Thomas Jefferson’s Hailey Still is The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area Player of the Year
Thomas Jefferson High School soccer standout Hailey Still is only 5-foot-4, but that hasn’t stopped her from being lethal in the air throughout her career with the Raiders.
Part of that can be attributed to Still’s natural athleticism, which she has in spades. But there’s another, intangible factor that Raiders’ coach Josh Hauck believes is just as important.
“It’s just a want,” Hauck said. “If it’s a one-on-one, me versus you, you have to want the ball. She has the ability to go up and win it, but it’s the want-to that she has.”
If a ball is going out of bounds, Still is sliding to try to keep it in. If there’s a loose ball in the box, you can bet Still is scrapping to fight for it.
“She puts her body on the line in countless situations,” Hauck said.
That desire, combined with ability, made the University of Washington commit one of the South Sound’s top-flight players the past four years.
And Still’s senior season was her best yet, as she racked up 43 goals and 11 assists, which is why she is The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area player of the year.
“I don’t think the goals really reflect that it was my best season,” Still said. “I had the most fun this season with my team. We made it to the playoffs, grew as a team a lot and I enjoyed that.”
Why wouldn’t she enjoy herself? Still leaves the high school with three records to her name — goals in a season (43), goals in a game (9, this season against Decatur) and career goals (121).
The previous record for career goals had been held by Chelsea Hunt since the 2002-03 school year. That’s the same year Hunt set the previous mark for single-season goals with 37. Hunt went on to a successful career at the University of San Francisco.
“We have a board with different records for every sport in the school, so it’s cool to walk in and see my name,” Still said. “(Hunt) played D-I soccer, so it was cool to follow in someone’s footsteps and try to beat their scores.
“I hope someday another girl will come into the school and say, ‘That’s Hailey Still. I want to beat those records. She was an amazing player.’ So just having kids wanting to strive to be better is great.”
Hauck said Still’s ability on the ball made her a nightmare to game plan against for opposing teams.
“She’s extremely dangerous when the ball is at her feet,” Hauck said. “She can beat people (one-versus-one) — I’ve seen her beat an entire side of a soccer team.”
For instance, when Thomas Jefferson played Auburn Mountainview on the road on Sept. 17. After taking a 1-0 lead, the Raiders allowed the equalizing goal, knotting the score at 1-1. With the Lions’ players still celebrating, it took Still all of about 30 seconds to dribble through most of the team and score the go-ahead, game-winning goal.
“It was right after they scored and we needed the win,” Still said. “To be able to do that for my team was really cool.”
That killer instinct is what sets her apart, Hauck believes.
“She’s really a threat to score at any point in time,” he said. “Her ability to score is what really stands out. She’s just an all-around great modern-type of soccer player who is able to be very technical. She’s extremely prolific in the air. There’s not a lot of players in our league who could defend her.”
If her high school career was any indication, the Huskies are getting a good one.
“She’s always been a player to just give everything she has,” Hauck said. “This season, the amount of will she displayed and the want to be in the game, stay in games and fight for the ball — that’s what stood out to me. She leaves so much on the field.”
