Quest for No. 3

Shane Mettlen / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: August 6, 2007

The Culpeper County Devilettes know the Cedar Run District is gunning for them. CCHS has a pair of district championship trophies from the past two seasons decorating the school, but heading into the 2007 season are missing 11 players that graduated last spring after leading them to the back-to-back titles.

"We've got this big, huge X on our back and everybody is going to want to take us out," CCHS coach Peggy Allen said. "They are going to think we don't have anything."

Though the Devilettes 2006 campaign ended on a disappointing note - CCHS missed out on a repeat trip to the state tournament after losing only once in the regular season - Allen's squad was dominant most of the year. Culpeper scored 4.6 goals per game last year and goalie Marrit vonKutzleben allowed just seven goals to earn second-team all-district honors.

In addition to losing vonKutzelben in goal the Devilettes lost Rachel Geisler, who signed to play at James Madison University this year, Monica Jenkins, the Devilettes all-time leading goal scorer. The Devilettes also lost a host of other seniors that earned at least some type of post-season award over the past few years.

"When you lose that much … these kids have lots to work on," Allen said. "They have big shoes to fill. We were awesome last year in the number of goals scored. Midfield is where we probably lost the most players. Well, I guess we also lost our whole front line too."

Adding to the losses are the injuries to rising senior Courtney Lanham. Lanham started the past three seasons, but was involved in a car accident in June that kept her bedridden for a month. Lanham's recovery is going well, but the Devilettes don't expect to have her on the field for at least the first month of the season, which begins Aug. 29 at home against James Monroe. Lanham said she thinks she'll make it back this season.

"I'm hoping to be back in late September or at least in October," she said. "Originally my goal was to play on senior night, but hopefully it can be sooner than that."

When tryouts began Aug. 1 Allen started the process of finding players to pick up the slack. When Lanham returns to the lineup the Devilettes will boast experience and talent on defense.

Lanham and Andrea Stackpole both return this season and have earned All-Cedar Run honors in the past. Allen also expects Ashley Mullins to play a crucial role on defense if the CCHS is going to add another district championship trophy to its collection.

But having that talent on defense doesn't mean the Devilettes will go away from their high-scoring style. Allen will count on Melissa Register and Courtney Owens to lead the midfield attack with Tiffany Jebson likely earning a spot on the wing.

"Our defense comes up pretty much to the top of the school so they are involved in the offense. It's not that we are going to totally dwell on defense and think that is where our game plan is. I want pressure in the front. That's why kids like Tiffany, Courtney and Melissa really have to step up."

Allen said that opponents may be tempted to simply take a look at all the talent Culpeper has lost and assume the Devilettes are ripe to be knocked off their perch atop the Cedar Run standings. But the CCHS coach said anyone who does that isn't taking into account the depth she's had to work with.

"There are kids here that have played over the years and gotten a lot of playing time," Allen said. "It's just a matter of can they and will they take it upon themselves to develop into the kind of players that left us from last year. The last couple of years we've had a lot of games when everybody played.

We've had games where just about everybody has scored or assisted. It's not like they are coming off the bench and have never been in a game situation. They have the ability. They just have to put forth the effort."

Shane Mettlen can be reached at 825-0771, ext. 127 or