G.O.A.T. of the Week: Cali Dennis

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - “She is a true definition of what a student athlete should be.”

Cali Dennis has been a staple of Caprock girls soccer during her time in high school.

What she’s meant to the team has extended far beyond her accomplishments on the field and that’s exactly why her teammates voted her as team captain ahead of her senior season.

“It’s definitely a lot of pressure and it’s really [nerve-racking].” Dennis said of how she felt about being elevated to the captain seat. “I’m glad to be someone that they can count on. I didn’t start this year thinking, ‘Oh, i want to be captain.” I was just doing what I needed to do. It just meant a lot that what I was already doing was good enough for them.”

On the field, Dennis shined. This past season, Dennis was named to the district 3-5A 2nd team all-district as a goalkeeper.

Just a few years ago, she was named district goalkeeper of the year as a sophomore.

“She has kept us in so many games.” Caprock girls soccer head coach Mark Smith said of Dennis. “[Against] Amarillo High, it was a close game up until the final 10 minutes. She was making save after save after save. [Against Palo Duro] she made eight saves and won us the game [and] had another shutout versus them. She’s had three or four shutouts in district this season. She has kept us in a lot of games and helped us win a lot of games.”

The work Dennis put in off the field is perhaps even more impressive. taking time out of her busy schedule to work with AmeriCorps to help younger kids around the area.

“I go to Tradewind Elementary School every morning from 7:45 to 10:45 and I help tutor the lower kids.” Dennis said. “Just showing up every day, just helping them improve academically and just socially and emotionally. It means a lot to me. Every morning they’re so happy to see me. Sometimes you just have really rough mornings, so seeing their little smiles, it’s just everything.”

Dennis has been a part of the soccer program for all four years of high school including three years on varsity.

Now, she’ll leave behind big shoes to fill in net for the Lady Longhorns, but her leadership will be even harder to replace.

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