After a tough, physical and at times frustrating 1-0 win over archrival Liberty on Tuesday night, Century coach Chris Little delivered a clear and pointed message to his team.
“The target on your back is because of the name on the front,” he said, looking each of his players in the eye.
That name — Century — sits not only on their jerseys but also atop the Carroll County standings once again. The win secured the Knights’ seventh straight girls soccer county championship.
“Our girls have a singular focus and that is to not take a single play off,” Little said after the win. “They play with a ton of heart every night.”
The 2025 season started just how Little envisioned: with a challenging nonconference schedule that left his team battle-tested. The Knights opened 2-2-1, but the record was never the concern. Little trusted that the tough games would help mold his group into the complete unit they needed to be to achieve their long-term goals.
“[Liberty forward Maddie Jackson] is a very good player,” Little said. “We aren’t able to defend a player like that unless we spend the first half of the season going up against the area’s best. Part of what we try to do is set ourselves up for county play, where there are so many good players and so many competitive teams.”
This season, Little’s revamped lineup includes three freshmen, all of whom he knew would play key roles. One of those newcomers, Payton O’Kelley, launched herself above players on both teams on a free kick and scored Tuesday night’s lone goal. It marked the first goal of her varsity career.
While the freshmen have stepped up, it was the senior leadership that guided the Knights through the season’s toughest stretch. From the time they first wore the green and gold, players like Mia Savage and Megan Taltavull have only known championships and wins over rivals.
Last season, the team didn’t allow a single goal in county play. So, when the Knights tied Westminster, 1-1, earlier this year, it felt to many players like a loss. That’s when the senior captains took charge.
“It definitely hurt us, but it was the fire we needed,” Savage said. “We had just played four games in seven days, but we came to practice, worked hard and came out ready to play Century soccer.”
From that point on, Century dominated. The Knights won their remaining county matchups by a combined score of 12-1, capped off by Tuesday’s win over Liberty — the final nail in the coffin for the rest of the county. One by one, opponents tried and failed to take down the now seven-time champions.
Some wins came in tight, hard-fought battles, like the 1-0 victory over South Carroll, where Savage assisted Rylie Poe on the game’s only goal and Taltavull made 10 saves.
Other times, they overwhelmed opponents. In a 4-0 rout of Manchester Valley, Lenah Ham and Khloe Schaeffer each scored twice in what was a season-defining game to some.
“We knew that was a super tough team we were going up against,” Taltavull said. “Seeing everyone come out with energy and grit, it was like okay, we have the potential. As long as we can continue to move forward, we can do anything.”
With just one game left in the regular season — a noncounty matchup against Urbana that features two teams at the top of their respective regions — Century has checked off its first major goal: Win the county. But the focus remains forward.
“This team is defined by several really good players who take the team on their back,” Little said. “It’s been a real challenge, but we’re going to be ready in a couple weeks, that’s for sure.”
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