SPORTS
Meet Jessica Ralfs Girls soccer player Jessica Ralfs looks to make this year one of her best by helping the team win BY TYLER MASTERSON masterson2554@gmail.com
Jessica Ralfs has been playing soccer for 13 years. (photo by Tyler Masterson)
Last year the soccer team counted on Jessica Ralfs when she got the only three goals in one game, also a called a hat trick, in route to beating Clinton 3-0. Ralfs has been playing soccer for 13 years now and is going to add to that this year as she plays forward for West. Ralfs said the best part of soccer is scoring a goal because that’s how you win and your team counts on you to score. Ralfs said she likes playing soccer so much because you get a rush when you make a food play or score a goal. She also said that soccer is “exciting,” but is hard because of the long distance running.
Ralfs has many strengths, but her biggest are speed and her shooting skills. She can out run the defenders and she has a strong kick and can aim it. Ralfs said that she is better at offense because she has been playing it her whole life. Last year she scored four goals during the season, showing her offensive skills are strong. To prepare for a game, Ralfs drinks a lot of water to stay hydrated and said she has to get in the right “mind set” for the game. “We have a young team this year, so we are going to work hard and hope things go our way,” Ralfs said. “I want to help my team succeed and score some goals.”
Meet Kris Burney Boys varsity soccer captain Kris Burney uses his playing experience to help the team BY MALIK SALSBERRY salsberrym1@gmail.com Senior Kristopher Burney made all state academic honorable mention his freshman year and is now playing varsity boys soccer his senior year. Burney started to participate in soccer around the time he was in second grade. Around that time he became infatuated with the sport and pursued it throughout his life. “I believe that my strongest trait is my aggressive hustle on the field,” said Burney. Burney also added that his strengths fall with his defending skills, his speed and agility as he plays center defender position. Burney said that the positive attitude he brings every day and his leadership are some of his strengths. However, he continues to work on his ball handling skills. As he works on perfecting his own skills, Burney said that the team overall can improve on communication on the field and their overall endurance.
Burney wants to beat North High and Pleasant Valley because of their reputations as strong teams. “In the past they have been strong teams,” said Burney, “and we believe this will be a strong team for us.” To make sure Burney reaches his goal and betters the varsity team, Burney plans to “practice my hardest at practice, work outside of practice and running on my own.” Burney handles the ball at a variety of fields, but his favorite is Burlington’s stadium because it has a bowl and it’s a great area to play in. Burney offers this piece of advice to those that want to be a defender in soccer. “In order to stop the opponent offenders, one has to be fast, aggresice, and slightly selfless to get the ball out of their possession.”
PAGE BY CODY GEURTSEN
Senior Kristopher Burney plays during a soccer game last year. (contributed photo)
APRIL 12, 2013 ● BEAK ‘N’ EYE 15