Plus, the Gonzaga soccer commit has scored in just about every way imaginable. And that’s just one of the reasons she is this year’s girls soccer All-Region Player of the Year.
Kemp has been dominant for a Camas team that won state in 2016, gelled early and wound up taking third place in the 4A state playoffs despite losing 10 seniors from the previous team.
Teams struggled to account for her defensively throughout the entire season. Double team her? She’d dish it off to another one of Camas’ top scorers — such as attacking sidekick Jazzlyn Paulson or midfielder Jenna Efraimson.
Don’t double her? Well, she’ll make you pay.
“To get a player that can score that many goals at the highest classification, that’s unusual,” said Minder, who has coached soccer at Camas since 1995. “She has abilities to score in a dozen different ways. She is probably the best pure finisher that I’ve ever seen — from whatever distance. She just has that nose for goal that’s really hard to come by.”
Her celebrations aren’t anything flashy, but Kemp loves the feeling of celebrating a goal with her teammates.
“And seeing Minder smile,” she said, laughing. “He never smiles.”
It makes sense that when Kemp thinks back to her earliest memories, she doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t playing soccer. She recalls memories of playing soccer at the local park with her dad in the pouring rain.
She and her brother would play soccer in the house — much to the chagrin of her mom, she says.
As she became more involved in the sportgrowing up, and started playing club, responding to friends “sorry, can’t hang out, I have soccer,” became a common refrain. But Kemp wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I don’t think I’d be half the person I am without soccer,” Kemp said. “I’ve learned so many life lessons, like not giving up when it gets hard.”
Sometimes she turns on the scoring jets in a big way.
In a non-league game in September against Lake Oswego (Ore.), Kemp scored six goals in 45 minutes. After her sixth goal, one away from the school record for goals in a game, Minder told her to reign it in, for fear Camas wouldn’t be able to get Lake Oswego on the schedule in the future.
“I feel like once I get started, it just keeps coming, and I get into a rhythm,” Kemp said.
Her hat tricks throughout the season — namely in the first round of the playoffs against Todd Beamer — have been something she’s hung her hat on.
In that same game, Paulson broke the single-season program assists record on the same play Kemp broke the program goals record.
“You can rely on her,” said defender Perrin Belzer, who has played with Kemp on varsity since Kemp’s freshman year. “She’s also a good person outside (of soccer). She’s a high-level player, and a good person.”
Minder has seen her maturation both on and off the field.
“She was not just the big fish in the little pond,” Minder said. “She had players that were good players that surrounded her and helped her not just improve her play but improve as a teammate.”
As for the record, Kemp knew how far away she was going into the season and figured she could get 15 goals this year, 17 goals next year and break it during her senior season.
Now she’s just adding to the record.
The rest of the All-Region team
Perrin Belzer, Camas
Senior was 4A Greater St. Helens League defensive MVP. Led defense that allowed 11 goals in 22 matches.
Katie Colson, Columbia River
Senior defender was key player on a defense that led Chieftains back to state title match.
Emma Cox, Mountain View
Senior had 11 goals and nine assists to lead Mountain View to state for second year in a row.
Jenna Efraimson, Camas
Junior University of Idaho commit was team’s second-leading scorer with 13 goals.
Sophie Landers, Columbia River
Senior 2A GSHL defensive player of the year led a defense that allowed 10 goals in 23 matches.
Jazzlyn Paulson, Camas
Junior forward had a team-high 18 assists to go with nine goals.
Elise Schey, King’s Way Christian
Senior was the Trico League’s offensive player of the year.
Jessica Selby, Mountain View
Senior goalkeeper had 89 saves and six shutouts. Signed with Southern Oregon.
Sophia Skimas, Columbia River
Senior forward scored 14 goals and six assists for balanced River attack.
Kaylin Sperley, Prairie
Senior forward capped four-year varsity career by leading Falcons to quarterfinals.
Makayla Woods, Union
University of Washington commit led Union to second-straight state berth as team’s leading scorer.
