Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ENIDJ

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

John-Ball

Full Text:

John Ball

When Larry Ashomore took over as head coach of the NHS soccer team, a curly

haired, skinny young ten-year old was tearing up the Newtown Soccer Club at a

rapid clip.

Finally, in 1988, from a family of great soccer enthusiasts, along came

sophomore John Ball to help rewrite the NHS boys' soccer record books.

Amid a generous cast of talented high school soccer players, Ball broke onto

the varsity scene the same way he would leave it - with a bang.

Ball scored two goals in his very first varsity game, and though he didn't

continue to score at that pace, finished the season with a team-high ten

goals. In his junior year, Ball started at forward for a team that played to a

record of 15-0-1 and reached the WCC finals. Though Ball broke a 20-year old

school record when he scored 20 goals, he was slighted from post-season honors

because of the talented seniors ahead of him.

That would not happen again in 1990.

In 90, Ball shattered his own scoring record by scoring 25 goals, giving him

an NHS career record of 55. Ball's 22nd goal of the season was the game winner

as the Indians beat WCC rival Joel Barlow 1-0 in the conference championship.

Ball's 25th goal, more notably, was the game winner in Newtown's 1-0 double

overtime victory over Guilford in the state finals at Jess Dow Stadium, giving

NHS its first state championship in soccer.

Upon graduation, John Ball went to Southern Connecticut State University where

he helped the school to an NCAA Division II National Championship. Ball will

be a senior captain there in the fall of 1995.