Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

Local Sports

Related Photos

  • Carolina bound... Bluefield senior Kaylan Stanley signs a letter of intent to play soccer at Lees-McRae College. Stanley is flanked by her mother, Pam Stanley, and brother, Kyle Stanley. Looking on from behind, left to right, include Graham Athletic Director Glynn Carlock, Jr. Graham Princeton John O’Neal, Graham girls soccer coach Hank Furry and youth coach Patti Woodie. Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

    Graham soccer

Discussion

February 2, 2012

Stanley to next kick on pitch at Lees-McRae

By BRIAN WOODSON Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD, Va. — Kaylan Stanley has kept the roads hot during her teenage years, playing soccer in a travel league in Roanoke, while still playing for the Graham G-Girls.

It’s been worth it.

That was proven on Wednesday when the Graham senior signed to play soccer at Lees-McRae College during a National Signing Day ceremony at Graham High School.

“I have been playing since I was five so I have always wanted to go to college to play soccer,” Stanley said. “Just continuing that is pretty much a dream come true because I have always wanted to do that.”

Stanley, who has scored 46 goals in three seasons with the G-Girls, is a key cog for the talented Graham team, which is coached by Hank Furry, who is full of praise for one of the area’s best players.

“They are really getting a good one in her,” Furry said. “She’s got a lot of tremendous qualities to bring to their program and their team. She is a great leader and has got a tremendous first touch with the ball.

“She has got equality with both feet, she has a tremendous kick and her work ethic is incredible too. That is one of the attributes that spreads to the other kids, how hard she works in practice and works during the games.”

While Bluefield College and Concord were also in the running for Stanley, it took one visit to Lees McRae — located in Banner Elk, N.C. — to make her decision an easy one.

“I am very excited, I just felt more at home at Lees-McRae,” Stanley said. “It was just a homely feeling, I just felt at home there and the soccer girls they were so fantastic to me.”

Graham will make its Group A debut in soccer this season in the Mountain Empire District. Stanley, who combines with Jessica Woodie to provide one of the best duos anywhere, expects a big season ahead for the G-Girls.

“I think we will have a good year. We have a few girls that are coming back and as a captain I think that is important for them to help us with a winning season and I think we will do great this year,” Stanley said. “It will be tough situation, but I think we will pull out wins like we did in the other district that we were.”

With Stanley part of the equation, don’t count out Graham.

“She will be the anchor of our defense this year. She is one of those players who steps forward a lot and she takes a majority of our corner kicks,” said Furry, who added that the high-scoring Woodie scored three headers in a game last season, all of corner kicks from Stanley. “One of the attributes the coaches there will appreciate is her ability in corner kicks and putting the ball where the coach wants it put...

“She probably kicks the ball as hard as any girl I have seen her age, and she has a lot of finesse in her game too. She has all the qualities...

“She is very coachable, her understanding of the game is really deep. She understands what her role is .. she is a very versatile type of player.”

Stanley has been part of the Roanoke Star Soccer Club since age 12, with most of that action taking place from August through December. She then plays with the G-Girls during the spring.

“I have been doing that since I was 12 and I have been doing that two times a week and then I have games on the weekends,” Stanley said. “I have been playing soccer since I was 5 and I have been to pretty much every single practice.

“Just being able to be captain last year and this year makes it really fun.”

While Stanley is playing basketball as a senior for the G-Girls, soccer is definitely her sport.

“I just like the contact sport and the rush of getting the ball and going up the field,” she said.

There was never a doubt that Stanley had dreamed of this opportunity. That dream has come true, and the G-Girls — and Furry — have definitely been part of that pursuit.

“They have known I have wanted to play college soccer ever since I was little,” Stanley said. “The coach has been amazing, I have been real good friends with him in my teenage in my years since I was 13 or 14,

“He has really helped me with my tactics and stuff for soccer.”

Stanley will join the defending Conference Carolinas champions. The Bobcats of Lees-McRae were 13-5-3 last season, but she hopes to contribute as soon as possible on the pitch.

“It will be tough because it is a tough situation,” said Stanley, who will major in Criminal Justice. “At Lees-McRae, there are so many good players, it will be interesting to see if I will get some playing time...

“They just made me feel at home.” Stanley added. “I knew I that I could continue there so I knew it was time to sign.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

Text Only
Local Sports