Williamstown’s Smith looks back on stellar freshman year
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WILLIAMSTOWN -- While soccer season is now a thing of the past, several local netters look to improve in order to make the most of next year's slate. For Williamstown's Shelby Smith, she'll be picking up where she left off.
Head coach Ben Rinehart has seen plenty of talented players during his time on the pitch, as Smith excelled as a freshman. Many of those great players left their respective marks on the program, but Smith has another three years to keep building. She netted a staggering single-season school record 39 goals this season en route to a 17-5 mark for the Yellowjackets. That's not all Smith brought to the table in her breakout season, since she made further rifts in the record books as the season continued.
In an 8-1 rout of Nitro in WHS's sectional semifinal appearance, Smith notched a record six goals in that win. The ability to score in bunches was always there for the 'Jackets, but Smith's clinic in scoring contrasted another one of her skills: her passing. Rinehart remarked her passing and ability to finish were just parts of what made her so effective. With the victory against Nitro in the books, a tilt against Point Pleasant with a state tournament berth on the line saw Smith and WHS fall just short.
However, Rinehart likes the resolve his team continues to show as a result of that moment. For Smith's part, she's been training at Marietta College and soaking up valuable time honing her skills.
"I've been doing some training up at Marietta College. I've also been training by myself, and about once a week, we go out to Bridgeport, and I do private sessions with Hannah Abraham from WVU," Smith said. "I've also been working out and trying to benefit myself for the best."
Even though Smith had a fruitful beginning to her time at the high school ranks, she wasn't just looking for big numbers. This was a team that made the state tournament in 2020, and she wanted to help lead the team back to that promised land in Beckley.
It's safe to say she still wants that team-oriented goal as a captain next year. As for who made her first season as comfortable as possible, Smith says she rallied around everyone. While Ella McMullen capped off her senior year with Player of the Year honors, she also did her part in bringing Smith into the fold.
"I had individual goals for myself, but my main goal was to benefit this team, especially with the seniors this year," she said. "I thought Ella played an amazing role as a captain. She really made me feel comfortable. Especially being the only freshman, I knew the players, but she made we feel welcome. She's an amazing leader."
The hard schedule faced by Williamstown served as a trial by fire for Smith and company, and Rinehart says that was by design.
He talked about what made the freshman stand out.
"Whenever Shelby was in a game, or even in a practice, she elevated everyone around her," he said. "That's not easy to do when you have skill like that, but she's a selfless player. That's just who she is. She's a great kid."
Smith raised the bar for herself, and in the process, raised it for others around the state. She's motivated and is raring to get back out on the field for the good of the team. Rinehart echoed that sentiment, as he expects big things for next season's Yellowjacket squad.
Still, he said Smith is showing focus beyond her years.
"That's really what it is with her. I tell all the kids at the end of the day to play for the team," the coach recalled. "The accolades will take care of themselves. Where the team success goes, the accolades and individual success will go with that."
Contact Josh Hughes at jhughes@newsandsentinel.com