SPRINGDALE — Adeline Williams didn’t play soccer as a freshman at Springdale Har-Ber, choosing instead to participate in a youth developmental league in Dallas.
It was a good move for her, a midfielder who has already committed to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. But Williams was grew tired of the travel from Springdale to Dallas and decided to spend her sophomore season with Har-Ber and her older sister, Ellie Williams, who was a senior this year.
“I got to play against some high quality competition and learned a lot,” Adeline said of her experience with the Dallas Texans in the Elite Club National League. “It was a good opportunity, but the traveling got to be too much. On two different Thursdays, I would drive to Tulsa and fly to Dallas. I’d then fly out of Dallas for the weekend and get back to Arkansas at 1 o’clock in the morning and wake up at 7 in the morning on Monday to get ready for school. That went on for most of the school year (as a freshman) and into June.”
Dallas’ loss was Har-Ber’s gain and the Williams sisters teamed up to help the Lady Wildcats to a 12-9 record, including 5-2 in conference play this season. For her effort, Adeline Williams is the All-NWA Media Girls Soccer Newcomer of the Year.
“All of our set plays started with her, as well as corner kicks,” Har-Ber coach John Marshall said of Adeline, who contributed eight goals this season. “ She’s a strong player with a lot of creativity and she helped our team maintain possession on the field.”
Har-Ber recovered from a loss to Bentonville in its 7A/6A-West Conference opener to finish third in the league. The Lady Wildcats won four consecutive games during one stretch, including a 2-1 victory over rival Springdale High when Adeline Williams scored the first goal. Both Williams sisters scored on penalty kicks when Har-Ber beat Siloam Springs 2-1.
“We’re two years apart and we’ve always watched and supported each other while playing on different teams,” said Ellie Williams, who played defense and led the Lady Wildcats in penalty kicks. “So, this has really been fun being on the same team.”
Adeline Williams will do some more traveling for team camps and with her summer league team, the Arkansas Comets. But those hectic trips to Dallas are a fading memory and replaced with the good times she’s experiencing with her friends at Har-Ber.
“Playing for Har-Ber was a lot of fun and connecting with my sister on the field was awesome, too,” Adeline Williams said. “Playing for your school, your friends and family, you can’t beat that.”