Home >  Sports >  High School Sports >  Athlete of The Week

Thursday, September 13, 2001

JAMIE PELUSI

	Jamie Pelusi

SCHOOL: Hampton

WHO IS SHE? A 5-foot-8 senior goalie for the soccer team.

NO GOALS ALLOWED: In the Talbots' first four games she has allowed one goal. The team is 2-1-1 and ranked No. 3 in Class AAA.

CAREER: Pelusi has been Hampton's starting goalkeeper since her sophomore season. Last year, she was named to the Post-Gazette's All-Star team after allowing five goals the entire season and leading the team to an 18-1-3 record and a spot in the WPIAL quarterfinals. She had a goals-against average of .02 and shutouts in 10 section games. Overall, she is 36-8-4 as the Talbots' starting goalie.

KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE: Hampton has a long tradition of fielding a successful girls' soccer team, and that's one reason Pelusi started playing the sport at a very young age. Now she's doing her best to inspire younger girls who may be considering the sport.

"Soccer has always been great here in Hampton, particularly for girls," she said. "It was one of the few sports where we knew we could actually be good in and get recognized for it."

NEAT EXPERIENCE: This summer, Pelusi took a job as an assistant counselor at a camp run by Holy Family Institute for children with attention deficit disorders and emotional problems. Although the work was hard and, at times, challenged the boundaries of her patience, Pelusi said it may have made for the best summer of her life.

"I absolutely loved working with those kids," she said. "So much so that I'm pretty sure that I will pursue a career in the counseling or social work field. I know it isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot."

OTHER TEAMS: Pelusi also plays soccer for the Classic Team, Pittsburgh Rage (formerly the Pittsburgh Strikers) and this past spring played in the Olympic Development Program. She helped the Rage to a state title two years ago and also to the championship last year for the Jefferson Cup -- an elite tournament in Virginia. She also throws the javelin for the Talbots' track team.

-- Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

DAINE WILLIAMS

	Daine Williams

SCHOOL: Beaver Falls

WHO IS HE? A 5-foot-8, 175-pound senior halfback who leads the WPIAL in rushing.

GREAT DAINE: Williams broke his own school record when he rushed for 348 yards on 23 carries in a 38-14 victory against Shady Side Academy. Williams rushed for 307 yards in a game against Shenango last year.

"I really didn't know either time that I had over 300 yards," Williams said. "You're in the heat of the battle and you're just loving it because the offensive line is clicking and everything is going so good."

SEASON: Williams has rushed for 484 yards on 46 carries and scored four touchdowns for the Tigers (2-0), who are the Post-Gazette's No. 2 WPIAL Class AA team.

FINDING HIS NICHE: Two years ago, Williams was Beaver Falls' starting fullback, but he moved to halfback last year when Gerris Wilcox transferred from Beaver Falls to Aliquippa. Wilcox had been Beaver Falls' starting halfback. Last year, Williams rushed for 1,377 yards on 199 carries.

NAME GAME: Williams doesn't mind his name, but he isn't exactly enthralled with it, either. "I used to always ask my mom, 'Why Daine?' She could have named me maybe Dave or something else creative. She told me that back then she thought it was a very attractive name. Plus, she said she named me after a preacher."

HE'A POET: Williams also plays basketball and baseball for Beaver Falls. Away from sports, he likes poetry.

"I love to sit down and just write poetry," Williams said. "I stay away from lovey-dovey type of stuff. I like to write things that are deep."

For his senior project, Williams is trying to put together a poetry competition between a few schools.

-- Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer