Tradition in the making at Todd Beamer
DOUG DROWLEY; For The News Tribune
There is a sense of legacy building within the Todd Beamer High School girls soccer program.
As the second half of the South Puget Sound League South schedule begins today, it is the Titans atop all others in the division. And that spot has become quite familiar for Todd Beamer.
The Titans (8-0 overall) are playing for their third consecutive SPSL South title. Not bad for a school that began playing in 2003.
As early as 2004, in her second season as the coach, Carrie Hentschell saw this coming. That was when her current seniors entered school as freshmen.
“I knew when those girls were in junior high that it would be a good run for them,” Hentschell said. “I happened to teach at the time at the junior high they all attended.”
That would be Illahee Junior High.
The group that became last season’s five seniors led Todd Beamer not just to its second straight SPSL South title, but its first state tournament appearance. It was a run that extended all the way to the state championship game, where the Titans lost to Eastlake in a penalty kick shootout.
That success has fueled a desire in this season’s team to pick up the mantle and continue the tradition.
A year ago, in addition to the seniors, a large contingent of sophomores added to Beamer’s success.
Those players, now juniors, are proving to be more than able to lead this season’s group to loftier heights. The undefeated Titans currently are considered one of the top teams not only in the state but nationally.
Todd Beamer holds the No. 14 ranking in the NSCAA/adidas national high school poll, and is No. 3 in the NSCAA Region 6 rankings. Among the ESPN Top 50, the Titans are No. 24.
“Last year, we kind of opened some eyes,” junior Holland Crook said. “This year, we’re out to prove it wasn’t a one-time deal.”
Crook, though she deflects the notion when speaking, is considered one of the best players in Washington. She’s garnered mention as a potential all-state selection, and in a recent game against Bethel, she scored three of Beamer’s 10 goals.
And Crook is something of a personal legacy, herself.
Not only was her sister one of those five seniors to graduate after last season’s run, but her father, Billy Crook, played professional soccer for 18 years – including stints with the Seattle Sounders (1982-83, fresh out of Kent-Meridian High, and 1994-96) and Tacoma Stars (1985-92).
“I’ve played soccer ever since I can remember,” Holland Crook said.
But Crook isn’t the only cog in this ever-building soccer machine. With only one senior in Megan Miller, there are plenty of underclassmen getting opportunities this season.
“It’s almost like those seniors paved the way and showed them what they need to do,” Hentschell said. “But it’s like, ‘Now they’re gone. It’s our time to shine.’ ”
In addition to the big junior class, several freshmen are getting playing time, including starters Breanna Straus and goalie Meghan Graf, who spent many evenings in the stands watching last season’s team make its postseason run. All of which bodes well for this burgeoning legacy of Beamer girls soccer success.
“They tell us all the time how they were there,” Crook said. “But it’s almost like they’re saying, ‘We’re done hearing about it. Now we want to live it.’ It’s just so awesome. It’s fun to be a part of it.”
