By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Before the Lady Longhorns Class of 2011, there was a lack of girls soccer success at Harmony High.

Then came a bunch of freshmen who turned it around and kick-started the fortunes of the program.

Four years later, that bunch is the backbone of a team preparing for the school’s first state tournament appearance in a team sport in Harmony’s seven-year history. The Longhorns (17-1) play Steinbrenner High of Lutz in a Class 4A semifinal at Pepin Stadium at the University of Tampa at 5:15 p.m. today.

The 4A Final Four is a fitting culmination for eight seniors — as many as six of them will start today — who hope to win and play at 11 a.m. Saturday for a state championship.

Midfielders Sam Travis, Emily Johnson, Chelsea and Brittany Connor and defensive stopper Anna Blanchard are four-year starters. Goalie Kaylee Horn and forward Payton Leffew earned starting jobs their freshman year. Midfielder Natasha Cielak has been a key reserve in the program during that time.

Their freshman year also happens to be when Coach Stephanie Jones, who had already accomplished a similar reclamation project at St. Cloud three years prior, took the reins and brought stability and a purpose.

In the first year, the goal was to have a winning record. They went 9-6-2.

As sophomores, they wanted to beat rival St. Cloud. They conquered the Bulldogs on the way to their first Orange Belt Conference title.

Last year, the Longhorns won for the first time in the district and regional playoffs.

Now, Jones stands with her whole program — the veterans and the freshmen and sophomores who’ve been key components to a team that has outscored opponents 90-5 — with that rare chance to win it all.

“It doesn’t get any better for a coach than to watch a group come up who set goals every year and works so hard to make them,” Jones said.“All that we’ve been through together makes this so special. I’ve never seen a more determined team. Their heart and determination have taken us this far.”

All that determination took the Longhorns to Wesley Chapel on Friday for the Region 2 final, where Harmony used a series of corner kicks — which Jones admitted wasn’t the team’s strongest suit — to defeat Wiregrass Ranch (22-3-2), 4-0, and punch their ticket to Tampa.

Harmony scored first in the 10th minute when sophomore Kaley Ward sent the first corner kick of the game into the box that was headed into goal by Leffew on the rebound. Five minutes later, Ward sent another corner to the back post, where Sage Leffew, Payton’s freshman sister, deflected it into the net.

Early in the second half Ward, who scored directly off a corner kick in last week’s regional semifinal win over Eustis, did it again when the ball caromed off the crossbar and the Wiregrass goalie and across the goal line.

Sophomore Kendall Pollock added an insurance goal with 14 minutes left, rocketing a free kick from 40 yards out into the top of the net.

Jones said her team rose to the occasion in the program’s biggest game to date.

“We played a very good game, we challenged every ball and mentally left no doubt from the opening minute,” she said. “They came ready to play. Anna had a phenomenal game, our defense shut them down. And Kaylee made a couple stops on shots where if they get goals, it changes the whole game.”

Steinbrenner (19-2-2), which in just its second year of existence but has won the 4A-9 district title each year, is in much the same mold as Harmony in being stingy on defense. The Warriors have posted 18 shutouts and have outscored opponents 102-11.

Junior Cici Gonzalez is the top offensive threat, with 33 goals and 33 assists. Sophomore Alexis Bredeau (24 goals, 12 assists) and freshman Danielle Eule (11, 12) complement her.

Jones said creating matchups won’t be as much of the game plan as managing the team’s emotions.

“We have focus points for every match, but what concerns me more is that we play our game,” she said. “We talked this week in practice that we could go into in one of three ways.

“The first is that we go in thinking we’re better than we are, and the kids said that’s not the case. The second is that we go in satisfied with what we’ve done, and they don’t feel that way either. The last is that we go in nervous about playing well, and I told them that nerves are a good thing. Heck, I’m nervous.”