Kernel girls soccer leans on veteran core as Bob Lemon returns to coaching

Aug. 17—MITCHELL — There's a renewed energy in the form of a familiar face on the sidelines for the Mitchell High School girls soccer team this fall. Bob Lemon, who formerly coached the Kernels for six years until stepping away after the 2022 season, is back leading the program, and he inherited a squad eager to climb the Class AA ranks. A year ago, Mitchell finished with a record of 5-10, which slotted the Kernels as the No. 14 seed in the Class AA playoffs, where they were eliminated by Pierre in the first round. From that squad, the Kernels have 11 returning letterwinners in 2026, giving the team a solid foundation to build from. "A lot of those kids have been through the fire and have been exposed to high-level soccer, so they bring a degree of quality to their play that the other girls can watch and learn a little bit from," Lemon said. "That should allow us to be really competitive from the get-go." That core of returners includes four seniors — Taryn Thomas, Emilie Ellis, Katie Stahl and Rylee Jennings — who Lemon praised for their leadership. In addition to what they provide on the pitch, Lemon said they have been integral to making his transition back into coaching an easy one. Despite an offseason of change that also included the graduation of six seniors from 2025, there's a feeling this year's team is starting on the same page. "A collective strength of this team so far is the sense of unity," Lemon said. "They're really working together in the ways we need to, but we also know we have to be strong individually because we can only go so deep." Some of the Kernels' optimism heading into the new season stems from a number of close calls in 2025. Of Mitchell's 10 losses last season, half came by one goal and another was a two-goal difference during the regular season against Pierre, which went on to be the No. 3 seed in the postseason. MHS was one of two Class AA playoff teams that went the whole season without a single draw. "The fact that they were competitive in so many matches, that is going to be huge because they can use that experience and take it from there," Lemon said. "Rather than a one-goal loss, let's move it forward and see what we can do with it." Though Lemon was away from the soccer sidelines for three years, he was never too far removed from the program. He kept up with the team and still managed to watch almost every MHS game over the past three seasons via live stream. Additionally, Lemon was involved with MHS athletics as an assistant track and field coach for the past two years. Even so, he's excited to be officially back in the fold. "This has been kind of a different year for me. When 2026 rolled around, I did not expect to be in this position, but it opened up, and I felt like the time was right for me to step back in," Lemon said. "It was great to watch them play, but it's great to be back out here." The Kernels got a jump start to their campaign with a season-opening 9-0 victory over Huron at home on Aug. 14. As the schedule ramps up, Mitchell hosts Spearfish and Douglas/New Underwood on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22. Other home dates for MHS include Sept. 8 (Yankton), Sept. 12 (Dakota Valley), Sept. 17 (Aberdeen Central), Sept. 22 (Brandon Valley) and the home finale Oct. 1 (West Central). The Class AA playoffs begin Oct. 6.