Prep girls soccer: Granger starts to find stride

The youth movement is on for the Granger girls soccer team. The Lancers started sluggishly in region play, but they found their groove against Kearns last Thursday with the help of underclassmen.

Granger exploded for four goals to earn its first Region 2 victory of the season after being shut out in two straight games.

"We have four freshmen starting for us and we have a few sophomores contributing, so we should only be better in the next few years," Granger coach Megan Berrett said.

The Lancers had a future star step up in the Kearns game. Sophomore forward Stephanie Camareno came off the bench and shredded the Cougars' defense on her way to two goals. That gave her four goals on the season entering this week, and she had netted three goals in four games for Granger. The rest of the Lancers combined for three goals in that same stretch.

"I don't look to score all the time, but if I have the chance, I will take it," Camareno said.

Berrett said Camareno still has some work to do, but she is well on her way to being an exciting player in Region 2. Camareno doesn't care if she is a flashy player in the region. She just wants her team to be competitive.

"It was great that we played such a good game against Kearns, but we have to be able to do that against everybody," Camareno said.

It might happen this week or this month, but if players like Camareno can develop as expected, the Lancers will be a team that Region 2 has to pay attention to.

Hunter poised to make a move

The Hunter High School soccer field will play host to a critical Region 2 game this afternoon. The Wolverines will host Granger in what could decide the region's last playoff slot. Hunter entered the week one game up on the Lancers, and it now looks to create separation in the standings.

Leading the Hunter attack will be Jenifer Mendez, the team's leading scorer. Mendez was the X-factor when Hunter and Granger met last month. She found the net for two crucial second-half goals to lead Hunter to a 4-2 win last month. She has a chance to do even more in this game.

Granger knows it must put extra pressure on Mendez, and that will give her the opportunity to beat the Lancers with her passing. Someone will be open, and if Mendez can find that teammate, Hunter will be in prime position to take control of its playoff destiny.

Black continues to dazzle for Taylorsville

Taylorsville senior forward Abi Black has been the most dominant soccer player in Class 5A to this point in the season. The opposition knows she is the one to stop in every game she plays in. And yet, no one has an answer.

Black was the 5A leader in goals with 22 entering the week. Half of the teams in 5A have scored fewer goals. She is averaging two goals per game, and she scored at least one goal in each of Taylorsville's first 11 contests.

Black is climbing up the state record ladder. After scoring five goals last week, she had a career total of 76, which is 10th in state history. If she can reach 89 career goals, that would put her in the top six.