photo by: Photo courtesy Joe Comparato

Cara Jeffries, left front row, and Stella Comparato, left second row, take part in a team photo during club soccer season in fall of 2019.

For four years, Stella Comparato and Cara Jeffries have been trying to beat each other.

Comparato is a forward for the Lawrence High girls soccer team and has been a goal-scoring force for the team for years. Jeffries says it’s Comparato’s speed that makes her such a prolific scorer, adding that she has to “make sure that I’m always in the right position, because she’s so quick and good on the ball.”

For Free State, Jeffries is a defender who shuts forwards down. Comparato says her physicality makes her so difficult to score against, and that “she’ll just bulldoze me if I can’t be physical.”

The pair faced each other for the final time on Thursday, when Lawrence beat Free State 4-3 at Free State High School. But while they won’t be competing against each other anymore, the two are going to join forces as teammates next year at Missouri Western State.

“I’m excited — I’m just ready,” Comparato said. “It’s sad to leave the high school environment, but I think I’m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life.”

College won’t be the first time that Comparato and Jeffries have played together. When the two were kids, they played on the same club team together with many current soccer players at the two high schools. There aren’t a lot of vivid memories of playing on that team, other than having fun with their teammates and playing everywhere on the field.

“It’s kind of funny that we’re ending up back together after being rivals for four years,” Comparato said. “Our club colors when we were 10 were black and yellow, and now it’s going to be our colors in college.”

Despite having been rivals for four years, the two have been able to leave their intensity on the field and have kept their battles respectful. While the two have remained friendly, they became much closer when the two made their commitments to the Griffons.

“Now we’ve just been growing closer,” Comparato said. “We’re talking more and kind of giving scouting reports each day.”

When the high school season ends, Comparato and Jeffries will have summer workouts assigned by their new coach Jacob Plocher, who was in town on Thursday to watch the City Showdown. The two will train together to prepare for the fall where they will join the Griffons.

Both Comparato and Jeffries are expecting to make an immediate impact on the team. With the Griffons having graduated a large senior class last season, Plocher told his incoming freshmen that the opportunity will be there for the newcomers. To make an impact, the pair said they want to work hard.

Along with being on the team together, Comparato and Jeffries will room together. Decorating the dorm room is already something both are excited about, and the two are excited about their new adventure together.

“It’s good to know the other person has your back,” Jeffries said. “We’re going through the same experiences. We’ve watched each other grow up, so we know mannerisms and stuff like that. It’s great to have that person to lean on, along with the rest of our teammates.”

It’s an exciting time for the two Lawrence kids. Not only are they getting to keep playing the sport they love, but they get to do it with a friend who they’ve known for years. And, finally, they don’t have to worry about facing each other in games.

“It’s really amazing to be able to continue something that you love for another four years past how long you’ve been playing,” Jeffries said. “It’s super exciting, and I can’t wait.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State defenders Cara Jeffries, left, and Zoe Prier watch the ball in a 4-2 loss to Lawrence on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior Stella Comparato kicks the ball in a 2-1 win over Gardner-Edgerton on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Lawrence.