SHAWNEE — Jeff Ashford isn’t sure where son Jake’s prowess on the soccer field came from.
“He’s always been good at it,” Jeff said.
The younger Ashford raked in a plethora of awards at the conclusion of the 2017 fall soccer season.
A junior at Mill Valley High School, Jake earned first team postseason honors for the Eastern Kansas League and the Class 5A All-State Team. He also was voted the Kansas Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year and the top midfielder in the Eastern Kansas League, the state’s preeminent soccer league.
“Funny part is, up until a couple of years ago, he only played as a defender,” Jeff said. “But his high school coaches put him up top at midfielder, and he’s taken off with it.”
Jake scored 19 goals and had eight assists during the year, helping lead Mill Valley to a regional championship. The Jaguars wound up one game away from making the Class 5A Final Four in compiling a 14-5 record.
Jake will compete with a club soccer program in the spring, his father said, and soon will begin discussing college options.
“He’s getting interest from a number of colleges, but nothing is official yet,” Jeff said.
Jake is the son of Jeff, an Iola native, and Stephanie Ashford.
His grandparents are Shirley Ashford and the late Kendall Ashford, Iola.
PICTURE — Mill Valley High School junior Jake Ashford (11), son of Iola native Jeff Ashford, earned all-state honors in soccer this year. COURTESY PHOTO
