MESA — Feeling the gravity of the situation at hand tied 1-1 with 2 minutes to play in a state championship affair, Virginia Vaughan put Northland Prep on her shoulders and with one swift kick, added to the legacy that is Spartan girls soccer.

The junior midfielder scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute of the fall girls state championship match to give Northland Prep a 2-1 victory over previously undefeated Show Low on Saturday afternoon.

“I think that was the most relieved I’ve ever felt in my life,” Vaughan said about game winner. “I was really stressed when it was 1-1, but as soon as I saw the net ripple, I was like, ‘We have two minutes, we can hold it.’”

It is the sixth state title in seven years for the No. 3-seeded Spartans (19-3, 4-0 Central), which lost to this very same Cougars club back in August, 3-0.

“It never gets old, it never gets old,” Vaughan said about hoisting the golden ball trophy. The goal was her 20th of the season.

DYNASTY CONTINUES

Mollie Donahue gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead early, netting her 34th score of the season in the 16th minute of Saturday’s championship match.

But No. 1-seeded Show Low (20-1, 6-0 East) would answer in the second half, tying the match 1-1 in the 68th minute as the Cougar crowd at Westwood High School in Mesa seemed to get louder and louder as every game minute passed.

Northland Prep would not be denied, however, as Vaughan scored the game winner and kept the Cougars from accomplishing their dream of an undefeated championship season.

“I felt like the second half, really, I would have thought it was going to be our half. It was super disappointing it didn’t happen,” Show Low head coach Chris Ellis said. “I knew our girls would rise to that level and score that tying goal, that equalizer. But, unfortunately, they got in front of us. We can’t ask our goalkeeper to make that many saves. She made some amazing saves tonight, but we can’t put that much pressure on our back line.”

Ellis credited Northland Prep co-coaches Keith Hovis and Michael Blair on a job well done.

“I knew coach [Michael] Blair would have them ready to play, and he did. And really, coach Blair, this is probably his best coaching job this year. He lost his daughter, his senior captain, who could have easily been player of the year. She went down with an ACL before the season even started, and he still was able to get those girls up to this level,” Ellis said.

Spartans senior captain Campbell Blair suffered the season-ending injury during the season opener against Round Valley back in August.

“The whole year has been really tough. … We had to start and play a lot of freshman throughout the year. So, the kids have been resilient,” Northland Prep co-coach Hovis said. “We had to figure it out through the season, the kids are resilient. We aren’t as deep as we were in the past, but every kid contributed.”

“We were talking about it, this was our hardest year. We had to coach a lot this year,” Hovis added.

WE’LL BE BACK

Ellis quickly pointed to the fact that Show Low would potentially return seven starters in 2024, something he credits to the “continued growth” of the program.

“I was absolutely so proud of them. And that’s what I told the girls. We have to look at this season as a whole, not just one moment. They played so, so well today,” Ellis said. “It excites me, the continued growth.”

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.