Capping off a soccer season that saw Montague bring home its first district championship, eight local players secured all-conference first team awards, on top of a ninth receiving honorable mention on the Division 1 all-state team.
The Wildcats, naturally, led local teams in honorees after a successful season that included 14 victories, none more notable than the district championship win over Fremont. Four Wildcats were all-conference first teamers, and two of those were awarded spots on the Division 3 all-state team.
Seniors Ava Pelton and Braylyn Bultema were recognized at the state level, with Pelton being named to the third team and Bultema collecting honorable mention. Pelton, who also received honorable mention all-state in 2024, was the Wildcats' top scorer all year, delivering memorable goals on a consistent basis; it was her game-winning shot that made the difference in the district finals. Bultema's offensive numbers were not as glamorous as her senior teammate's, but she was a huge part of a Wildcat attack that proved to be very difficult for opponents to slow down.
Fellow Wildcat seniors Abby Dyer and Adilynn Peterson were also all-West Michigan Conference first team performers. Peterson was an effective midfielder and played well on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Dyer played a similar role and did it very well, delivering skill and leadership to her position group. Both were on display in a win at Hart, in which she scored twice and later offered to switch positions with teammate Elle Moran so Moran could score a goal late in the game. It was a meaningful score because Moran was playing her first game at Hart since the passing of her father Troy, the former Hart principal, in 2024.
Although Montague was the headliner, all three local squads saw players achieve all-state mention. Whitehall's Izzy Causie and Reeths-Puffer's Mallorie Messer were both all-state honorable mention performers.
Causie, an exciting freshman player who coach Laicey Chamberlain expressed confidence in even prior to her first varsity game, served notice that her Viking career will have a lot of highlights by showcasing her talent even on a team that sometimes struggled against a grueling schedule. She scored two goals each in wins against Orchard View and Oakridge. Teammate Kate Beda, a multitalented athlete who was all-state honorable mention in 2024, was also named to the all-WMC first team. A goal against conference power North Muskegon was one of her season highlights.
Messer, meanwhile, starred for R-P as one of the top scorers on a Rocket attack that faced a brutal schedule of its own and also entered the season without a ton of experience. Her work, which included a four-goal explosion against local foe Whitehall, drew attention at the state level despite not being named to the O-K Green all-conference team.
Teammates Reese Tryska and Jaslynn Kops, though, were picked to the O-K Green team. Kops was one of the Rockets' top scorers - a two-goal game against Jenison was a highlight - and Tryska was a key piece of the Rockets' midfield and defensive units all season.
