One goal was all it took for Wright City to edge out cross-county rival Warrenton in a 1-0 win on April 23 at Warrenton High School. 

The decisive moment came late in the first half when sophomore Ada Ferrell sent Paige Kirn a through ball, allowing her to take off on a breakaway. Cutting the ball back to her right foot, Kirn slotted it into the lower left corner of the net to give the Wildcats the lead — and ultimately, the win. 

Despite being outshot 16-7, Wright City’s defense held strong alongside goalkeeper Paige Rees, who finished with 13 saves to preserve the shutout.

“We just wanted to make sure that we kept the intensity and we didn’t fall asleep because we have these moments where it looks like we’re not playing,” Wright City coach Jake Wallace said. “But today, it felt like a full game.” 

Wallace credited a midseason switch to a 4-5-1 formation for tightening up the team’s shape, especially in transition. 

“It helps in terms of not getting caught too high up the field, especially in transition when we would sometimes get in a bad spot and leave our defense out to dry,” Wallace said. “Ever since we started playing with that formation, they’re starting to learn passing patterns and connecting on certain combos. You can see them get more confident as games progress.” 

Warrenton had its share of chances, including a dangerous second-half shot from center midfielder Emory Martinez that ricocheted off the post with less than five minutes in the game. 

“She’s got a really good foot and a lot of times, you can catch the defense and goalie off guard if you pull it from outside the 18,” Warrenton coach Courtney Nenninger said. “She almost had that one in the second half after she shot it from outside.” 

Even with the persistent shots, the loss still stung for the Warriors.

“I feel like we controlled the ball most of the game and you know, we had one breakdown, but we couldn’t finish,” Nenninger said. “It’s hard when you know it’s a winnable game, but we gotta pull some positives from the game. We’re moving it quicker and we’re looking for through balls better than we have in previous games.” 

Wallace acknowledged the late scare but was relieved his team held on to win the match.

“We always have one of those moments where it’s nerve wracking, so it’s nice to be on the lucky side of those ones,” Wallace said. 

With the win, Wright City improved to 7-4 on the season, while Warrenton dropped to 2-9.