Jackson soccer drops quarterfinal at Nerinx, marking end of McMullen era

Jackson's Camryn Alsdorf kicks the ball during a May 25, 2024 matchup between Jackson and Nerinx Hall in St. Louis. Nerinx Hall defeated Jackson, 2-0, to advance to a Class 4 semifinal game.

Jacob Blassingame ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

Against an all-too-familiar foe, Jackson girls soccer saw its season end in a 2-0 loss on Saturday at the hands of a juggernaut Nerinx Hall team in St. Louis.

The Markers, having finished second in each of the past four seasons and defeating Jackson in each of the last three, didn’t have it easy against a tough defensive Jackson team.

But after the early back-and-forth, the deadlock broke open with just minutes to spare in the first half, and a late insurance goal with only a few minutes left in the contest put away the Indians for good.

“ I thought it was a really good game,” veteran Jackson coach Justin McMullen said. “It kind of broke us a little bit.

“But we came out in the second half and really did a good job and had some chances.”

McMullen acknowledged how the defensive efforts of Jackson played a big role in getting the Indians to this point, back in the state quarterfinals for the third year in a row.

Coaching his final game in the red and black, McMullen lauded his defenders both on the back line, the goalkeeping but especially the all-around intensity that the Indians brought.

Just a week ago, the Indians reeled in their seventh consecutive district championship, and despite the outcome on Saturday, it’s one to hang his hat on as Year 18 brought him another deep playoff run.

“We didn't score a whole lot of goals this season, but we were really good defensively,” McMullen said.

“Every team takes a different identity, and this team was no different from that.”

The team says “So long” to a pair of talented seniors in Olivia Klinkhardt and Lauren Marchi, with Marchi playing further up in the offense while Klinkhardt was dragged back at the start of the year to help defensively.

The players, both big elements at one point or another to the Jackson offense, will be sorely missed, but the small class size does say a thing or two about the talent that the Indians bring back as well.

As McMullen moves on, passing the torch to longtime assistant Caleb Beussink, he leaves the program in a spectacular state as the young talent of the Indians looks poised for many more deep runs in the future.

Both returning and rising, the development of players in McMullen’s era with the team has created a deep roster of players able to contend within all reaches of the state border.

Now, as he moves on, he speaks highly of what’s next for the Jackson girls soccer team.

“Coach Beussink will do a great job with them. Continue to work hard. The wins and losses will take care of themselves. You just have to be able to trust the process.

“That's the really important thing. Just trust the process and continue to work hard.”