Cole File • 18 goals • 11 assists • Division 2 West Offensive Player of the Year

Ever since Jada Cole has been playing on the Chautauqua Lake girls soccer team in the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association West 2 Division, Frewsburg has dominated the league. For 39 consecutive games Frewsburg dominated the league with an unblemished record.

That was until Cole’s junior season at Chautauqua Lake.

After dropping its first game of the season to the Bears 4-1, Chautauqua Lake traveled to Frewsburg for the second meeting on Oct. 2.

It was Paige Zarpentine scoring the game-winner that ended Frewsburg’s streak, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Cole. In the first half, Cole scored a goal unassisted and delivered the helper on Quinn Putney’s tally as the two teams went to halftime tied 2-2.

Zarpentine scored in the final minute for the 3-2 victory, but just like all season, Chautauqua Lake’s success was driven by Cole. Over the course of the season, Cole was kept off the scoresheet on just three occasions and in those games against Falconer/Cassadaga Valley twice and Maple Grove once, Chautauqua Lake came up short.

It was more likely that Cole’s name ended up on the scoresheet and Chautauqua Lake greatly benefited from it. In nine games Cole had multiple points, but her best performances came against eventual Class D champion North Collins, first scoring two goals and two assists, then in the final meeting scoring four goals and one assist.

The final time Cole was kept off the scoresheet was in a 1-0 league loss to Maple Grove to end the regular season, causing Chautauqua Lake to finish in second place. Frewsburg still ended up atop the league standings, but this time it was without a perfect record.

Cole’s offense extended from the regular season into the playoffs where she showed her clutch factor.

In Chautauqua Lake’s Section VI Class C quarterfinal matchup against Holland/West Valley, she netted both goals to advance to the semifinals on a 2-0 victory.

It was not the first time Cole’s offense had Chautauqua Lake narrowly escape its opponents. Cole scored both goals in Chautauqua Lake’s 2-1 victory over Maple Grove on Sept. 20, she then scored both in the 2-1 victory over Silver Creek/Forestville on Sept. 25 and she set up Zarpentine’s tying goal that sent the Class C semifinals against Frewsburg to overtime.

Cole’s assist in the semifinals ended up being her final point as the Bears went on to capture another sectional title. Kealy Caflisch’s overtime goal ended up being the difference in the contest, leaving Chautauqua Lake just one bounce going their way away from an appearance in the sectional finals.

Chautauqua Lake finished its season with an 8-2-0 league record and 10-6-0 overall record.

She finished the season with 18 goals and 11 assists, making her involved in 64% of Chautauqua Lake’s goals. What makes her offensive totals even more impressive is that she had the ability to generate from playing at both forward and further back as a midfielder.

Her offensive prowess was recognized by the league as she was named the CCAA D2 West Offensive Player of the Year.

For all of the reasons above, Jada Cole is the 2023 Post-Journal/OBSERVER Player of the Year.