Kicker's Paradise

ADAMS SOCCER PROGRAM SIZZLING WITH SUCCESS

It's been quite a prolific school year for the sport of soccer at ROCHESTER HILLS ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL. First, the boys varsity squad captured, conference, district and regional titles, on their way to a magical run into the D1 Final Four last November -which  sadly ended with a bitterly-contested 1-0 overtime loss to eventual-state champ, Birmingham Brother Rice. When it was all said and done, senior captain and team leader Joey Dillon was named All-State. My main man Joe will be playing his college ball the next four years in WASHINGTON DC at Georgetown.

quick to Dillon:

HEY JOE, BE A PRINCE AND SAY HI TO PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR ME AND THE WHOLE OC WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE DOING YOUR THANG ON THE FIELD! NOW COME TO THINK OF IT, SAY "WHAT UP, DOE" TO BRAND NEW-WIZARD JOHN WALL FOR ME TOO!!  THANKS, DAWG

This spring with the Highlanders' girls team, it's been more of the same. Currently ranked number 6 in the state, the Adams lady kickers are 12-1-1 and with a 1-1 tie with intra-city foe, Stoney Creek, on Thursday evening, the squad clinches the Oakland Activities Association Red Division championship.  

Finding itself down 1-0 at the half, Adams dug down deep to force a deadlock and clinch the league crown. The Highlanders continued to pepper the net and with 22:55 remaining scored on a penalty kick by sophomore forward Hannah Lee.

Leading the way on defense for Adams was standout goalkeeper, Jessica Wineke, who made six saves. Wineke has been a brickwall in between the pipes all year long and with only ten goals allowed so far this season, she's practically a shoe-in for an All-State nod.

But like on all great teams, every game it's a different INGREDIENT OF that PROVERBIAL SOUP THAT steps up to get the job done when its most crucially needed. This past Monday, the Highlanders slipped past Utica Eisenhower 1-0 thanks to a goal by Mackenzie Barber. Last Thursday night on the road against perennial state frontrunner, Troy, it was Merlin Beckwith, Jessica Lang, and Kylie Nylen who netted goals in the Highlanders 3-1 upset-victory.

Although only a sophomore, Beckwith has emerged as one of the team's primary vocal leaders, encouraging her teammates and keeping them in line with the high-level of expectations she sets for herself and the program as a whole.

"This team has a lot of integrity and that makes us push ourselves to the limit in everything we do," she said, with a smile across her face and her arm around her best friend, Hannah Lee. "Some of us our young and have only been on the team a year or two, but the age thing isn't a factor. When teams try to exploit our inexperience, myself and some of the younger girls take pride on not letting them. We're going to keep playing our game and displaying the will power of a champion because that's what we expect of ourselves."

Beckwith smells blood in the water and desires her team to take advantage of it moving forward.

"People have a reason to fear us now and I like that," she said. "We've earned that kind of reputation and now we've got to make the most out of it."

The Lady Highlanders get back to action on Monday when they travel to Flint to do battle with Powers Catholic.

I'M STARTING A NEW DANCE CALLED THE "HIGHLANDER HUSTLE"....COME ON EVERYBODY GET UP AND BOOGIE FOR BURNEY EVERYTIME THE LADY HIGHLANDERS SCORE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!!!1