Lexington girls soccer gives outgoing coach region title in final season
Chris Fryland’s farewell season is going as well as planned.
The longtime Lexington coach and winningest girls soccer coach in South Carolina history has been trying to savor moments this year as he will be retiring at season’s end.
Fryland got another of those moments Friday as his Lexington squad captured the Region 4-5A championship with a 3-1 win at rival River Bluff.
It was Lexington’s first region championship since 2018. The Wildcats will be a No. 2 or 3 seed when the Class 5A Division I playoffs begin in two weeks.
“At the beginning of the season, the goals were simple. We wanted to beat Chapin because we hadn’t beat them in a couple of years,” Fryland said. “Number two is we wanted to win the region and we did. And number three the ultimate goal is to win a state championship.”
Lexington’s last state championship came in 2016. Fryland said this year’s squad is a lot different from the title team but he is having fun getting to coach them in his last year.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs,” Fryland said. “We went on our (preseason) retreat and I cried more than I have ever cried in my life. But it has been a lot of fun. These girls compete so hard, and I am so proud of them.”
This was the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Lexington won 4-3 in penalty kicks on March 31.
The rematch definitely had a lot more action and scoring chances. River Bluff scored first in the 21st minute on a goal by Summer Rios that made it 1-0.
The Gators’ lead lasted only a few minutes as Lexington’s Adriana Dunat answered with a goal to tie it at 1-1. The Wildcats took the lead on Anna Epp’s header in the 45th minute to make it 2-1.
Shaelyn Smith capped off the scoring for Lexington with a penalty kick in the 52nd minute that made it 3-1.
“It is absolutely insane to win a region title in my senior year and his (Fryland) final year,” said Dunat, a Davidson signee. “He has waited so long for us and coached us every single day for the last four years. We did this one for him. He has led us to be the team we are today.”
Sophomore Madison Campbell had several big saves for Lexington after giving up the initial goal in the second half.
Lexington and River Bluff will finish up the regular season next week with non-region matches. The Gators will be the second seed from the region, and Chapin, which defeated White Knoll on Friday, will be the third seed.
Chapin boys soccer rolls to region title
The Chapin boys soccer team captured the Region 4-5A championship with an 8-1 win over White Knoll on Friday.
The Eagles finish with a 9-1 record in the region, one game ahead of second-place Lexington.
Saluda softball wins thriller to grab region title
Miller Martin struck out 19 and Saluda scored on an error in the ninth inning to defeat Bateburg-Leesville, 3-2, to win the Region 2A championship.
Martin allowed two earned runs on four hits and walked four in the game. Reese Shaw had two hits and two RBI for Saluda.
B-L pitcher Ainsley Michew struck out 18 and walked just one in the loss. She also had an RBI single in the fifth that tied the game at 2-2.
Kate Shealy hit a solo homer for B-L.
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 10:57 PM.
