BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County girls soccer set the bar high in 2025. Now the Lady Cardinals are preparing to raise it.
Martin County is coming off a record-setting 15-2 season that included a 15th Region All “A” Classic championship and a runner-up finish in the 15th Region Tournament.
Coach Steven Gauze’s squad will enter the 2026 season older, stronger and more experienced.
“I’m really excited about this season because we are returning all but two starters,” Gauze said. “Girls already know the system we play, how it works and what is expected, which really helps.”
The Lady Cards scored 96 goals and allowed just 16 last season. They recorded eight complete-game shutouts and averaged nearly six goals per contest.
“Most important, they are more experienced and able to handle when things don’t go right for us,” Gauze said.
Martin County returns an offensive attack that put up some of the best numbers in the state last season.
Faith Caldwell is back for her senior campaign after becoming the first player in program history to earn Kentucky High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State honors. The second-team selection ranked 11th in Kentucky with 39 goals and second with 38 assists.
Caldwell averaged 2.4 goals and 2.4 assists per game and led the state in assists per game and points per game at 7.2. Her 116 total points ranked sixth in Kentucky.
But Caldwell was not the only Lady Cardinal filling up the stat sheet.
Annaleigh Davis made an immediate impact as a freshman with 18 goals and six assists for 42 points.
Jaz Jude followed closely with 16 goals and nine assists for 41 points in her freshman campaign.
Madelyn Goble added 10 goals and seven assists for 27 points.
Hope Caldwell also emerged as a key piece of the Martin County attack. She scored four goals and dished out 12 assists for 20 points.
Davis, Jude, Goble and Hope Caldwell will enter their sophomore seasons with a year of varsity experience under their belts.
Goalkeeper Brianna Muncy is another member of the sophomore class returning after starting 16 games as a freshman. Muncy recorded 98 saves and eight complete-game shutouts while allowing 16 goals.
With so much production returning, Gauze knows the Lady Cards will not sneak up on anyone.
“Last year we had a record season, so now the pressure is on us to bring our best to every game,” he said.
Gauze has responded by strengthening the schedule.
“I made our schedule a lot harder this year to better prepare us for postseason play,” he said.
Martin County opens Aug. 1 at the Estill County Soccerama with matches against Pendleton County, Estill County and Harrison County.
The Lady Cards travel Aug. 8 to the Johnson Central Soccerama to face East Carter, Johnson Central and Ashland before opening the regular-season slate Aug. 11 at Ashland.
Martin County’s August schedule includes Paintsville in the Kentucky Farm Bureau Cup, Pike Central, Prestonsburg, Johnson Central, East Carter and Belfry.
The Lady Cards will hit the road for a three-game trip to Tennessee, Aug. 28-30. They will face Portland and Jefferson at Rocky Top Sports World before taking on Fairview at Pigeon Forge High School.
Martin County travels to Bluegrass United on Sept. 5.
The Lady Cards turn their attention to the All “A” Classic Tournament at Prestonsburg, Sept. 7-12. They captured the 15th Region All “A” championship last season with wins over Paintsville, Pikeville and Prestonsburg. The team advanced to the Kentucky All “A” Classic statewide tournament, defeating Sayre 4-3 before falling 3-1 to Owensboro Catholic.
“I always look forward to region games, especially during tournaments,” Gauze said.
The late-season slate includes Russell, Lawrence County, Pikeville and Boyd County. Martin County will also cross state lines Oct. 3 for a matchup at Wheelersburg, Ohio.
The Lady Cards close the regular season Oct. 8 at Pikeville before the 15th Region Tournament begins Oct. 12 at Johnson Central. Last season, Martin County came within one goal of a regional championship, falling 1-0 to Johnson Central in the title match.
Despite the accomplishments of 2025 and a roster loaded with returning production, Gauze’s expectations begin with how the Lady Cards compete each day.
“I told the team my expectation is simple: be competitive in practice and in games,” Gauze said. “Learn how to push each other harder in practice, never give up and learn from your failures. If we can be better at this, we will have a great season.”