This wasn’t supposed to be the season Owen J. Roberts mirrored its great teams of years past, specifically the 2003 state champion and 2005 state runner-up teams.

Not with just five seniors in the starting lineup and only seven on the entire roster. Not after an anything-but-promising start.

And definitely not after junior Kelsey Kramer – a teammate as well as genuine friend to everyone associated with the OJR soccer program – died Sept. 23 following an automobile accident in East Coventry Township.

The Wildcats could’ve packed it in and shut it all down the moment news of the 16-year-old Kramer’s passing circulated throughout the high school that morning. They could’ve called it a season right there and then.

They could’ve called it a season before they courageously stepped back onto the soccer field three days later, but instead went out and won … and won, and won and won some more – 11 straight games, to be specific, to reach the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship.

But after Boyertown deprived the Wildcats that title, and another loss denied them a coveted District 1 title – after the very few remaining expectations they were clinging to virtually vanished – no one would’ve blamed them had they called it a season.

Again, the bold and brave bunch responded … and played their way into Tuesday night’s PIAA-Class AAA state semifinal against Pennridge at Harriton High School.

Unfortunately, after nearly 85 spirited minutes – or 4:44 into overtime, when Pennridge’s Megan Shenk scored off a corner to give the Rams a 2-1 win – the Wildcats had to call it a season.

Had to…


There were, surprisingly, few tears.

But there were oh so many heavy hearts.

It wasn’t just a loss that ended an extraordinary season, but a loss that dug deep into Owen J. Roberts’ collective soul and tugged – tugged oh so very hard – at the heart of a team that had overcome such long, long odds and the kind adversity few high school teams, fortunately, ever experience.

“Every team, every club team, always has its naysayers,” OJR goalie Cassie Popp said as her teammates strolled ever so slowly to the team bus. “But to see where we came from, how we were ripped apart… I think those (critics) underestimated us, underestimated how adversity bonded us together.

“Just look what we’ve done. We got through the ups and downs in the PAC-10, the ups and downs in districts. We made a promise to one another to do our best.”

They made a promise to a departed but not forgotten teammate to not only get back on the soccer field, but to get out there and play hard, for 80 minutes or however long it took, each and every game.


“The day we found out about (Kramer’s death), it was obviously devastating to all of us,” Popp recalled. “I know our first practice we just tried light stuff, but our heads weren’t in it and our hearts weren’t in it.

“And then in our first game (following the accident) against Pottsgrove, it was like trying to run through water. But after we scored that first goal it was like we all realized we could score, we could win.”

After that 5-0 win over Pottsgrove, Popp said seeing that first goal was “like a dam breaking … a reaffirmation that we could do it.”

They did indeed do it, and throughout that 11-game winning streak – as well as every game that followed, including Tuesday night’s against Pennridge – the memory of Kelsey Kramer was their rallying cry.

Don’t think head coach Joe Margusity didn’t notice, either.

“Going out for that first game (after Kramer’s death) was hard for me and hard for the girls,” Margusity remembered. “But playing that game brought some sort of solidarity with it. It brought all of us together.

“I was more worried about the girls wanting to continue to enjoy life. We all needed each other for support, and I felt it was my job to get them back out on the field.”

The Wildcats didn’t just step back onto the field and go through the motions, though. They played as well if not better than most expected.

They were playing again Tuesday night – one of only four Class AAA girls’ soccer teams in all of Pennsylvania to be playing Tuesday night.

Yes, Popp, Holly Sullivan, Juliana Provini, Emily Morgan, Gabby McKee, Katie Dempsey, Rachael Carpenter, Taylor Murphy, Steph Tamburro, Meghan Antrim, Bridget Gallager, Jess Buffa and Maddy Cantello all played … and all played well.

In the end, this team didn’t quite match the achievements of those 2003 and 2005 teams. But some who will say no team – not even the 2003 and 2005 teams – could match this team’s will to win … or its courage.

“Before the game, ‘Carp’ was saying how we’re all here tonight – our coaches and our friends,” Popp said, quoting a portion of Carpenter’s pregame pep talk. “It was kind of strange, too, because it just felt as though Kelsey was right there with us, right there in the middle of our circle.

“You always want to win, especially for your seniors. We wanted so badly to win this for Kelsey, too. (Her memory) always seemed to give us that extra punch, that extra spark. This (loss) hurts right now, hurts a lot. The tears will come later.”