Ephrata girls soccer team wins inaugural 'Jayda Game'
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldFormer Ephrata soccer player Jayda Harmon gets a hug from Tigers coach Hillary Coomes during a ceremony in her honor. Ephrata won the innagural Jayda Game 4-1 over Grandview.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldEphrata midfielder Amidy Gallagher gets a head on a ball during the second half of the CWAC game against Grandview Saturday afternoon.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldEphrata striker Mya Spencer (2) chases a ball into the box as Grandview goalkeeper Anabell Pallares comes out to challenge during Saturday's CWAC game.
EPHRATA — The scoreboard read 4-1. Ephrata junior Mya Spencer followed Thursday’s five-goal effort by scoring all four goals against Grandview on Saturday.
The Tigers (5-3, 3-1 CWAC) remain in a log jam in the middle of the CWAC standings. But the day wasn’t about soccer, not really.
Friends, family, teammates, even opponents came together to show their support for 2016 Ephrata graduate Jayda Harmon as she fights the good fight against a form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
They called it the Jayda Game. Tiger players were wearing teal and yellow Jayda Strong T-shirts instead of the normal orange and black. Balloons were tied to the bleachers and chairs. Fans lined the soccer field, vocal in their support.
In a special halftime celebration, Tigers coach Hillary Coomes retired Harmon’s No. 7 jersey and expressed the team’s and the community’s support, as she moves for the next six to 12 months working with doctors to figure out the best plan of treatment moving forward.
“It’s nice to come out here and see my team play and that they’re doing so well,” said Harmon, who was admitted into Spokane Children's Hospital May 3 to undergo a series of testing before receiving the news she has osteosarcoma in her hip. “I’ve lived in Ephrata all my life and it’s pretty special to see the people come out. Ephrata is definitely family. We all know each other in some weird way and we all get together when someone needs help. It’s nice to know people care.”
Her laugh is genuine. Her spirit is free and she was truly touched with the concept of the Jayda Game and what it meant to the soccer community, as well as the town of Ephrata.
“Her attitude is amazing. She’s a strong individual mentally and physically, that’s just the way she is,” Coomes said, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. “Once you’re Ephrataite or even a newcomer, you’re part of a family. The beautiful part of Ephrata is it’s not just the soccer community, people have been so willing to open up their pocketbooks and help support in anyway we can.”
At the presentation at the intermission they retired Harmon’s No. 7 jersey and presented her with little things like a box of no-bakes in a Christmas box. As teammates spoke, Harmon laughed and enjoyed the day. She hugged her teammates and even enjoyed a group hug when the Grandview team joined in a mass showing of love and support for one of their own.
“The no-bakes are the best part. It’s tradition, every time we’d win a game we’d get no-bakes,” Harmon said with a laugh. “You can’t eat just one.”
It was a good day, just a wee bit sad for those who know her best. But Harmon’s laugh and kindred spirit goes far beyond her 18 years and it helped keep things light as they could be.
“The idea with setting her number aside was to let her know she will always be a part of us. We wanted to put that feeling into something physical that she could hang on to,” Coomes said.
Coomes has a connection with Grandview coach Anne Holden.
“In my tenure here at Ephrata, I’ve always felt that connection and been able to talk to her about different things,” the Tigers head coach said. “So when it came time to chose which game and who we’d play against in the Jayda Game, I wanted it to be with Grandview because of the connection our two programs have.
“To see their girls involved in the hug at the end of the ceremony was an example of that.”
As for the soccer itself, Spencer had another special day on the attack. The Tiger striker found the net as she drove down the right wing and beat the Greyhound goalkeeper low to the far post in the first half.
Spencer, who finished with nine goals in the past two games, had a hat trick in the second half, scoring two unassisted and the fourth goal of the day with a nice through ball from Kendall Kemp.
Ephrata hosts Wapato on Tuesday. For further information on Jayda Harmon or to donate to her cause log on to https://www.gofundme.com/jaydas-journey.
Score by halves
Grandview 1 0 - 1
Ephrata 1 3 - 4
E - Mya Spencer (unassisted)
E - Mya Spencer (unassisted)
E - Mya Spencer (unassisted)
E - Mya Spencer (Kendall Kemp)
Shots on goal: Ephrata 13, Grandview 5
Saves: Ephrata (Renessa Cole) 6, Grandview (Anabell Pallares) 3