Fairbanks scores big as senior

     By Todd Dewey
     View staff writer
      Melissa Fairbanks may be quiet, but her play speaks volumes on the soccer field. The Pahrump Valley senior scored a team-high 19 goals for the Trojans this season and helped lead them to the state tournament.
      Pahrump, which improved from two victories in its inaugural campaign last year to 12 this season, played host to North Tahoe in a playoff game on Saturday, but results were not available at press time.
      If the Trojans won, they would play in the state semifinals Thursday in Elko, with the Class 3A state title game slated for Friday.
      Win or lose, though, the Trojans (12-7-1 overall, 7-3 in conference) exceeded most expectations this year, and so did Fairbanks -- who scored four goals in a game twice, against league foes White Pine and Moapa Valley, and needed only 18 games to net her 19 goals.
      "That's very impressive. She is amazing and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she got a college scholarship," Pahrump Valley coach Heather Kurth said. "She totally blows me away. I'm afraid for her to take shots on me in goal, because her shots are so quick. She has a very strong foot and always takes difficult shots (to defend) -- right in the corners of the net or near the crossbar. And she's scored on some great headers off corner kicks."
      The versatile Fairbanks started at forward most of the year but also saw action at halfback. Last year, in Pahrump's inaugural girls soccer campaign, Fairbanks started at fullback, but still managed to lead the team with seven goals on her way to first-team, all-conference and team MVP honors.
      "She's a very, very versatile player," Kurth said. "She's played every position well. She's an all-around excellent player, and she's a really neat person. She is very, very quiet, but she is an excellent team leader, and when she says something it's right on. She's gone above and beyond my expectations and that's why I'm working hard at getting a scholarship for her. Whatever she plans on doing in life, I think she will do well."
      Kurth sent tapes of Fairbanks' four-goal gem against Moapa Valley to several coaches and lured a few Division I scouts to one of the Trojans' games this season.
      Fairbanks, who was born and raised in Pahrump, would like to land a scholarship close to home.
      "I always thought it would be nice (to play college soccer), but this year (I decided) I really want to play it," she said. "A scholarship would be nice to have, but I want to stay close to Pahrump. I would like to play at Dixie (Junior) College (in St. George, Utah) or UNLV. I'm a homebody."
      If she doesn't receive a scholarship, Fairbanks plans on attending cosmetology school next summer to pay her own way through college.
      Fairbanks started playing soccer in the Pahrump youth league when she was 9 years old. She developed her skills playing primarily against boys, because there weren't any girls teams at the time.
      "I think I was more aggressive playing with the boys than I am with the girls now," Fairbanks said. "Because you adapt to how they play. I learned soccer real easy."
      She excelled in youth soccer until she reached high school, where she has been a four-year starter and a key component in Pahrump Valley's fledgling girls soccer program. Pahrump started as a club team four years ago during her freshman year and started play as an official high school team last year.
      In addition to her other honors, Fairbanks was named the team's offensive player of the year her sophomore season. Her goal was to reach her full potential this year and she certainly has taken her game to another level.
      The soft-spoken scoring machine attributes much of her success this season to teammates Angel Hill, who was second on the squad with 14 goals, and Alisha Carter, her running mates on the front line.
      "They always feed me the ball and I always know the right spot to be at," she said. "Angel is always good at taking out the goalie and charging the ball."
      Fairbanks said team chemistry is also a major reason for the Trojans' overall improvement this year.
      "We all work together well because we've been playing with each other for a couple of years," she said. "I think we've improved every year. We've got a lot more girls now who know how to play soccer (whereas) before, girls would just come out for the fun of it."
      Don't get her wrong, though. Fairbanks has plenty of fun playing the game she loves -- fun she can't find in other sports.
      "I have more passion for soccer," she said. "When I play other sports it's not there."
      Fairbanks ran track last year and played some softball when she first started high school, but soccer is her true love.
      When she's not playing, the B-average student loves to write, paint and make arts and crafts. Fairbanks, who has been writing poetry since eighth grade, said she would like to become a professional writer.
      "I'd like to be a writer for a magazine or something. I love to write," she said. "Sometimes it just happens, because I have to grab a pen and write (poetry) when I'm (feeling) down. It's a stress-reliever. It makes me feel better."