Awotula also is the women's soccer coach at Temple and began his visit Friday to Heritage High by signing sweeper Kansas Carpenter to a scholarship in that sport. Carpenter follows both parents and brother Grant to Temple, where Grant is on the men's scholarship team and "loves it," she said. "Before I kind of wrote off Temple," she said, noting that she had planned to attend Georgia Southern and maybe walk on for soccer. "But the day I was supposed to pay my housing allowance, I decided I didn't want to go there. About two or three weeks later I decided to go to Temple, where I could be close to home and still play soccer." Awotula said he had watched Carpenter for years, even having officiated some of her club games, and marveled that he was able to get her for his program. "She's a fantastic defender," he said. Heritage reached the state semifinals for the first time this year, and coach Stacy Dunfee said Carpenter was a major part of that success. "I've had her at sweeper since sixth grade, and her importance on defense and keeping us together, keeping us organized and cleaning up mistakes was huge. She had other options, but family is very big to her and I think she thinks this is God's path for her." Dunfee coached Carpenter for three years in middle school and the last two years at the high school.

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