tournament.
“That was amazing,” Wright said. “I feel like all those years of training and hard work helped me earn a spot on the varsity team. Playing high school is a little bit different than travel soccer. Travel is where your technical skills are learned and developed while playing with girls your same age and skill level. High school is like a mixed bag of all those things.
“Playing with and against 18-year-olds as a 14- and 15-year-old was definitely an adjustment, for sure. But I had the best teammates. Once you start winning together, you want to keep that going year after year.”
Wright continued to excel as a sophomore for James Wood as a defender and midfielder. She had eight assists and five goals, and was a Region 4D Honorable Mention and Class 4 Northwestern District First Team selection.
James Wood went 17-2-3 despite Class 4 All-State midfielder McKenna Newcome and Region 4D Honorable Mention senior forward Jasmine Hackman each being limited or missing time with health issues, and starting outside back Nayah Edwards suffering a season-ending injury in the final regular-season game against Handley.
Outside back is where Russell feels Wright is at her best. But because of her versatile skill set, Russell has always been able to move her to spots where she’s most needed, and her sophomore season was a clear example of that because of Wood’s health issues.
“Avery really held down McKenna’s spot in the middle of the field at the 10 spot (attacking midfielder) and did a great job for us,” Russell said. “She’s just been invaluable moving around the field and playing different spots for us.”
Wright played a critical role in the postseason to help the Colonels to the best season in program history.
In the Region 4D semifinals, Wright’s free kick cross led to Hackman’s overtime winner in a 2-1 win over Orange County.
In the Class 4 quarterfinals, Wright’s successful attempt gave James Wood a 4-3 victory in penalty kicks following a 1-1 tie with Woodgrove at the end of overtime, giving the Colonels their first-ever state tournament win.
Wright then repeated the feat in the state semifinals after another 1-1 tie after overtime, this time with Hanover. James Wood defeated Hanover 4-2 after Wright’s successful PK conversion to put the Colonels in the state final, where James Wood lost to John Champe.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that season,” Wright said. “There was just nothing like it. The vibes, energy, teamwork and passion remain unmatched. We overcame so many obstacles that year. To make it that far was truly remarkable and a blessing.
“I’m just glad I was able to contribute in such a big way that year. Making history with some of your best friends and playing the game you love was an honor.”
Russell wasn’t surprised that Wright kept thriving in big moments. Penalty kick shootouts are designed to go five rounds each. They sometimes don’t last that long and they’ll go longer if they’re tied, but as the fifth shooter, Wright was always going to be in a major pressure situation.
“I remember talking to her and saying, ‘Are you good to kick last?’ She said, ‘Absolutely,'” Russell recalled. “To step up and do it when we needed it twice in a week, in the two biggest games that James Wood soccer had ever played in, was pretty incredible for a sophomore in high school.
“[After the Woodgrove game], I remember she said she wanted to make [her penalty kick] for James Wood, for the soccer community, for the area. That’s really her mentality. I just need to get it done, and I will. She’s not high, she’s not low. She just understands what has to be done.”
As a junior, Wright continued her strong career. She had six goals and five assists and helped James Wood post nine shutouts en route to earning Region 4D and Northwestern District First Team honors. The team posted a solid 11-4-3 record, but the Colonels’ season ended against Orange County in the Region 4D quarterfinals.
Russell said Wright had always done a good job of leading by example, but he liked that she took on a bigger role as a senior to help the team get back to the state tournament.
“We needed more from her, and I think she realized that,” Russell said. “She was much more vocal. I don’t think our seniors this year were happy with how last season ended. They felt they should have gone farther.
“All of our seniors were very determined, and she was part of that. She carried a lot of our halftime talks. She knew what had to be done, and would share that with the team, and get us all on the same page.”
James Wood had a lot of key players back this year, particularly on defense, but Russell wasn’t sure what he wanted to do up top going into the season. Russell said the Colonels actually considered taking Alaynah McGuire out of goal and putting her up top because she had some experience as a forward in club soccer, but the coaching staff ultimately decided on Wright.
“Getting her up there was a gamble,” Russell said. “You put a player at forward, they’re not in the play like a midfielder is. Can we get her the ball? But we had players like DeLaney [Newcome] and Kierny [Prunty] and Stephanie [Andrade Barco] and Aubrie [Darnall] really making that happen, and we realized the team was OK in the middle.”
Wright opened the season at forward and looked forward to the new challenge. Russell credits assistant coach Shannyn DeHaven for getting the most out of Wright and all the forwards this year.
“This was such a fun experience to have, especially for my senior year,” Wright said. “It took a little time to adjust, but I embraced it and enjoyed being able to score more and assist my teammates to do the same.”
It did take some time before James Wood and Wright got rolling.
Through seven games, the Colonels were 3-3-1, and Wright had one goal and two assists. A 4-0 loss to Kettle Run on April 14 marked the fourth straight game in which the Colonels were shut out.
James Wood’s eighth game was on April 17 against Fauquier. Wright had a hat trick in a 3-0 James Wood win.
“We really got our confidence back that game,” Wright said. “We saw firsthand how we were able to connect and play to our personal and team strengths. We just needed to get out of our heads and go back to basics. Even though many of us were in new positions this year, we know how to play soccer, and [that game] was just the momentum we needed to start winning as a team again.”
No team would figure out how to slow that momentum until the state tournament. The Fauquier game kicked off a 12-game winning streak for the Colonels that wouldn’t end until they fell 1-0 to Woodgrove in the Class 4 quarterfinals.
Wright was at the forefront of that success. In the first 11 games of that winning streak, Wright had at least one goal or assist. She had six multi-goal games and four multi-assist games in that stretch. Wright had three goals and three assists in an 8-0 win over Warren County.
“She was a tenacious forward and really made it difficult for defenders,” Russell said. “She just worked so incredibly hard and was so strong. The last half of the season, it just always seemed like there was a defender on her back hard, hanging on her, and she’d somehow get free of that and use her speed to get going.
“And when teams realized she was our main scoring threat, she was an assist machine, which speaks volumes to the kind of player she is and the kind of person she is. It wasn’t about her. It was about the team.”
The regular-season finale was a game at Handley in which Wright scored with 30 seconds left in the first half. After taking a square pass from Wright near midfield, DeLaney Newcome threaded a pass perfectly into space. Wright ran onto it, then dribbled into the box before shooting less than 10 yards away into the goal past Abby Melester.
That put the Colonels in the lead for good at 1-0. They went on to win 2-1 for their first win at Handley since the 2021 season.
“That was such an exciting game,” Wright said. “We were all so dialed in to fight a tough opponent in the pouring rain. It was a great way to end the regular season and get pumped for the postseason.”
Wright followed with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 Region 4D quarterfinal win over Sherando, then had assists on all three goals in a 3-2 overtime win over Charlottesville in the semis to clinch a state berth.
In another example of their chemistry, Wright assisted Newcome for the game-winner 90 seconds into overtime. Wright listened to Newcome’s voice, played a leading ball left to right, and Newcome scored from close range.
“Del and I play travel soccer together, too, so we just kind of know how each other rolls,” Wright said. “There’s nothing better than having your best friend be the same person that you’re scoring goals with.”
James Wood followed up that victory with a 1-0 win over Blacksburg at home for the Region 4D championship.
Wright said it takes a lot of factors to make a region championship happen, particularly in the spring, when region and state games are taking place after school is done for the year and graduation ceremonies have been held.
“It takes players who are committed to the team no matter how long the season may last,” Wright said. “We set out to go as far as we can every year, and this year was no different. We pour motivation and positivity into each other, and we always have each other’s back, on and off the field, so that really helps our chemistry when we’re out there playing.”
Wright said it was special to play for James Wood.
“It’s so hard to put into words what playing for this program has meant to me,” Wright said. “The wonderful coaches, friendships made, late-night bus rides, countless practices and team meals will never be forgotten.
“To be a part of James Wood’s soccer program as a state finalist was more than I could have ever imagined. I’m so grateful for all of it. I couldn’t have done it without the constant support of my family, teammates and coaches, who truly made the experience so special. I can’t believe it’s over. But I will cherish my time as a James Wood soccer player forever, and I miss it already.”
Wright feels her experiences working with her teammates as captain and the organizational skills she’s had with James Wood soccer will help her in the future. She will attend James Madison University on a full academic scholarship with a major in elementary education and a minor in Spanish, and aims to be a principal. And as much as she loves soccer, she’s looking forward to trying sports like volleyball and flag football through the intramural process.
Russell knows that whatever Wright does in the future, she’ll be successful at it.
“She loves working with kids,” Russell said. “She’s been great at our summer camps over the years. She’s always a part of Field Day at Apple Pie Ridge [Elementary]. I think she’ll be a great teacher and administrator, whatever she wants to do.”
Russell’s seen just how much of an impact Wright can make over the last four years.
“I believe in team, but there are players who make a difference,” Russell said. “I think Avery, with some of those big plays that she made with the assists, the penalty kicks, and this year, the goals, she’s been a special player for our program.
“I think a lot of our success has been because of how well she’s played, how well she’s led, how consistent she’s been, how humble she is. She’s a fun kid at practice who keeps things light for the team but understands there’s work to be done. She’s going to be a difficult player to replace. She’s been a real joy to be on the team with.”
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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