Carrying the ball forward, left defender and junior Ella Mercer dribbles away from Parkway Central seniors Kaylee Canoy and Brooke Taeckens. Mercer has played soccer since she was five years old and is a three-year member of the varsity team. “Soccer has always been a huge part of my life. I love using it as a way to de-stress and get exercise. No matter what I have going on outside of soccer, as soon as I’m on the field it disappears and I forget about it for an hour and a half,” Mercer said. “Soccer is both a mental and physical sport, you always have to be thinking about the next play, and where you need to be and where the next ball needs to go. I love getting to incorporate both the mental and physical aspect on the field.”