Performance: Portage Central's Minh Le
October 2, 2017
Minh Le
Portage Central senior – Soccer
A three-year varsity player, Le scored Central’s first two goals in an eventual 3-1 win over rival Portage Northern on Sept. 19 to earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week” for Sept. 18-24. Portage Central hadn’t beaten Northern since 2014, and the win helped the Mustangs move up two spots to No. 2 in last week’s Division 1 state coaches rankings. After Saturday’s loss to Grand Haven, Portage Central is 12-2-3 and ranked No. 4.
Le is part of an experienced group coming off an 11-6-4 finish in 2016, and the Mustangs this season also have downed reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 8 East Kentwood. Le is focusing on soccer this school year but previously also ran cross country and track and played basketball. He’s also active in the hallways; he’s serving his fourth year as a student council representative and also served as treasurer as a junior.
Carrying a 3.7 grade-point average, Le intends next year to continue playing soccer while studying biochemical engineering at Hope College. But there’s still plenty to accomplish in high school, starting with helping to power Portage Central as it pursues its first MHSAA boys soccer championship. The Mustangs could see Northern again in a Division 1 District Semifinal.
Coach Andrew Rice said: “Minh has a great first touch on the ball, and he hardly loses the ball off his first touch. This allows him to make positive decisions with the ball at his feet. His work rate is second to none; he doesn't have to be told twice on what needs to be improved. When we are at our best as a team is when individuals like Minh bring their commitment to success through dedication and their work ethics. We talk in the program about being humble and staying the course. Being ranked as high as we are for the first time in program history is obviously an accomplishment. But at the end of the day we know it is just a number, and someone has to be there. Minh is one of the seniors that leads by example each day what it means to stay humble and continue working towards the end goal, which is bringing the first state championship to Portage Central.
Performance Point: “It was all about teamwork. I’m super glad we got over the hump,” Le said of Central finally downing the rival Huskies. “It was hard work. We were struggling a lot last year about it. We couldn’t figure anything out. So we focused on the following year, which was this year, and working together as a better team, and bringing a better mindset to the game and being smarter on the ball. … We take advantage of the field. Ours is one of the widest in the state, so we usually play wide and we took advantage of that (against Northern) because a lot of teams can’t. It was all about good looks, I guess.”
Rise to the top: “We just have to work harder at this point. The season’s almost over. Everyone’s mentally and physically tired. We just have to work through it and get the job done. … I’ve been training a lot more (by) myself, actually. In the offseason, I’ve been working harder than usual, looking forward to this year, my senior year.”
Problem solver: “Other classes, sometimes, I don’t do well in. But chemistry and all the math stuff, I’m pretty excellent at. And I get more interested every year I learn. I just have a different mindset to school, and I love equations and making things different and figuring out a solution.”
Voice of the people: “I love being a part of the student body and getting involved in a lot of stuff. For me, (student council) helped me connect with more of my peers that way and helps them get a voice (in) the school. I was always interested; I didn’t really take a chance (to join) in elementary school, (but in) middle school when they gave me a chance and I joined, I loved it.”
Revving with Ronaldo: “(Cristiano) Ronaldo is one of my best heroes. Growing up I watched him. Before every game I watch a video of him scoring goals and doing different skills. I still do to this day. It gets me more motivated, gets me more hyped up.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Portage Central's Minh Le works to keep possession of the ball. (Middle) Le heads the ball during his team's win over East Kentwood. (Top photo by Evelyn Greathouse; middle photo by Jim Cottrell.)
Cadillac Star Stays on Pitch as Rising Referee
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
September 14, 2020
There are very few female referees available to officiate high school soccer in northern Michigan.
But for Bill Anderson, a registered assignor who schedules officials out of the Cadillac area, there has been Little.
Alexus Little that is. And he’s darn glad he’s had her for 15 to 20 games each boys fall and girls spring seasons the past four years.
“I think her greatest asset is a natural ability to stay calm and see the entire field,” Anderson said. “She has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to take a moment and see how things play out before blowing the whistle or raising the flag.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Lexi from the beginning and watch her develop, and gain confidence in her ability.”
Little, a former four-year player at Cadillac High School who graduated in 2017, loves officiating the game she has played since she was an 8-year- old. She started officiating with the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association. Anderson assigned her those matches as well.
“It is the most fun job I’ve ever had, and it is super convenient for varying schedules,” she said. “You get to learn more about the game of soccer, watch plenty of games, stay active, and meet a ton of referees that share the love of the game and may have even officiated your own games.”
Little, a big challenge for high school defenses as a striker, sees herself in almost every girls soccer player she refs.
“When I played I was a center striker so my playing style was pretty scrappy and aggressive, yet still heavily based on footwork and constant runs with my teammates,” she said. “I see players like me all the time during the girls season.”
Anderson recalls her playing days similarly.
“She was a no-nonsense, hold-her-ground type of player who wasn't afraid to play with her back to goal and challenge defenders to come get her,” Anderson recalled. “More than once I blew the whistle and received a little dirty look from her, because she felt she could have kept going despite being fouled.”
As a senior, Little earned Division 2 all-state honorable mention. She now attends the University of Michigan. COVID-19 is allowing her to stay home, go to school and earn money refereeing fall soccer. She also refereed in the Ann Arbor area during her freshman year of college.
“I love to stay involved with soccer,” she said. “I’ve been doing it since middle school, and it's a fun and active way to earn some money.
“Being a referee also allows me to pick up games that fit my schedule.”
Little is among a just a handful of female soccer referees in the northern Lower Peninsula, that group also including Grand Traverse Area Soccer Association members Josephine Arrowood and Amanda Field.
“It can be a bit intimidating at times,” she said. “Most referees are men, so I feel like I lack authority in the eyes of the players/coaches/parents as a young woman, and even more so during boys games where most of the players are much taller than me.
“But, there have been several instances where I have received compliments from coaches or spectators passing by after a game related to being a young female officiating because they claim to not see that very often and would like to see more of it.”
Anderson agrees.
“When doing a boys game, I think there is still a general tendency to see if the female is up to the challenge,” he said. “However, she doesn't let that bother her and it doesn't take long for others to realize she is more than capable.”
Little gets a lot of satisfaction out of the game of soccer and recommends others get involved in officiating.
“The types of games where I am very glad I’m a referee are the ones where I get to watch crazy talent and skill from players I never would have seen play otherwise,” she noted.
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Alexus Miller inspects the nets with officiating partner Jeremy Barrett before a game this season. (Middle) Miller checks her watch during a break in the action. (Photos courtesy of Tom Spencer.)