HAVERHILL — Former Haverhill Excessive star Michael Kwegyir-Attah goes to be taking part in professional soccer Sundays in Texas, the place the game is faith.
Whereas it’s not in AT&T Stadium, house of the NFL’s Cowboys, it’s nonetheless among the many soccer mad state’s most passionate locales.
It’s in Odessa in western Texas, house of the Permian Excessive Panthers of “Friday Night time Lights” fame.
How did the 25-year-old linebacker find yourself in Odessa, which is 123 miles from Lubbock, the house of Texas Tech, and 242 miles from Juarez, Mexico?
He noticed a gap on Instagram for the West Texas Warbirds, a Champions Indoor Soccer League group.
“I’m nonetheless younger. I stated, ‘Why not?’” recalled the 6-2, 245-pound Kwegyir-Attah. “I hoped the Mass. Pirates in Worcester would contact me however they had been fairly full. If I do properly, the sky is the restrict. I simply love the sport. I like it a lot.”
He’s an assistant soccer and boys basketball coach with the Hillies and is working as a safety guard at Haverhill Excessive.
Why not simply dangle up the cleats and stay in Haverhill?
“I’ve to take the chance,” he stated. “I nonetheless imagine I’ve lots within the tank.”
He had by no means performed soccer till his junior yr at Haverhill, however he instantly took to the sport. He began each years and was named second-team All-MVC Small Division as a senior.
At Monroe (N.Y.) Junior Faculty, he opened eyes, making first-team all-conference as a sophomore.
He was recruited to Division 1-AA Norfolk State, the place he totaled 12 tackles as a senior.
“Accidents killed me at Norfolk, a torn labrum in my left shoulder,” he stated. “It was fairly irritating. I had excessive expectations.”
The Warbirds season begins April 10 and he reviews to camp March 13.
His dad and mom are from Ghana and Michael has moved round so he has no qualms with shifting to Texas.
He lived in London till age 4, then Chicago, then Worcester and has referred to as Haverhill house since eighth grade.
“It’s an journey. You must get out of your consolation zone,” stated Kwegyir-Attah, who has bench pressed 345 kilos and squatted 485 kilos.
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Haverhill’s Phiris hit floor working
Haverhill Excessive’s 5-8 freshman Colleen Phiri had an eye-popping 32 factors Tuesday in her highschool debut. So we ought to be listening to lots from her within the coming years.
A pair days earlier than, older brother Saul Phiri had 32 for the semi-pro Plaistow Shockers.
Saul, too, hit the bottom working for the Hillies, scoring 13 in his debut.
He’s one in every of 10 freshman boys to make Eagle-Tribune All-Star in basketball. That was 2013 for Haverhill. And we’ve named the group for a half-century (1971-2020).
Saul, after all, had a fantastic profession at Division 1 La Salle in Philadelphia. He began three years and scored 685 factors (6.5 common) for the Explorers.
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
Listed here are a bunch of faculty commitments which haven’t run within the Tribune but.
Justine Doyle, Pinkerton, New Haven lacrosse; Abigail Husson, Windham, St. John Fisher soccer; Billy Savage, Timberlane, Le Moyne lacrosse; Spencer Deane, Salem, Caldwell lacrosse; Steven Ferullo, North Andover, Tempo lacrosse;
Max Wolfgang, North Andover, Bentley soccer; Matt Sapienza, Phillips/North Andover, Georgetown baseball; Jacob Lapp, Phillips/Andover, Tufts baseball; Solana Fahey, North Andover, Babson lacrosse.
SPEED KILLS
Noticed some good tales on all of the monitor velocity for Division 1-A nationwide soccer champion Alabama.
In the event you’re a severe highschool soccer participant (ability participant or lineman) who doesn’t do a winter and/or a spring sport, you have to be doing monitor.
In the event you say, “I’m doing it simply to remain in form,” don’t trouble. That’s a loser angle for an athlete.
Do it to set a number of private bests, get sooner, stronger and fitter, and make a ton of recent associates.
And I guess when you contact your monitor coach right this moment, you may be a part of the group ASAP.
LANCERS’ LAMENT
Sports activities editor Invoice Burt had a wonderful piece in Thursday’s Tribune on how tough it’s for Gregory Duran of the basketball group and all Lawrence Excessive children to once more have all their sports activities canceled.
That is 10 straight months of no sports activities for Lancer athletes.
To its credit score, Central Catholic, only a hop, skip and a bounce down the street, is taking part in with all of the Raider occasions being performed on the street.
GENEROUS PATRIOTS
David Portnoy and Barstool Sports activities have carried out heartwarming work to help companies crippled by the pandemic. Thursday he famous the Patriots had been the one Boston group to contribute.
Doesn’t say a lot for the Crimson Sox, one of many nice advantage signalling franchises in sports activities, Celtics or Bruins.
The fund has raised almost $26 million heading into the weekend.
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