Boiling Springs edged Greenwood 3-1. Photo: Bob Benscotet
Boiling Springs’ postseason standard remains intact.
The Bubblers defeated Greenwood 3-1 to capture the District 3 Class A gold Saturday, adding the 2026 championship to titles won in 2025 and 2022. They were finalists in 2024 — coming in second to West Perry — giving the program two consecutive championships and four deep postseason runs out of the five past seasons.
“I think it makes us really proud knowing that we make it this far every year,” Kendall Longenberger said. “I think our school is really proud of us, too, and we just want to keep going as far as we can and keep making that mark.”
That sustained success was evident in a competitive match that required patience.
Boiling Springs and Greenwood traded first-quarter goals, but the Bubblers moved ahead 2-1 shortly before halftime when Longenberger accelerated down the left side, carried the ball roughly 50 yards and set up Lexie Feher for the finish.
Makayla LaBuda scored first for the Bubblers, who was assisted by Anna Lucido.
Longenberger worked the ball out from the back carrying it about 15 yards before it was passed to Lucido who found LaBuda for the score.
Moments later, Greenwood earned a corner and Lexi Adlon flexed for the equalizer. Gabbi Gantt inserted to Abbie Roush, who assisted on the goal.
“You never know what’s going to happen in the game, so [it’s about] reading it as you go along, just finding open spaces,” Longenberger said. “We found those gaps and were able to make those runs.”
Feher credited Boiling Springs’ vision and ball movement, noting that the Bubblers worked the ball to Libby Scherer in the back before finding Longenberger or Lucido in the middle.
Greenwood tried to disrupt the Bubblers’ pace by assigning a player to mark Longenberger.
“We’re not used to having to man-mark, and we did choose to man-mark Kendall,” Greenwood coach Carrie Guarente said. “I thought it was successful, but it obviously then takes us out of our attacking.”
The strategy helped Greenwood remain within striking distance, but Boiling Springs made its opportunities count. The Bubblers protected their halftime advantage through a demanding third quarter and added an insurance goal in the fourth with 8:39 remaining.
Longenberger was credited with two corner assists: Feher’s goal in the second and then Kayla Fry’s in the fourth.
Greenwood had chances but could not produce a second goal. Guarente said her team played solidly, but Boiling Springs punished its lapses.
“The moments that we weren’t perfect, they capitalized on,” Guarente said. “You really have to be good all the time.”
Boiling Springs coach Bailey Leonard said that efficiency was especially important in a postseason game where scoring chances could be scarce.
“There are games when we have 15 corners, and there are games when we have lots of chances,” Leonard said. “But we also know that at this time of year, you’re not always going to get all those chances, so we have to make them count.”
Leonard’s connection to Greenwood gave the championship matchup additional meaning.
She said Greenwood’s coaches and program helped raise her and shape her career.
“It was pretty special, just a really cool, full-circle moment,” Leonard said. “Obviously, we came to win today, but that’s kind of some of those not-on-the-scoreboard moments.”
Boiling Springs’ defense also weathered Greenwood’s pressure. Lucido said the Bubblers concentrated on keeping the Wildcats out of the circle and staying alert as their midfielders moved across the turf.
The team’s composure, communication and trust ultimately carried it through, the players said.
Photos from the Boiling Springs vs Greenwood Game
“Our best takeaway is to just have a lot of communication [and] focus on what we can improve on, but also remember that we won and that we had a really good game,” Kayla Fry said.
The players agreed that their postseason playbook begins with supporting one another, trusting their teammates and coaches, and responding to mistakes rather than dwelling on them.
For a program that has now won three district championships in five seasons and reached the final in the other, their playbook continues to deliver.
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