By By EUGENE L. TINKLEPAUGH, Staff Writer
Washington Pam Pack’s leading scorer Blaine Prescott knows how to find the goal. The junior striker has netted more than 30 goals this season, which helped her secure the Coastal Conference Player of the Year nod. Prescott also has been selected as the Daily News Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year.
Both accolades were unexpected, Prescott says.
From an early age, soccer has been Prescott’s passion, but the sport was something new for the Prescott family.
After her first, unsuccessful — by her account — rec season, she worked on her dribbling and shooting skills with her dad at home. She was six, but still remembers what was motivating her to work so hard.
Prescott has played in a travel league since she was 10, and started playing soccer at the rec level at the age of 6. This season was her second in a Pack jersey.
Washington had a 11-6-1 overall record going into the postseason this year to finish third amongst the 3-A teams in the split Coastal Conference. For the fifth consecutive season, the Pam Pack made it into the state playoffs and fell in the first round, giving Washington an 0-6 record in its playoff history.
In one of the team’s last games of the season, Prescott suffered a bloody nose during the Pack contest against the Havelock Rams, but only missed five minutes of action.
The physicality of the game is what preserves her passion for it.
She lives in Williamston, but because her mother teaches at the Washington Montessori Public Charter School, Prescott is allowed to attend Beaufort County Schools.
Her Martin County school district’s high school doesn’t have a ladies’ soccer team, so Prescott decided to transfer to Washington High two years ago.
She plays center forward, mostly, but has also helmed the center mid position.
Prescott says she runs three to seven miles a day to work on her speed and fitness.
She still has one more high school soccer season in her, as well as one more season on the 89 Spartan Premiere club team, a Raleigh travel league team.
Try-outs just ended for the Castle league team, and Prescott will play in her fourth season in the league.
During the season, which continues into the fall, Prescott makes as many as five trips a week to Raleigh for practice.
In 2005 the travel team went to regionals held in Arkansas and won. The win gave the team a berth to the nationals, but that game was canceled that year.
Prescott predicts her senior season with the Pam Pack will be a successful one.
Some of the junior varsity girls coming up “looked good on the field,” Prescott said. “We had three or four freshman and sophomores who’ll be returning, so that’s always good.”
The rising senior says she has a lot to think about regarding her future.
Prescott hasn’t decided on a college, but she knows she wants to play college soccer.
This summer, she says, she’ll “be going on a lot of unofficials.”
On these college visits, Prescott can meet with coaches and some of the school’s soccer players.