To paraphrase the title of the movie, "There's something about Mary," there's something about Jordan, also.
Jordan Metts, that is.
The Marietta High senior recently signed papers to attend Muskingum University, where she will be playing soccer and studying nursing in the fall. She also considered going to Indiana Tech, Malone, Waynesburg, Heidelberg, Rio Grande, Hocking College, Kent State, and Marietta College.
Thing is, the Mary Beth Caudill-coached Fighting Muskie booters have got a good one, who could have an immediate impact as a freshman.
A tough, hard-nosed player on the pitch and the consumate team player, Metts will make Muskingum more competitive - and better. All she has to do is stay healthy.
Last fall, in her senior soccer season at MHS, Metts started off with an illness.
Then in early September in a match against Chillicothe she suffered a chipped fracture of the distal posture medial malleolus avulsion in the left ankle. At the time, there was talk that because of the injury she might be out two to four weeks, or even be done for the campaign.
But Metts would hear nothing of it. She missed very little and was on the practice field, with the ankle taped, in virtually no time at all.
Because of the injury, though, Metts lost her starting position as a defensive midfielder. But when she entered the game as a sub, she was invariably a spark for the Lady Tiger booters.
During her soccer career at Marietta High, Metts pretty much did what head coach Jeff Price asked of her. She was a defender early on, but in her junior year she made the difficult transition to goalie when starter Kaitlyn Bonar missed the season due to a knee injury.
With Metts between the pipes, Marietta enjoyed a 16-2-3 season, including a regional appearance.
When Bonar returned to the pitch last fall, Metts gave up the gloves and became a midfielder. Then, unfortunately, she injured her ankle.
Late in the season in October during a sectional final at Don Drumm Stadium, though, Bonar collided with a Hillsboro striker and wasn't able to return to the action.
Filling in as keeper, Metts had a couple of quality saves and blanked Hillsboro the rest of the way as the Lady Tigers rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to win 2-1.
"It was nice to have Jordan come in with her experience," said Price after the game.
An all-around, versatile soccer player, Metts is very capable of putting the ball into the back of the net. Against Logan Elm in a sectional opener at the Devola Soccer Complex, she headed home one goal and nearly had another in a 6-0 MHS win.
Marietta finished the 2010 season with a sparkling 16-3-2 mark and another regional appearance. On that squad, Metts was one of 10 seniors. Of them, only two or three of them are planning to compete on the pitch at the next level.
Yes, there definitely is something about Jordan. She's a winner and a team player all the way - and Muskingum University will become the beneficiary.
Ron Johnston is the Marietta Times sports editor and can be reached at 376-5441 or at rjohnston@mariettatimes.com
