The numbers are staggering.
Kat Taylor scored 143 goals during her prep soccer career at Archbishop Murphy High School. After finding the back of the net 25, 43 and 43 times her first three seasons, Taylor added 32 goals this year against arguably tougher competition as the Wildcats jumped from Class 1A/B to the Class 2A/3A Cascade Conference.
While the senior midfielder’s totals are impressive, her coach said they could have been even higher.
“She’s got a large number of goals, but she could have had more,” Archbishop Murphy coach Pat Jack said. “She looked for younger kids and let them shoot. I don’t see that generosity in many players.”
For her jaw-dropping stats and for helping Murphy (19-4) advance to the 2A state-championship game, Taylor is The Herald’s All-Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
Taylor’s best qualities, Jack said, are leadership and generosity. As a freshman, Taylor had talent – according to Jack, she was talented, but “cocky-good.”
However, as time passed Taylor learned to include her teammates. She tallied eight assists as a freshman but this year, as defenses focused on bottling her up, Taylor collected 16 assists, giving her 53 for her career.
Taylor’s unselfishness paid off. Murphy advanced to the state semifinals each of the past four years, including two consecutive second-place finishes. Most teams would treasure just a single trip to the Final Four. For Taylor and the Wildcats, it became almost a sure thing.
Taylor made coaching easier, Jack said. The co-captain often resolved team turmoil before Jack ever had to deal with it. Taylor was always the first player to break the ice by stepping in and demonstrating a drill. And, along with her fellow seniors, she helped Murphy make a seamless transition to a new conference against tougher opponents.
“I’ve grown more humble,” Taylor said. “I’ve learned the game a lot more, gave more insight to the freshmen (and) learned to always be positive. As a captain, I need to be supportive.”
Said Jack: “She’s kind of a coach’s dream.”
Taylor wants to play collegiate soccer and includes Air Force, Montana State, Idaho and the University of Portland on her list of possible schools. Also a standout in the classroom, she has compiled a 3.61 grade-point average while taking several advanced-placement courses. “She’ll be a great asset to whatever program picks her up,” said Jack, who taught Taylor in two chemistry classes.
Asked what she’ll remember most about her senior season, Taylor cited her team’s run to the state finals.
“We got second in state,” she said. “That’s a pretty big accomplishment. It’s good to go out with a bang.”
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