As one of three seniors on the Harrison girls soccer team, Carlee Spears not only had to deal with playing her final season of high school soccer but also graduation.
Coach Chris Pratt realized that and understood the forward’s predicament.
“She went through some time as a senior where they have so much on their plate where they can’t focus,” Pratt said. “When they see graduation is a couple of weeks away, they know it’s all about to come to an end.”
Fortunately for Harrison, Spears was able to focus on the Lady Goblins’ main task and led her team to its fifth girls soccer state championship last month.
Harrison defeated Pulaski Academy 4-2 in the Class 5A championship game in Fayetteville, as Spears scored a goal in the first half.
Spears scored 32 goals overall, and she is this year’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps girls soccer player of the year.
“She’s always been a consistent goal scorer,” Pratt said. “She was a major reason why we were able to win a state championship.”
When told she was the girls soccer player of the year, Spears could only say, “Wow.” But she turned her attention to her teammates, whom she said she enjoyed playing with.
“It was really exciting to be a senior on that team,” Spears said. “It was a great group of girls.”
Winning a state championship was her favorite 2016 memory.
“It was really great,” Spears said. “Coach Pratt is a great coach. I always knew he was going to be able to help us out.”
Pratt said Spears’ leadership was paramount for Harrison’s success.
“How Carlee went is where our team was going to go,” Pratt said. “She’s the most effective leader because she has that something about her that everybody follows.
“People look up to her. They look to her to set that tone. How she goes is how we went.”
The Harrison star is headed to Central Arkansas to continue her soccer career.
“I thought that overall, it was a better fit for me,” said Spears, who originally committed to UALR before deciding on UCA. “I liked Conway better than Little Rock.”
After leading the Lady Goblins to two state championships in her four-year career, Spears is ready for the next step and credited Pratt for her success.
“I had a good career at Harrison,” Spears said. “It was great having a coach that was able to help me.”
Spears at a glance
POSITION Forward
SCHOOL Harrison
CLASS Senior
NOTEWORTHY Scored 32 goals in 2016, helping Harrison win the Class 5A state championship. … Scored a school-record 132 goals in her four-year career. … Signed with Central Arkansas. … Played club soccer with the Arkansas Comets.
SPEARS GOES OUT WITH A SECOND TITLE
