Steeped in talent, Jerome girls soccer has the tools for a deeper run

Dublin — There is no shortage of talent inside the Dublin Jerome girls soccer program.

Even after the departure of college-bound seniors Katelyn Adams and Corinne Baumgardner, starting goalkeeper Haydyn Stoner and three other seniors, the Lady Celtics are loaded once again this fall.

Coming off a 12-2-4 season that saw the Lady Celtics claim their fourth straight district title but end in regional heartbreak once again, Jerome looks to take that next step in the postseason.

New to the roster are freshman Avery Decker and senior Gabby Wesolowski, two players expected to make an immediate impact for the Lady Celtics. Head coach Georgi Petrov hopes they can complement All-American Blake Sobczak and help take some of the pressure off her.

“Avery is a centre back and will play an important role for us. She will win a lot of awards,” Petrov said. “Gabby came for her senior season and will be dangerous on offense. Everyone watches Blake, so we will share the ball and make her difficult to be marked.”

Junior Anna Sebastian takes over as Dublin Jerome’s starting goalkeeper, replacing Haydyn Stoner. Returning to the attack are college-bound seniors Caitlin Galli (Findlay) and Margaret Mallue (Appalachian State), while Lana Wieringa is expected to take on a larger role defensively this fall.

The double-edged sword of losing eight seniors while returning a loaded group of talent means the work begins right away for Petrov and the Lady Celtics, with the season opening on 20 August against Delaware Hayes.

“Delaware has a very strong team and they are the first challenge,” Petrov said. “There will be a lot of seniors and group work mentality. It will be interesting to see how we react and compete.”

Regardless of how the season starts, the goal remains the same despite the early playoff exits of the past couple of seasons: win a state title. For Dublin Jerome, 2026 could be the beginning of a window of opportunity to do just that.

Thursday’s scrimmage against Olentangy Liberty offered the first look at Jerome, and it was forceful: fast, talented and in need of some tuning. Like a Ferrari, once the Lady Celtics find their groove, there may be no stopping them.