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Andover twins bring complementary skills

BY JONATHAN LONG

The Wichita Eagle

Kelsey and Kortney Clifton share the same youthful look and competitive spirit. That is where the similarities end.

The twin Andover senior soccer standouts are as identical as it gets in appearance aside from the glimmering shine from Kelsey's new nose ring and a tiny scar on her forehead from a childhood incident. Once you crack the outer shell, it doesn't take long to see their similarities are only skin deep.

"We have very different personalities," Kortney Clifton said. "She's the more outgoing, party-girl type. The social butterfly. I'm less outgoing and stay more to myself."

While that self-diagnosis might be accurate off the field, opposing coaches will attest to never having met that side of Kortney. She has put herself in a category all her own -- she owns the state's single season scoring record with 72 goals her sophomore season, and is continuing to build on the career mark she surpassed at the end of last season. She has 201 goals, including three Thursday night against Circle.

That scoring prowess has allowed Kortney to outshine Kelsey on the soccer field, though many of the goals she's scored have come via assists from her sister.

"It was hard to deal with at first, but I got used to it," Kelsey said. "I'm happy for her."

Andover coach Tracey Repp, is in his fifth year leading the Trojans. He had heard some of the hype that surrounded the incoming freshman class that included the twins, their half-sister Emily Hammond and Amanda Just. Not one to believe everything he hears, Repp didn't get too excited, opting to form his own opinion.

He was amazed at the talent level he saw at the first practice and since has had to catch himself from star-gazing from the sideline when the Cliftons have the ball.

"I do observe them sometimes because their level of play is so high," Repp said. "It certainly gives us an advantage. Having them allows me to put in tactics that couldn't be done with less-skilled players."

The Cliftons' bond and competitive spirit has allowed them to excel on the soccer field and is something they developed practicing countless hours at home and attending soccer camps in Lawrence. The twins grew up KU fans and have been attending Jayhawks soccer camps since they were in the fifth grade. Being so familiar with the program, it wasn't a hard decision when it came time to pick a college. Both will play there next year.

"We didn't really look at other schools," Kortney said. "We had always been big KU fans and it was nice being familiar with all the coaches and the program."

Once they got that part of their lives taken care of, they turned their focus to the one thing missing from cementing their high school legacy -- a Class 5-1A title. The team finished in fourth place in 2006, but suffered a crushing 1-0 defeat to Rose Hill last season in the regional championship game .

"We've all been trying to work harder," Kortney said. "We want to show everybody that a 4A school can win a state title."

So far so good. The Trojans started the season 5-0, including winning the Bishop Carroll-Goddard tournament. Considering that in the postseason the Trojans will see the best teams in 5A, they use this tournament as a way to gauge where they stand.

"It's still early for all the teams, but the tournament sets a tone for where we are," Repp said. "The team's focus, drive, and intensity has been great. They truly believe that they can win the title and are trying to make everyone else believers."

Jonathan Long covers high school sports. Reach him at 316-268-6296 or at jlong@wichitaeagle.com.