MADISON — On Sept. 20, 2024, Wyatt Tompkins returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown, which put Madison County ahead of William Monroe, 6-0.
Despite the explosive play, the extra point was more momentous.
With the home Madison County crowd roaring, Tylee Coates lined up for a kick that would make her the first girl in Mountaineers history to score for the football team.
She knocked it through the uprights, and nailed all four of her other attempts throughout the evening.
“It couldn’t happen to a more deserving, better person,” Madison County head coach Larry Helmick said. “I think that’s a memory that will last a lifetime for her.”
Coates continued her role as the Mountaineers’ starting kicker for the rest of the year, and went 34-for-38 on extra points, with two misses being blocked.
While she achieved a milestone on the gridiron, her primary sport has long been on the soccer pitch, where she has been since she was four years old.
She played around the field, but was eventually encouraged to be the last line of defense.
“My coach wanted me to play goalie, and then, I didn’t really like it,” Coates said. “But I played it, and I was really good at it, and I started to become better.”
She specifically began growing at the position when she applied herself in the offseason.
“I went to [Fellowship of Christian Athletes] camps, and those were amazing,” Coates said. “They showed me all these different techniques, which helped me on the soccer field.”
As she progressed on the pitch, an opportunity arose with the football team. Helmick is Coates’ home room teacher, and was speaking about a vacancy at Madison County’s kicking position.
“She overheard me talking to some other players and some people in the hallways, and she came up to me, and was like, ‘Hey, I hear that the team would need a kicker. Do you mind if I come try out?’” Helmick said. “And, I was like, ‘Of course.’”
“Soccer’s my main sport, and that’s basically what I do, so I was like, ‘Why not?’” Coates added.
She experienced mixed emotions joining the team as its lone girl.
“I was very nervous, but excited,” Coates said.
Her transition to football was more swift than she predicted it would go.
“When I went out there the first day, I kicked and I made a few, which was surprising to me, because I didn’t think I would make any,” Coates said.
As she spent more time on the gridiron, Coates made the necessary adjustments to differ her kicking style from what she did in soccer.
“When you kick for extra points, you have to be quick off the ball,” Coates said. “At first, I wasn’t quick off the ball because I’m not under that much pressure [in a soccer game].”
She was the Mountaineers’ backup kicker for the first two games of the 2024 season, but stepped up after an injury to their starter.
Throughout the fall, she displayed the excellent composure that is required to succeed at the position.
“She has ice in her veins. She doesn’t get rattled,” Helmick said. “It’s been a tremendous blessing for us as a team to have her not only as a kicker, but just as a great leader and a great person.”
Coates additionally appreciated the unwavering support she received from the football community.
“The coaches are amazing, and they make sure I’m involved with everything, and make sure I’m included and respected throughout the team,” Coates said. “All the players respect me and I respect them.”
After making history with the football team, she continued performing well on the pitch. She saved 36 of 48 total shots against her, and earned first-team All-District and All-Region honors.
She was also a large part of a very significant win for the program.
“Last year, we beat Clarke County High School for the first time in nine years, and we beat them, 2-1,” Madison County head girls soccer coach Frank Herrman said. “She had a very good game.”
Coates has been on the team for Herrman’s entire three-year tenure, and she has impressed him with her willingness to take chances.
“She’s fearless on the field as a goalkeeper,” Herrman said. “She’s not afraid to attack a ball, pick a ball up.”
Coates also displays adaptability on the soccer field.
“She’s very focused, willing to try anything, will play the field if she has to, but knows her job as a goalkeeper and knows it well,” Herrman said.
Once Herrman was told Coates would not be involved in tackling, he fully embraced her role on the football team.
“I thought it was great that [Helmick] was giving her the opportunity,” Herrman said. “I knew no matter what she attempted or what she tried, she would do well at it, and continue to get better at it.”
Along with Coates’ athletic prowess, she has also made an impression off the field. She is the president for Madison County’s Class of 2026, and wants to ensure the best for her classmates.
“The reason I wanted to be the president of the senior class is because I wanted to be there for the seniors and I wanted to make sure they have the best year possible,” Coates said.
While Coates leads her fellow students during the week, they support her when it concludes as she lines up for her next kick under the Friday night lights.
The Augusta Health Athlete Spotlight is a weekly feature that profiles Central Virginia athletes and teams. Have an athlete that you think should be spotlighted? Email your nomination to Daily Progress high school sports reporter Chris Gionta at cgionta@dailyprogress.com.
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