Everybody has heard the one about the soccer player who helped out the football team by kicking a few extra points. Well, Lake Highlands soccer player Paul Broome has a different story: He’s All-District in both soccer and football, but he’s never used a kicking tee.
Broome, a 5-foot 9-inch, 140-pounder, received second-team All-11-5A recognition in soccer as a sophomore. Then he shifted to club soccer and played for the Hornets ’76 in the internationally prestigious Dallas Cup tournament. When fall came, he put on the football pads as a free safety, intercepted 11 passes and was voted first-team All-District defensive back.
He may be the only boy ever to start against the Plano Wildcats football squad and against the Boca Juniors soccer club of Argentina in the same year.
“Friday night football – there isn’t a feeling like that,” Broome says. “But playing a big match in the Dallas Cup, in front of all those fans, is the same feeling.”
Broome has been playing football since the fifth grade and outplays taller and much heavier opponents. He didn’t start until the fourth game last fall but ended up proving that his slight build was no obstacle to success.
“I just play,” he says with a shrug. “I only know one way to play: full speed all the time.”
Broome needed a little time to establish himself with varsity soccer, even though he’s been kicking the round ball since age six. “I didn’t play much early on, being a sophomore,” he says. “Later on, I did.”
Paul’s just an exceptional athlete,” says soccer coach Frank Gidwani. “He’s a tenacious midfielder with excellent skills, a leader on the field. He’s the type that can set the tone of a game.”
It doesn’t bother Broome that both sports are rough.
“Soccer is a real rough game,” he says, “rougher than football, I think. Those Argentine and South American players can click your heels.”
Because of his size, Broome conceded that soccer is the sport that he hopes to play in college. He takes little ribbing from his football mates, he says, “because there are other (soccer players on the gridiron squad): Andy White plays stopper on the soccer team and linebacker in football, Jeff Johnson is a sweeper and (football) kicker, and Jeff Mason is a goalie and (football) center.”
While his football teammates were watching college bowl games on TV over the Christmas break, Broome and the Hornets flew to Florida and took first place in their division of the Sun Bowl Tournament. “We won seven games in four days,” he says.
This April, the Hornets will again play in the Dallas Cup’s Super Group.
“We play Real Madrid of Spain (the defending group champions) at 8 o’clock on opening night in the (Lake Highlands) stadium,” Broome says. “That should be fun.”
New Coach With Experienced Team
Alicia Heard has high hopes for her rookie season as head coach of the Lake Highlands High School girls soccer team. Heard, who assisted head coach Mary Jacoby last spring, inherits a lot – four starters returning from a team that shared the district championship, made the playoffs for the first time in school history and advanced to the region finals. The team is ranked third in the area with a 12-1-2 regular-season record, and beat Plano and Plano East in back-to-back games.
Returning starters are forward Rachel Wilkinson, defenders Laura McClendon and Caren Vaughan, and midfielder Liz Prescott.
“I think we’ll be even better,” Heard says. “Barit Carlson will start at striker or center midfield, and she’s a powerhouse.”
Football Update
Lake Highlands offensive lineman Nathan Lee has received second-team All-State honors. The 6-foot 4-inch, 260-pound senior is considering recruiting offers from Washington, Michigan, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Florida State.
Senior offensive lineman Ryan Francis and junior running back Dexter Ford received honorable mention on the All-State team.
Ford, Lee and senior quarterback Kent Ackmann were named to the All-District first team, as were senior defensive end Nathan Walters, senior linebacker Casey Smith and junior defensive back Paul Broome.
Swimming Up Stream
Lake Highlands swimmer Sam Williams was featured on Dale Hansen’s McDonald’s Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Channel 8 Jan. 2.
Williams, a senior, ranks in the top 10 in his class and has helped set two school records on relays: in the 400 freestyle as a sophomore and in the 200 medley as a junior. The son of an SMU mathematics professor, Williams excels in math and science and hopes to attend Rice, Vanderbilt or SMU.
Young Players Score Big
The Strikers of the Under 10 boys division in the Lake Highlands Soccer Association, won their fall division. Coach Mike Lussier and Assistant Coaches Mel Booth and Ken Jones led the team on to the North Texas Tournament of Champions in Plano, where they won second place.
Team members are Keishiro Ariizumi, Kyle Alsen, Aaryn Blackwell, Chris Booth, Eric Freytag, David Grinstaff, Taylor Jones, William Marin, Ross McLendon, Cody Morris, Jason Pondrum, Chefik Simo and John Shumate.
