North’s Marlborough caps career with stately honor

Morgan Marlborough, the most decorated soccer player in the history of Lee’s Summit North High School and the No. 1 goal scorer in state history, wrapped up a dazzling high school career with a four-peat.
After nearly leading the 25-3 Broncos to the Class 3 state championship with a 69-goal season, Marlborough was named the Class 3 Missouri State Player of the Year and earned her fourth Class 3 all-state recognition by the Missouri Soccer Coaches Association.
And she wasn’t alone. Joining Marlborough on the first team were Broncos freshman midfielder Allie Stephenson and senior midfielder Grace Cross. Lee’s Summit midfielder Mandy Laddish was also named to the first team.
North defender Sali Stout and goalkeeper Caroline Stanley earned second-team recognition and midfielder Ashley Licata made third team.
Lee’s Summit West senior defender Kelsey Piepergerdes and sophomore midfielder Allison Gochenour also were second-team honorees. Blue Springs senior Mallory Malone made second team and Blue Springs South senior defender Brynn Abram made third team (please see related story).
North coach Tim Richardson was the Missouri Public School Coach of the Year.
Marlborough followed a 63-goal junior season with a 69-goal effort as the Broncos advanced to the state championship game where they lost a shootout to Incarnate Word Academy, following a 1-all tie in regulation. Stephenson scored North’s lone goal in the title game.
Marlborough holds the single-season (69) goal record and career (232) record for the state.
“After the season was over, we tried to project who would make all-state and we were thrilled to have six girls on the various all-state teams,” Richardson said.
“Certainly, in terms of sheer offense, we’ve never had a player of Morgan’s ability. She scores 63 goals as a junior – and against constant double- and triple-teaming, she comes out and scored 69 as a senior.
“She makes other teams adjust what they want to do when they play us because they always double- or triple-team her. And that leaves so many other opportunities for the other girls.
“Allie is just a freshman and she scored 25 goals. She is the perfect complement to Morgan. She does a little better in tight places while Morgan has that breakaway speed and is so effective in open spaces.”
Richardson said Cross, who totaled 37 assists, was a catalyst for the Broncos’ run in the state playoffs.
“Grace missed a lot of her junior year because of mono and a knee injury, and having her healthy for an entire season made a huge impact on our team,” Richardson said.
Stanley recorded 14 shutouts for the Broncos, prompting Richardson to say, “We thought she was more deserving than second team.”
Marlborough, who committed to the University of Nebraska when she was a sophomore, said she enjoyed every minute of her stellar Bronco career.
“The only goal we didn’t accomplish was winning state,” she said. “We went my sophomore year and finished fourth and we were second this year. But I could never imagine being a four-time all-state player or leading the state in scoring.”
Her 232 career goals rank sixth in the history of the nation.
“She’s amazing,” Richardson said, “absolutely amazing, because she would go out, night after night with an even bigger target on her back than the year before, and score goal after goal after goal.”
She had a hat trick and assisted on the Broncos’ fourth goal in a 4-0 victory over Pattonville in the Class 3 state semifinals.
“I had a lot more help this year than I had in year’s past,” Marlborough said. “Allie was just an amazing freshman and Grace was healthy all year and that made the entire team better.”
While she has been a dominating player on the high school level the past four years, Marlborough said she is now looking forward to a new challenge at Nebraska.
“I talk to my friends and they don’t know where they are going to school or how they are going to pay for it,” she said. “I’m so fortunate to have known where I was going the past three years.
“It’s going to be an exciting new challenge in my life and I am looking forward to it.”