If the Hough High girls' soccer team challenges for a 4A state title this spring — the way it did without any seniors in its first season — the Huskies will have to do it without all-state keeper Emily Rusk.
Rusk, a senior, is making arrangements to graduate early and will forgo her final high school season. Having accepted a soccer scholarship to the University of Alabama, Rusk will enter college next semester and begin workouts with the Crimson Tide team.
"I'll be a full-time student-athlete," says Rusk.
When football players leave high school early to enroll in college and take part in spring football, it's after they have played their final high school season. But all college soccer is played in the fall, which requires a quick turnaround for the college-bound young lady, who plays high school soccer in the spring in North Carolina. So in order for Rusk to leave, she had to give up the opportunity to play as a prep senior on a Hough team that includes two other all-staters in Allison Stearns and Hannah Robinson, and all-region players Lindsey Byrne, Brandi Arey and Alison Vest.
Rusk says the toughest part of the decision is leaving her teammates, many of whom she has played with for a long time, including during her time at North Meck High, where the group won the 2010 4A state title.
"We've all been through a lot together," she says.
But ultimately, Rusk says she felt it was better to take advantage of the opportunity in front of her.
"She is an extremely mature player, and I think she showed her maturity in this decision," says Hough coach David Smith. "It was nothing she rushed into."
Rusk is currently working with Hough on setting an exam schedule because the school's first semester exams are set for January, when she will be a college student.
Smith says he'll miss Rusk, but he understands and supports her decision.
"For her personally, I think it's great because she has the opportunity to compete right away for the starting job. That's big," says Smith. "There's no doubt in my mind she could go down there and win it."
For Hough, the task of replacing Rusk will take time, says Smith.
"I look at it two ways," says Smith. "On the field, she was one of the top players in North Carolina last year. That's something, where obviously, it'll be big shoes to fill. But off the field, that's, to me, where Emily made such a big impact. She's such a good leader."
Before her all-state selection and I-Meck and Regional Player of the Year junior season at Hough, where she was reassigned when the school system redrew its attendance zones, Rusk was the 4A State Final MVP as a North Meck sophomore.
After making multiple noteworthy saves during regulation and 30 minutes of overtime play, Rusk stopped 2-of-8 penalty kicks to help the Vikings win the school's first soccer title in a 2-1 (7-6) win over Wilmington Hoggard. North Meck coach Neil Roberts said that night that she was the difference.
"She had a phenomenal year, and I think the game was just the culmination of the year she had," says Roberts. "She was money for us."
Rusk posted 11 shutouts and had a 0.57 goals-against average last season at Hough. After Hough beat Lake Norman 2-1 in overtime in the playoffs, Wildcats coach Jon Mertes called Rusk "the state's best keeper."
"There are so many things you have to do differently just to get the ball past her," he said.
Ironically, Rusk's final game came down to penalty kicks. Ardrey Kell edged Hough 5-4 on PKs to get a 2-1 (5-4) win in the state semifinals.
Promising Hough sophomore Marnie Merritt backed up Rusk last season and is the probable starter in-goal this spring.
