From the Rock Hill Herald:
By Barry Byers
The Herald
Cesar Robles started his high school soccer coaching career at Fort Mill before switching to Northwestern four years ago.
Danielle Schmitt ended her high school soccer career at Fort Mill with 107 career goals, including 37 this season, and thoughts of what might have been.
Fort Mill's girls were head and shoulders above most teams in the state this season and have been the last four years. But Northwestern turned some heads this year, and under Robles showed it is a team on the rise.
The Lady Trojans finished 11-11 but were 8-2 in Region 3-AAAA. Both region losses were to Fort Mill, 4-0 and 3-0.
"I was not surprised at how we did after last year's results,'' said Robles, The Herald's All-Area Soccer Coach of the Year. "I knew we could put something together that would allow us to compete with the elite teams in the state because we had some quality returning players. The girls were a bit more familiar with my expectations, my system and my philosophy of play.
"We put strong emphasis on defense. We distributed the ball wide and hit scorers crossing to our forwards. The girls trusted in what we were trying to implement. Each player played within the system and played the position they were asked to play.''
The Lady Trojans came close to beating some of the state's top teams. They ended up tied at the end of regulation with Class AAAA state champion Dorman but lost on penalty kicks in a regular-season game.
Robles said the loss was tough, but gave his girls confidence they belonged on the field with any team in the state heading into the playoffs.
Northwestern won its first playoff game but lost 3-2 to T.L. Hanna in the second round. The Lady Trojans ended the season ranked No. 15 in Class AAAA.
"We had five returning seniors and five returning juniors, which gave us experience to build around,'' Robles said. "They knew what was expected of them and went out and did it game after game.''
Robles got his start playing on his high school team in Santa Maria, Calif. He joined the Marines after high school and played on the All-Marine Corps Elite team from 1992-94 after being sent to Charleston.
His wife is from York County and they settled in Rock Hill after he left the Marines.
Robles' first coaching job was as an assistant for the JV boys at Fort Mill. He also coached with the Northside Soccer Club, where he met former Northwestern boys coach Nick Finotti.
When Finotti got the boys varsity position at Northwestern, he asked Robles to coach the boys JV. When the varsity girls job came open last year, Robles jumped at the chance.
He works at Northwestern as the school's computer specialist.
"I have my national coaching license and would ultimately like to get into college coaching,'' he said. "But I'm content where I am now. I want to further my coaching education, attend more courses and to learn everything I can about this game.''
Robles and Schmitt have known each other since his days at Fort Mill. He also coached her in club soccer. Robles said each game against Fort Mill the past two years was bittersweet because most of the other Fort Mill players were on his club team.
Schmitt, The Herald's All-Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year, has started on the varsity since her freshman season. She plans to walk on at Clemson next year.
"I got offers from smaller schools, but my heart was with Clemson,'' she said. "I picked Clemson because it is a good academic and athletic school, and I wanted to go to a bigger Division I school.
"Clemson's soccer coach and I haven't talked, but we've left messages for each other. He talked to my Fort Mill coach, Jim Finnerty, and said he wants to talk to me about playing there. If I end up not playing college soccer I haven't thought about what it will be like.''
Fort Mill lost in the Class AAAA state championship last year, and this year's team was ranked No. 1 when the season started. But a couple of early losses dropped the Lady Yellow Jackets to No. 2, where they spent most of the season.
The Lady Yellow Jackets were knocked out of the playoffs in the third round, 2-1 in overtime to Lexington and dropped to No. 4 in the final poll. They finished 19-5.
"It was very disappointing we didn't win a state championship,'' Schmitt said. "I thought of all the years, this would be the one. We lost in the last minute of OT against Lexington.
"My best memory of playing soccer at Fort Mill will be my teammates and my coach. They have been a big part of my life the last four years. I'm not telling them good-bye. They will always be my friends. I'll come back and see them and they will visit me. It's already planned.''
Barry Byers * 329-4099
bbyers@heraldonline.com
All-Area Girls Soccer Team
Players
Name School Pos. Goals Yr.
Anne Wilson Chester M 39 So.
Robin Windham Chester S 4 Jr.
Rebecca Kerr Chester M 16 Fr.
Kelsie Hall Clover M 14 Jr.
Leslie Kendrick Clover D 5 Sr.
Danielle Schmitt Fort Mill M 37 Sr.
Rachel Datz Fort Mill D 2 Jr.
Jamie Gillette Fort Mill D 3 Jr.
Ashleigh Sheets Fort Mill M 19 So.
Cathryn Wilson Fort Mill F 6 Jr.
Jess Cooney Indian Land F 10 Jr.
Heather Wilson Lewisville F 7 So.
Kristin Page Northwestern M 8 So.
Kara Kelly Northwestern F 18 Sr.
Ann Louise Kellett Northwestern M 12 Sr.
Tiana Tallant Northwestern M 10 Jr.
Brittney Collins Rock Hill F 3 Jr.
Charity Blackwell Rock Hill M 6 Sr.
Goalkeepers
Name School Saves Yr.
Annslee Windsell Clover 150 Jr.
Elizabeth Ostrander Fort Mill 30 Sr.
Brittney Krnoquist Indian Land 204 Fr.
Ruth Anne Burnette Rock Hill 252 Fr.
Coach of the Year: Cesar Robles, Northwestern
