A trio of players from King’s Fork High School’s girls’ soccer team and one from Nansemond River High School’s team made school history recently when the 2015 Virginia High School League Group 4A all-state girls’ soccer honors were announced.

Lady Bulldogs sophomore forward Cydney Nichols, junior midfielder Logan Montel and sophomore defender Skylar Wall and Lady Warriors sophomore midfielder Kamarie Jewette made the all-state second team.

Reacting to his players’ recognition, King’s Fork coach Mike Marston said, “They’re the first players to make all-state in girls’ soccer in King’s Fork history, so that’s a huge accomplishment for all of them.”

Likewise, Jewette is the first girls’ soccer player at Nansemond River to receive an all-state honor.

Jewette, Nichols and Wall were the only sophomores to make the second team, and they were three of only five sophomores total to receive all-state recognition this year.

Nichols finished this season with 33 goals and 16 assists, one of only three strikers in the 4A South region to score more than 30 goals, Marston said. She also was the Ironclad Conference girls’ soccer Player of the Year.

Montel ended up with 16 goals and 18 assists. Wall, though limited late in the season by an ankle injury, was dominant on defense for the Lady Bulldogs early on and continued to be a factor even when limited.

“It’s just a culmination of everything they and their parents have gone through to make sure that they’ve had the opportunity to train over the years,” Marston said.

The Lady Bulldogs were eliminated early in the regional tournament, but Marston said one thing helping Nichols, Montel and Wall make the cut for state accolades was the degree to which they are known as strong players through club soccer.

“And then every game that all three of those players played in, they were noticed — win or lose,” he said, referring to school soccer. “I think between playing Tabb (High School), Midlothian (High School) and a few of the other out-of-conference, region teams, they had really just the opportunity to be seen in addition to their reputations through club.”

Further helping them get state recognition were their previous accolades this season and their being part of a program that has experienced a meteoric rise.

“I think it’s probably a great story for everybody else in the region to see how far the program’s come in two years, so I think that that kind of makes everybody pick their head up and recognize, as well,” Marston said.

Jewette finished this season with nine assists and two goals, but those numbers do not indicate the extent of her influence on the Lady Warriors’ offense, which NR coach Kurt Straub said she kick-started for most if not all of the team’s goals.

“She definitely deserved it,” Straub said of her state honor.

He was disappointed that his team, which advanced as far as the state semifinals, was not represented by more all-state selections but was clear on why Jewette was the one.

Coaches from state-qualifying schools Loudoun County High School, Midlothian and Heritage High School of Leesburg were among those voting on all-state honors.

“When you play two out of those three teams, the coaches know how you play,” Straub said of Jewette. “She’s a great all-around leader.”