GLEN CARBON - Peyton Ellis was the goalkeeper for the Father McGivney Catholic girls soccer team that won the IHSA Class 1A state championship with a solid, dominating win over previously undefeated Pleasant Plains 3-0 in the final on June 6, 2026, at North Central College in Naperville.
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She is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Female Athlete of the Month for the Griffins.
It was a standout season for Ellis herself, as she was the team's number one goalkeeper, making 109 saves and conceding only 13 goals for a goals-against average of 0.52 and a save percentage of .893, recording a total of 23 clean sheets, 16 solo. She didn't allow a goal after a 3-0 loss at home to St. Joseph's Academy Catholic on May 13, a remarkable seven straight clean sheets.
In an interview conducted at the end of a reception on June 8, 2026, at a Father McGivney gathering that honored the team for the state championship, Ellis thought there was a very positive feeling among the team during the run to the title.
"It was amazing," Ellis said, "because last year, we lost, but going all the way was amazing, and it was so emotional. I got to do the state championship with my sister (Bristol); I got to do the competition with my sister (Devin) last year. It meant so much to me."
Going out on top with the championship will be a precious memory that will carry Peyton for the next several years. When the final whistle blew to signal the end of the final, the emotions spilled over for her and her teammates.
"I was so emotional," Ellis said. "I started crying and ran into Natalie (Beck) crying. Most of my teammates were crying, because we've never gotten this far, and it was so emotional, because our team, we all love each other, we always want to do that for each other. It was amazing."
Ellis also agreed that the title adds to the school's legacy, and said that she'll be going to Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville to play in goal for their women's soccer team in the fall. She agreed that after that, one never knows what will happen down the road. She also has a very special memory of the season as well.
"Honestly, winning state is my most special memory of my high school career," Ellis said. "But another one is when we beat Columbia (the then-defending champions) 6-0 in the sectional final at Columbia's home pitch, and we had this huge hug. It's so memorable to me, I literally have it as a photo on my phone."
She proudly displayed the picture of her and Beck in an embrace as the cover photo on her cell phone, a perfect example of the family atmosphere and togetherness that personified the 2026 Father McGivney Catholic High School girls' soccer team.
