Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Stanhope Elmore Girls’ Soccer team scored two 2nd half goals to defeat Wetumpka at home in a Class 6A Area 4 matchup. Senior Captain Chloe Fultz scored the game tying goal, and the other senior captain, Emily Peterson, scored the go-ahead goal to put the Mustangs ahead 2-1. The Mustangs midfield and defensive back line held Wetumpka without any significant scoring opportunities through the remaining portion of the game to clinch the win. After the Indians won the first matchup in Wetumpka 1-0, the point differential was the same, so the area championship was determined based on a coin flip (one of the all time worst possible ways to break a tie), and Mustangs’ Coach Eric Peterson made the winning call. It was the second season the area was decided by a coin toss because of the same point differential. Both were won by Stanhope Elmore.
“It feels good because winning the area was an important goal for all the girls this season,” said Coach Peterson. “Beating Prattville for the first time in program history was also a goal and I am glad we could accomplish that as well. However, we are not done and we would like to continue winning in the playoffs and advance farther than last year when we advanced to the 2nd round.”
After the Indians scored in the opening half off a Mustangs’ own goal, Coach Peterson moved Fultz from center back to striker in the 2nd half. The move paid off as Fultz scored the game tying goal. Relentless pressure from midfielder Emily Peterson produced another scoring opportunity moments later, which resulted in another Stanhope Elmore goal.
“I was impressed with the resilience the girls showed during the game and really all season. Our two captains scoring was a testament to their leadership and skills on the field. Another thing that impressed me was that for 95% of the game, I had four or five 7th and 8th graders on the field at the same time. They not only started the game and played nearly every minute, but were critical in the win. It highlights the future potential of the SE varsity girls program,” said Coach Peterson.
The Mustangs’ resilience has been on display throughout a gauntlet of a schedule this season. In just the last three weeks, the Mustangs have faced three teams in the Top 10 of Class 7A (Enterprise, Hoover, and Thompson). They started the season on the road against a 7A program (Opelika). Missing several starters, they played a road game the weekend before spring break against a team that made the Class 6A Final Four last season (Southside Gadsden). They played a road game against an area champ from Class 6A (Benjamin Russell) and played a tournament game against a team that ranked in the Top 10 of Class 5A (Brewbaker Tech). They played three games against area champs from Class 5A (Priceville and Elmore County twice), and a road game against a team ranked in the Top 10 of Class 4A (St. James).
Prior to Coach Peterson taking over the Mustangs’ girls program, Stanhope Elmore won only three games per season in each of the previous three seasons. The Mustangs won double digit games in 2025, and followed that up with a second area championship in Coach Peterson’s second season leading the team.
“It was nearly two years ago that I was asked to be the SE varsity girls coach, and my goal was to change the culture of the program. While winning the area for the second year is a manifestation of that cultural change, the journey is not over. I believe that with continued focus on our core values, SE varsity girls soccer will be a winning program every year and a top tier 6A program in the state.”
The SE girls will host Russell County in the 1st round of the Class 6A playoffs on Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
