YELLOW SPRINGS — While most high schools spend their homecoming games cheering for their football teams under the Friday night lights, Yellow Springs High School – sans a football team of their own – operates a little differently.
The school crowned its homecoming royalty before the girls varsity soccer game versus the Miami Valley School, naming Romel Phillips and Tyler Linkhart as homecoming king and queen.
Linkhart, a senior forward on the soccer team and volleyball player, additionally came out strong on the field during the night of her coronation. Yellow Springs tied Miami Valley 1-1 at the end of the match, owing to a hard-fought battle between strong defensive teams.
Friday’s match was a midfielder’s game, as both teams battled it out in the middle of the field.
Yellow Springs midfielder Haneefah Jones consistently won fights for possession of the ball, but almost every Yellow Springs offensive shot was promptly cleaned up by Miami Valley’s Kristi Campbell. At the first half, both teams were scoreless.
Yellow Springs’ ç scored first, a little over two minutes into the second half. Captain Talhia Potter pushed up left field, raked the ball and dropped it back to Longshaw who took a long shot into the upper right corner, out of reach of the goalie.
Miami Valley was quick to respond, however, with a goal of its own. With 30 minutes remaining in the game, Heather Hanley took a shot on goal, the ball rolling past the defenders into the Yellow Springs goal.
Neither team was able to get the upper hand for the remainder of the match, but several long plays were made by Linkhart, who exhibited a powerful throw and ability to clear the ball.
“She’s got a great long throw, she tries hard.” Says coach Marcus Rixon. “Aaliyah Longshaw as well. I’m proud of these girls, I’m glad they did well tonight. The thing you’ve got to remember is that we only have two senior starters. The rest, the majority are sophomores, and there’s a lot of freshman players as well. You know, we want it to build it up, just like with the boys. We’ve got a good future with this team.”
Yellow Springs is now 4-3-2 overall, 2-1-2 in the Metro Buckeye Conference, and was scheduled to host Trotwood Madison on Monday night. Miami Valley is now 2-2-2, 1-1-1 in MBC play.
