Over the course of the 2013-2014 seasons, the Badin High girl’s soccer team dominated the Ohio Division III landscape.
The Rams produced back to back state titles, rolled to a combined 35-5-5 record while outscoring their competition 141-45. The team produced a national p
layer of the year, a state player of the year in addition to sending a flock of Badin athletes to collegiate rosters.
But according to former stand-out Malia Berkely, the numbers only tell half the story.
“We were definitely a family,” Berkely said. “I know some teams talk about it but we really were a family. Those teams were a close knit group. We won in 2013 and only lost a few seniors so we pretty much had the same group coming back. We were all close.”
Fellow standout Madelyn Kah mimicked Berkely’s sentiments, adding, “We were sisters. We were best friends on and off the field. We really were a family. I still keep in touch with most of those teammates and I will forever.”
Kah had 19 goals in 2013 and 50 for her career at Badin, leading to a scholarship at Ohio University.
A two time National Gatorade player of the year and a now a stand out on the Florida State University women’s soccer team, Berkely said those two years at Badin will always have a fondness in her heart.
“It was really such a great time in my life,” Berkely said. “It seems like yesterday we won the first won and we had a chip on our shoulder the next year. We knew what it took and worked that much harder to do it again.”
The Rams had a solid nucleus in 2013 that overcame several obstacles on the way to the state finals. Badin entered the state tourney unranked in the final state poll and had to overcome deficits late in games three times in the tourney en route to the state title.
Kah had a game winning goal in the district finals, an overtime win over Madeira that only set the stage for her future heroics.
Facing arch rival Fenwick in the state semifinals, the Rams once again found Kah playing the hero role with a dramatic goal in a 2-1 OT win.
“I will always remember the game winner against Fenwick,” Kah said. “The entire sideline, our team and fans, just went crazy. I was just running around and it hit me, ‘we are going to state’. All those game in 2013 were tough. We had to battle but we knew we could do it. All those overtime games and scoring late in games, we just wanted it more than the other teams. Those two years were just an unreal feeling.”
Berkely also said the Fenwick game stood out for her.
“It I had to pick one moment it was the state semis against Fenwick,” said Berkely. “We fell behind and got the goal to come back. It was a rivalry game and you could feel the energy even the day before the game. We fought so hard for that one. It will always stick out for me.”
In the state finals, Badin overcame a 2-0 hole, charging back with two late goals to force overtime before claiming the title in the penalty kick shootout.
“The final whistle blew and everyone was just running around,” Berkely said. “It really didn’t set in until the next day we were state champs.”
The obstacles in 2013 only toughened the Rams for the 2014 season. Badin would lose in September to McNicholas and not be touched again, rolling off a 17-0-1 record the rest of the way.
“It was actually easier the second time,” Kah said. “We knew what we had to do and we worked so hard to make it happen again.”
“We just had to wipe the slate clean, work hard and give even more effort as we knew teams were coming for us, “Berkely said. “In 2014 every team gave us their best shot so we worked even harder to be prepared.”
The Badin Rams finished 20-1-1 in 2014, capping off the campaign with a dominating 2-0 win over Ottawa Glandorf.
But as Kah added, the state titles were just by products of a system, a family.
“The Badin girls soccer environment, the traditions, it is something I will never forget,” Kah said. “My favorite part of high school was being a part of the Badin girls soccer team. To this day my best memories are playing with those girls on those two teams representing Badin. We really were a family that wouldn’t let each other down.”