AHOSKIE – Sarah Beth Greene has been representing Ridgecroft School well for four years.

The recent graduate did so again recently when she became one of the first players chosen to participate in the Oasis All-Star Shrine Classic for women’s soccer.

&uot;I thought it was a great honor to be chosen,&uot; Greene said. &uot;The Shrine had never hosted a girl’s sport so it was an honor to be chosen. Not many people, especially from 1-A schools, get that chance.&uot;

Greene has been an outstanding soccer player her entire career at Ridgecroft School. She was a three-time All-State performer, two-time All-Coastal Plains Independent Conference performer and two-time all-region performer.

As well as having those honors, Greene was in goal when Ridgecroft School claimed their only 1-A girl’s soccer state championship in 2004.

&uot;Sarah Beth has been an outstanding three-sport athlete at our school,&uot; Rams’ Athletic Director Doug Cobbs said. &uot;Having her represent us at an event of this magnitude was a fitting way to end her career.

&uot;She has been a good student, an outstanding athlete and has represented us well many times,&uot; he added.

Greene spent a week in Charlotte as the North Carolina team prepared to meet South Carolina in the Shrine game.

She admitted the two-a-day practices were tough, but said she thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and the opportunity to play at the event.

One of the more fun parts for Greene, she said, was playing for Greenfield School coach Ben Forbes, who guided the North Carolina squad, and playing with Anna Wooten Gauss from Greenfield.

Greene had faced the two for her five seasons with the Lady Rams and in fact beaten the Greenfield in the 2004 state title game.

&uot;I was happy to finally have Coach Forbes and Anna Wooten on my team,&uot; Greene said.

Forbes said he had similar feelings when he brought Greene to the Shrine Classic.

&uot;She is just absolutely one of the nicest kids I’ve ever been around,&uot; he said. &uot;I have coached against her for five or six years from junior varsity until her senior year and she has always been as nice as she could be and a very good keeper.&uot;

Forbes said Greene was one of only two keepers on the North Carolina squad, with the other coming from the 3-A state champion Charlotte Country Day squad.

Both shared equal time in goal and both were impressive to assistant coach Kim Burroughs, who spent most of his time with the keepers.

&uot;He said he was really impressed with Sarah Beth after the first practice,&uot; Forbes said. &uot;She had just natural moves. He was impressed with the way she played.&uot;

Forbes said his squad as good as he could have asked for as they blanked the South Carolina team 5-0.

&uot;I had a great team,&uot; he said. &uot;I cleared my bench every eight minutes.&uot;

Forbes said his entire squad was excellent and that Greene was able to play with them.

&uot;She was impressive,&uot; he said. &uot;She hung in there with the girls from big schools and the name programs. She did extremely well.&uot;

Greene was equally impressed with her fellow teammates on the squad.

&uot;They were great,&uot; she said. &uot;It was amazing to watch them put together 20 passes in a row without having the other team touch the ball.&uot;

Greene, who ended her high school career at Ridgecroft on a team that was rebuilding after three successful seasons, said she was glad to conclude her career at the Shrine event.

&uot;It was a good way to end my career,&uot; she said.