His team is ranked No. 1 in the state and just captured its sixth straight conference championship. Brent Betzold’s complaints are few. Sure, the Essexville Garber girls soccer coach sees some flaws. But his top-ranked, Tri-Valley Conference Red title team even seems to make those work in its favor. “Like any young team, we can be a little rough around the edges at times. We’re not as smooth as we could be,” he said. “They don’t always do things the way we’d like, but these girls get the job done. There’s nothing I can be upset about as far as the results.” Just days after landing the No. 1 ranking in Division 3 on the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association poll, the Dukes downed Alma 8-0 to secure their sixth consecutive conference crown. “That’s pretty amazing,” Betzold said. “We’ve had a great run as a program, so they should be super proud of themselves. I know they’re excited to continue that run, and the seniors are proud to say they won it all four years.” The Dukes (12-1-1, 8-0-1) have a much-anticipated rematch with No. 6-ranked Frankenmuth at home on Tuesday. But that showdown no longer carries conference title implications with the trophy already secure on the Garber mantle. “The girls came out fired up and ready to play,” Betzold said. “They passed extremely well and worked as a team extremely well. “They were a little subdued after the game because they know we have some big games coming up. But I know the staff is excited to have this sewn up.” The No. 1 billing is an added feather in the cap of a program that has separated itself on the local scene. The Dukes have posted eight straight winning seasons and captured three of the past five district titles, highlighted by their state runner-up finish in 2019. “We’ve had some pretty good seasons the past six or seven years, but this is the first time I remember Garber being ranked No. 1,” Betzold said. “It was unexpected. “The girls are always on social media, so they knew right away when the No. 1 ranking came out. They were all talking about it. It’s another thing to be proud of.” So, too, is the latest league championship, iced by a dominant performance on the Alma pitch. The Dukes got two goals apiece from Olivia Aguirre and Carly Arnold and one each from Gabi Aguirre, Aushlund Roznowski, Madison Humphries and Claire Arnold. Roznowski and Sophia Jezierski delivered two assists and Iva Bebow, Emma Kelly and Isla Anderson added one apiece. Olivia Robb made her first varsity start and registered the shutout victory in goal. If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. Love reading about local sports? Don’t miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription now and get full access to every story on MLive!