What does it take to be at the top? Senior varsity soccer players Raegan Williams and Kate Schaffer just found out. This spring, Williams and Schaffer will represent the western part of North Carolina in the East-West All-Star game held on July 18 in Greensboro. This is where the best seniors in the western region of North Carolina face off against the eastern region.
“I feel very honored to be selected. It is an exciting opportunity and I am happy to be a part of the experience. It will be a unique and fun way to end my time playing soccer,” Schaffer said.
Schaffer has been playing since the age of 3 and has been a member of the varsity team for the past four years alongside Williams. Both girls have been playing together on the same club teams since they were little.
“So much of sports is based on competition and comparison, but I was never fulfilled with those two things. The best times I’ve had playing soccer have been with teammates who feel like [my] best friends and coaches who feel like role models. There’s something special about playing for the person standing beside you rather than for yourself; that has been my motivation,” Schaffer said.
Schaffer plays center defense and has been a major asset in both preventing other teams from scoring and scoring herself.
“She is one of the best leaders we’ve had. She is a lead by example and is a hard worker. She’s somebody who takes everything to heart and wants to do what’s right and wants to do what’s good whenever she possibly can,” varsity soccer coach Scott Bilton said.
Williams was also selected to compete for North Carolina in the Clash of the Carolinas Tournament on July 24 in Raleigh. About 10 years ago, both the North Carolina and South Carolina Soccer Coaches Associations got together to create an all-star game in which the best players from each state compete against each other. Coaches of high school teams across both states are able to nominate deserving seniors to participate in the event. The coaches then get together and vote on which players to select for each state.
Williams was selected because of her performance from the past four years. She is one of 15 seniors from North Carolina who will play against the top 15 seniors from South Carolina.
“I was extremely excited because I put a lot of work into it so it just felt like it was finally paying off. For myself, I’m having one of the best seasons I’ve had,” Williams said.
Williams has been playing soccer since she was 4 and started playing for nearby clubs since she was around 7 or 8. She has received many awards during her soccer career including, Tournament MVP at the Soccer Spectacular this past March.
“I care about [soccer] a lot and am constantly wanting to get better. I want to be a leader and have an impact,” Williams said.
Williams has played travel soccer across the region and has played on varsity all four years of her high school career. During her current season with the Titans she has scored 16 goals and 23 assists in 14 games.
“Raegan is one of the most technical players that I have ever been able to coach. Not only is she very good athletically; [she] can read the game very well,” Bilton said.
Williams typically plays center midfield for the Titans but can play multiple positions. This season she was also selected to be a team captain for the varsity team alongside Schaffer.
“[Williams] has been a leader with not only performance but also mentality,” Bilton said.
This year, she is playing alongside her younger sister, freshman Reese Williams, a defender and midfielder on the varsity team. This will be the third time both sisters have ever played on the same soccer team together.
Schaffer will be attending North Carolina State University as a Exploratory Studies major in the fall while Williams plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill next year and major in the medical field as well as play club soccer.
“I’m not ready to be done playing soccer, but I just didn’t want to just play in college because it’s life and I have a lot of other things I want to do,” Williams said.
Both girls have motivated their team even in tough situations and have been leaders both on and off the field. Although they won’t be participating in future seasons, Shaffer and Williams still plan on supporting their former team from the sidelines.
“My advice to younger soccer players would be to enjoy every moment and never take a day to lace up your cleats for granted,” Schaffer said.