On Nov. 6, the Mid-Penn Conference announced that State High Girls Soccer Head Coach Kent Dwyer was named the 2025 Mid-Penn Commonwealth Coach of the Year. In his first season at the helm, Dwyer led his team to its most victories since 2019.
Senior captain Leila Crandall, who earned All Mid-Penn Commonwealth Conference Second Team honors, alluded to Coach Dwyer’s personability.
“He always leads with a player-first mindset. He has developed a relationship with every single person on the team,” she said.
The Little Lions’ 2025 season finished with a 3-15 overall record and a conference record of 1-7. Multiple State High athletes earned individual awards: junior captain Leah Sampsel earned first team honors, Crandall earned second team honors, and freshman Shae Dwyer earned third team honors.
The lone conference win came at home against Carlisle. Dwyer noted this game as a standout moment of the season.
“I feel like the girls had a choice. They could have thought it was the same thing again where we compete and then we don’t finish, and we stepped up,” Dwyer said.
Crandall also mentioned what was different about this year, “The work we have been putting in behind the scenes,” she said. “He [Dwyer] is very strategic with everything, whether it is the weight room or just training; he has a reason for everything he does. Organization has definitely been key this year.”
Dwyer spoke about what winning this award meant to him: “I am just really proud of the girls,” he said. “That is the only tool the coaches had to vote me for coach of the year was the level of play that my girls produced on the field.”
Dwyer went on to explain how excited and pleased he is about his coaching staff. Former Little Lion Goalkeeper Megan Maher and Coach Matt Fantle are the team’s assistant coaches.
“I can’t say enough about them,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to ask for both coaches to apply for their positions.” “She is amazing,” Sampsel said about the impact of Coach Maher. “I can talk to her about anything, she is very knowledgeable on a lot of different topics”.
“His tactical knowledge is through the roof,” Dwyer said about Coach Fantle. When the coaches were thinking about what formation to play, “two days later, he had like a 40 slide slideshow with all these visuals and information,” Dwyer said.
Sampsel has many hopes and aspirations for next season, her senior year.
“I am excited to be another leader on the team,” Sampsel said. “Hopefully I am a captain again…just have fun with my seniors.”
Dwyer also reflected on the Carlisle win as a big step for the future of this program.
“I think the Carlisle win is really the beginning in terms of seeing results on the scoreboard, as opposed to just those moral victories,” Dwyer said.
Crandall, Sampsel and Dwyer all mentioned the connectivity chemistry of the team. One of the traditions Dwyer implemented as he works to build the program is high-fiving everyone on the sideline after a goal.
“We talk a lot about valuing every single player on the team for what they are bringing in terms of effort and energy,” Dwyer said. “When we celebrate a goal, we celebrate it as a program.”
After a strong first season under Coach Dwyer, the Little Lions will look to build on this momentum next year.
