Star duo turning the tide for Winslow soccer

Tziarra King is typically the fastest, craftiest goal-scorer on the field.

Vashti Williams is typically the smartest, most athletic defender in any game she plays.

When they're not at high school or club practice together, the two best friends are often practicing together, one-on-one, in King's backyard.

"That's when it can get really crazy," King said with a laugh.

"It's basically an all-out brawl," Williams added.

King and Williams, senior stars of the Winslow girls' soccer team, said they sometimes feel like sisters - for better and worse.

They've been close since they met on a soccer field, on rival teams, in fourth grade.

Now they're family. "We're together 24/7," King said. "We're basically joined at the hip."

It's fitting, then, that when they talk about their school, they talk about it as if it's home to them - an extension of their family.

"This is where we belong," King said.

"We've been in Winslow our entire lives," Williams said. "So we just wanted to come here and make an impact."

Since they transferred from Our Lady of Mercy Academy to Winslow after their freshman seasons, the two star players have done just that.

They helped put a school not known for soccer on the map.

And this year, the team is squarely in the hunt for a South Jersey title.

"They bring the good out of every other player on this team," coach Bruce Stowell said. "Things are turning around here, and so much of it is due not just to their talent and skill but to their attitudes and their leadership and the way they've really taken this team under their wings."

King and Williams had to watch Winslow start 0-10 their sophomore season as they sat out the mandatory 30-day waiting period for transfers. When they took the field, the Eagles won three games and finished 3-16.

Last year, they finished 13-7, advancing to the sectional Group 3 quarterfinals where they lost, 1-0, to perennial power Moorestown.

King, a North Carolina State recruit, netted 35 goals last year, including all five in the Eagles' 5-4 win over Triton in the first round of the playoffs.

Williams, a Georgetown recruit, covers more ground than any player on the team and was key in each third of the field for Winslow.

The success they've helped bring to Winslow is something both players take pride in.

They were relatively happy at OLMA, and the soccer team finished 18-2 their freshman season.

"But it just wasn't home to us," Williams said. "We wanted to come back to Winslow."

The school was just as welcoming to the two players. Now they walk around the halls and are recognized like celebrities.

"You'll see people calling them out, asking about the team, asking Z how many goals she's going to score," Stowell said. "It's really been great to see just the awareness they've brought to this team."

Nine starters returned this year for Winslow, and Stowell thinks he has several freshmen who could contribute.

In their last year on the same soccer team, Williams and King said they're cherishing the opportunity to make one more great run for their hometown.

"Soccer has always been something that's strengthened our friendship," King said. "It's just a passion that we have, and it's great to be able to share it with each other."

Added King: "We have really high expectations for ourselves and our team this year. We just try to keep working hard and make the most of this opportunity."