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Soccer players soak in memories at first county senior all-star showcase

High School Sports: Tim Martinez

By Tim Martinez, Columbian Assistant Sports Editor
Published: December 9, 2018, 7:57pm
2 Photos
Harmoney Sports Complex was the site of the first Clark County Senior All-Star Girls Soccer match (Tim Martinez/The Columbian)
Harmoney Sports Complex was the site of the first Clark County Senior All-Star Girls Soccer match (Tim Martinez/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

Basketball players have had the Les Schwab Roundball Shootout for nearly a quarter century.

Baseball players have had their own senior all-star showcase for more than 40 years.

And the Freedom Bowl Classic has been giving football players a spotlight each summer since 2003.

But a showcase for high school senior all-stars for girls soccer has been missing.

That is, until Sunday.

I’m not sure why there hasn’t been a soccer showcase. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that such a showcase would have to be played in December, when there is a good chance the game would be played in 37-degree temperatures and a steady rain.

That’s what greeted the more than 30 players who participated in the first Clark County Senior All-Star Game, hosted by the Washington Timbers FC soccer club at Harmony Complex on Sunday.

Despite the chilly setting, smiles graced the faces of the players after the Black Team earned  a 5-0 win over the Red Team.

“I really enjoyed it,” Camas’ Jazzy Paulson said. “It was fun to play with everyone in the county. It was just to have fun, let loose and do whatever.”

The match was scheduled to start at 5 p.m., but didn’t kick off until about 5:15, largely because several participants were playing a club match on an adjacent field at Harmony. That included Paulson.

“Yeah, I’ve been out here in the weather for a while,” she said. “At first, I was like ‘I don’t want to play another game.’ But I’m glad I did. It was fun.”

As one might expect in an all-star match, the offenses had trouble building challenges in the first half. But late in the first half, Paulson punched through for a goal for the Black Team.

Shortly thereafter, both teams broke for halftime. Because of the conditions and because several players had just finished playing a full match, the teams played abbreviated 25-minute halves.

The halftime break was all the Black offense needed to get going.

Paulson was fouled in the box early in the second half, setting up a penalty kick which she converted.

After that, goals followed by Union’s Brin Wolvert, Washougal’s Madison Gehrke and Union’s Maddie Goss as the Black Team pulled away.

But the end result was secondary to the players on the field. Smiles, laughter and hugs were the priority as these seniors put a cap on their high school careers.

“I thought they had done this (all-star game) before, but I guess this is the first one,” Paulson said. “I really liked it. I hope they keep doing it.”

Perhaps Sunday will be the start of something bigger.

Because the first Clark County Senior All-Star Game provided everything anyone could have hoped for.

Except maybe for a roof.

Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep editor for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4538, tim.martinez@columbian.com or follow his Twitter handle @360TMart.

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