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Katie Pritchard has never met Anne Felts.
But the two high-scorers from arch-rival schools will forever be linked together as out-state players who made a huge dent in the Missouri high school record book.
On Thursday Pritchard tied Felts as No. 1 on the Missouri large-school girls’ soccer career goal-scoring list. Pritchard’s four goals on Thursday in the Waynesville High School girls’ soccer team’s 70 win over Springfield Parkview gave her 167.
“I’ve heard about her,” Pritchard said of Felts. “But I’ve never had the chance to meet her. (Tying Felts’ career goal record) is a huge honor. I’ve heard she was a great player. To reach that milestone is really exciting.”
Pritchard is likely to pass Felts soon, as the Lady Tigers still have three regular-season games remaining, then the district tournament and, possibly, more post-season action.
But don’t feel sorry for Felts…she’s got plenty of soccer accomplishments and losing this one to Pritchard won’t tarnish her resume in the least.
Felts led Rolla to four consecutive state quarterfinal berths during her four-time all-state career, which spanned from 1998-2001. Felts is also the state’s all-time total points leader with 437 (167 goals, 103 assists. Her career assists total ranks her second all-time.
After her Rolla prep career, Felts went on to play four years for the greatest collegiate women’s soccer program ever, the University of North Carolina. She won a national championship with the Tar Heels and as a senior was team captain.
A two-sport all-state selection, Pritchard won’t play soccer in college. Instead, she will be a member of the Drury University women’s basketball program starting in the 2008-09 school year.
WHS head coach Josh Scott has the unique experience of having coached Pritchard at WHS as well as having coached at Rolla as an assistant. Scott never got to coach Felts, but he got to know her and understand the impact she had on the extremely successful Lady Bulldog soccer program.
It was Rolla’s success during the Felts Era that helped break down some of the long-held opinions that only St. Louis or Kansas City players could compete at a high level in Missouri.
“Anne Felts is the greatest soccer player to come from this region,” Scott said. “She was a national champion at UNC; was captain her senior year there. For Katie to be in the same stat book with her is an amazing accomplishment.”
It was only Thursday morning that Pritchard knew exactly what record she was shooting for.
Throughout this season it was thought that Pritchard was chasing Missouri’s all-time career goal-scoring record. Felts’ mark is what is still listed as No. 1 in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) official record book.
However, Felts’ overall career goal-scoring record was passed by Michaella Fulmer of O’Hara High School, a Class 1 (small-school) program from Kansas City.
Actually, Fulmer passed Felts’ record as a junior, finishing her junior year with 169 goals. After her senior season of 2007 Fulmer had scored 204 goals. O’Hara failed to officially pass those numbers on to MSHSAA.
Scott found out about Fulmer’s record on Wednesday and, in turn, passed the word on to Pritchard Thursday morning.
So the record that Pritchard will soon be in sole possession of is the state’s Class 2 (large-school) goal-scoring mark.
Pritchard approaching Felts’ mark was likened to a pitcher approaching a no-hitter.
Scott had asked the media and his players not to mention it until Pritchard closed in on the mark.
“I didn’t want her to try to score so much that the goal started getting smaller on her,” Scott said.
However, Scott did want to get the record out of the way before the post-season began.
“It meant a lot to get it done (Thursday), said Pritchard of the Lady Tigers’ Senior Night as well as the night the squad clinched sole possession of the Ozark Conference championship. “More than that I wanted to get it done before district started, so I wouldn’t be worrying about that.
“And the best part about (Thursday) was winning conference. A lot of people overlooked us going into the season.”
Scott says the league title is great and Pritchard’s goal-scoring mark is wonderful. But making a run in the state playoffs is what is most important.
“This is a nice feather for the girls’ cap,” Scott said. “But this team measures success by how far we advance in the post-season.”
Indeed, Pritchard would like to reach another Felts’ milestone more than anything – making the state quarterfinals.
Katie Pritchard has never met Anne Felts.
But the two high-scorers from arch-rival schools will forever be linked together as out-state players who made a huge dent in the Missouri high school record book.
On Thursday Pritchard tied Felts as No. 1 on the Missouri large-school girls’ soccer career goal-scoring list. Pritchard’s four goals on Thursday in the Waynesville High School girls’ soccer team’s 70 win over Springfield Parkview gave her 167.
“I’ve heard about her,” Pritchard said of Felts. “But I’ve never had the chance to meet her. (Tying Felts’ career goal record) is a huge honor. I’ve heard she was a great player. To reach that milestone is really exciting.”
Pritchard is likely to pass Felts soon, as the Lady Tigers still have three regular-season games remaining, then the district tournament and, possibly, more post-season action.
But don’t feel sorry for Felts…she’s got plenty of soccer accomplishments and losing this one to Pritchard won’t tarnish her resume in the least.
Felts led Rolla to four consecutive state quarterfinal berths during her four-time all-state career, which spanned from 1998-2001. Felts is also the state’s all-time total points leader with 437 (167 goals, 103 assists. Her career assists total ranks her second all-time.
After her Rolla prep career, Felts went on to play four years for the greatest collegiate women’s soccer program ever, the University of North Carolina. She won a national championship with the Tar Heels and as a senior was team captain.
A two-sport all-state selection, Pritchard won’t play soccer in college. Instead, she will be a member of the Drury University women’s basketball program starting in the 2008-09 school year.
WHS head coach Josh Scott has the unique experience of having coached Pritchard at WHS as well as having coached at Rolla as an assistant. Scott never got to coach Felts, but he got to know her and understand the impact she had on the extremely successful Lady Bulldog soccer program.
It was Rolla’s success during the Felts Era that helped break down some of the long-held opinions that only St. Louis or Kansas City players could compete at a high level in Missouri.
“Anne Felts is the greatest soccer player to come from this region,” Scott said. “She was a national champion at UNC; was captain her senior year there. For Katie to be in the same stat book with her is an amazing accomplishment.”
It was only Thursday morning that Pritchard knew exactly what record she was shooting for.
Throughout this season it was thought that Pritchard was chasing Missouri’s all-time career goal-scoring record. Felts’ mark is what is still listed as No. 1 in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) official record book.
However, Felts’ overall career goal-scoring record was passed by Michaella Fulmer of O’Hara High School, a Class 1 (small-school) program from Kansas City.
Actually, Fulmer passed Felts’ record as a junior, finishing her junior year with 169 goals. After her senior season of 2007 Fulmer had scored 204 goals. O’Hara failed to officially pass those numbers on to MSHSAA.
Scott found out about Fulmer’s record on Wednesday and, in turn, passed the word on to Pritchard Thursday morning.
So the record that Pritchard will soon be in sole possession of is the state’s Class 2 (large-school) goal-scoring mark.
Pritchard approaching Felts’ mark was likened to a pitcher approaching a no-hitter.
Scott had asked the media and his players not to mention it until Pritchard closed in on the mark.
“I didn’t want her to try to score so much that the goal started getting smaller on her,” Scott said.
However, Scott did want to get the record out of the way before the post-season began.
“It meant a lot to get it done (Thursday), said Pritchard of the Lady Tigers’ Senior Night as well as the night the squad clinched sole possession of the Ozark Conference championship. “More than that I wanted to get it done before district started, so I wouldn’t be worrying about that.
“And the best part about (Thursday) was winning conference. A lot of people overlooked us going into the season.”
Scott says the league title is great and Pritchard’s goal-scoring mark is wonderful. But making a run in the state playoffs is what is most important.
“This is a nice feather for the girls’ cap,” Scott said. “But this team measures success by how far we advance in the post-season.”
Indeed, Pritchard would like to reach another Felts’ milestone more than anything – making the state quarterfinals.
