Dependable scorer
Gila Ridge’s Kylee House took step forward as a senior, lead area with 27 goals
Kylee House has always been a dependable scorer for the Gila Ridge girls soccer team, but after finding the back of the net 27 times her senior season, House showcased why she’s the best goal scorer in town.
House scored in 10 of 14 games this year — including a career-high six against Buckeye — which helped the Hawks reach the postseason for the third consecutive season.
“(Kylee) took a step forward this offseason,” coach Cooper Cox said. “I know she worked really hard with her club team and she came into this season eager, hungry and wanted to be one of the best players not only in Yuma, but also in the 4A region here in Arizona.”
House’s sensational senior season earned her the 2019-2020 Yuma Sun/Yuma Rotary Club Girls Soccer Player of the Year honor.
“It means a lot (to win this award),” House said. “It’s a pretty awesome feeling.”
House’s dominance went beyond regular season play and carried over into the 4A postseason where she tallied four goals in two games – including three against Lee Williams in the 4A play-in round.
“She delivered big time for us,” Cox said. “Going into the playoffs, I knew she’d be a player we could look to because of her experience. (Lee Williams) game was a crazy one for her and our team, but I think we all expected it just because of the season she was having. She definitely was one of the reasons why we were (in the playoffs) in the first place.”
The explosion offensively for House is credited towards her efforts throughout the offseason with her club team in Yuma. As she continued to develop during the summer and her final season as a Hawk, House noticed her vision on the field propelled her into becoming a more dynamic scorer around the net.
House’s 27 goals and 59 points this season both ranked inside the top-eight for all 4A players. She ranked second in the 4A Southwest region in both categories.
“(Kylee) really stepped up the entire season,” Cox said. “We lost a few of our leading scorers from last year and with it being her senior year, she knew that she had to be one of the difference makers and leaders on the team.”
Gila Ridge reached the postseason in House’s final three seasons as a Hawk, but it was the increase of chemistry between the team that allowed them to have so much success.
“We had a lot more chemistry this year than in previous seasons,” House said. “I feel like that had a lot to do with our success due to the trust and confidence we gained throughout the season.”
As one chapter closes, another one will be opening soon for House as she plans to study forensic science at Grand Canyon University this fall.