Tallulah Falls says goodbye to two all-time legends

Higbie’s goals go beyond the pitch

Rewind to March of 2020. We all know the significance of that time in history, when COVID wrecked the nation and halted just about everything. What most athletes felt during that period was a renewed sense of purpose and a clarity to why they play the game.

For then-freshman Addie Higbie, she had just notched a hat trick for her first varsity goals. It was supposed to be the beginning of a spectacular season for her, until it wasn’t. Needless to say, that certainly had an impact on Higbie, a TFS legend.

“With the COVID year leaving me to have only played two high school games, it made me realize how much I took the game for granted,” Higbie said. “Soccer helped me through my hardest times, including when I was unable to go to school and see my friends. The game was therapeutic for me and when I returned to play my sophomore season, I was more than ready to get back to the sport I love so much.”

The next three years became a highlight reel for Higbie, as she went on to rewrite the record books, finishing with school records of single-match (7), single-season (43), and career goals (71) and total hat tricks (11). After setting the single-season record with 21 as a junior in 2022, she more than doubled it to 43 in her 2023 senior season.

“It has meant the absolute world to me to accomplish so many personal and team goals in my years at Tallulah,” Higbie said. “I have been playing soccer for 15 years, so getting to make my mark at my high school and see my hard work pay off has been amazing! I am so proud of myself and the team for all of our historical accomplishments that have made my high school experience one of a kind.”

To her point, individual success wouldn’t mean as much without team success. To that end, the Lady Indians qualified for state each of her three full seasons, including making the first-ever Sweet 16 run in 2023. The girls were Region Runner-Up each of those three years, and put up single-season win records in 2021 (8 wins), 2022 (11) and 2023 (12), elevating expectations while earning a #No. 6 state ranking in 2023.

Though skill and experience had a lot to do with her success, there’s something deeper that was a driving force behind her illustrious career – her grandpa, Bruce William Higbie. Go back to her freshman season and the hat trick game on March 2, 2020 – the first game following his passing that she played without him on the sidelines. It was then she began to point up following each goal of her career.

“My amazing grandpa always came to support me at my soccer games, so with him not being able to attend any of my high school games, I made sure to dedicate all of my successes to him,” says Higbie. “Every goal I score, I point up to the sky to honor my grandpa who is not with us today, and to give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to play the wonderful game. I know he would have loved to see all my accomplishments, so with this being my last season, I made sure to honor my grandpa with every success. I contribute all my success to him – he gave me the courage to push through and make him proud in every single game and I would not be where I am today without his spirit driving me.”

Higbie’s playing days started in 2008 at the young age of three. There’s no denying the love she has for the game, and how it is well ingrained within her DNA.

“I have grown up with soccer, and I would not be the same person today without it,” states Higbie. “In any situation in life, I have always had soccer as an ‘out’ for me, something that is constant and will always be a safe place. During any difficult time in my life, I stayed grounded by having soccer as a place I could go and forget all of my worries. The bonds that I have made throughout the years with my teammates has led me to have met my best friends. The team this year was like a family, always having fun, being supportive of each other, and playing like a real team should.”

Higbie has been able to share the journey with her teammates as well as her mom, Laura Higbie, who assisted the Lady Indians varsity team throughout the last four years.

“My mom was my coach for most of my soccer career, which is something not many people can say they’ve experienced,” exclaims Higbie. “This gave my mom and I an opportunity to bond and create a unique relationship between us. Off the field, she was my fun, loving, extroverted mom whereas on the field she was my coach who saw me as No. 2, a player. It was really cool getting to grow up with a mom and a coach in one, and with us being able to distinguish the difference between the two titles, it left me with so many memories that I got to make with my amazing mom.”

Despite having ample talent to find somewhere to play soccer, the goal-driven star is focused solely on her career. She’ll be attending the University of North Georgia to study business and minor in Spanish. Though she won’t be found on a college soccer roster moving forward, the game will remain a fabric of her being.

“I absolutely love soccer and will never stop playing it, but I am moving on to a different stage in life where I must now focus on something else,” Higbie said. “I will certainly play intramural soccer in college and I hope to become a coach one day just like my mom.”

Jennings left the legacy of a champion

Sarah Jennings personifies what it means to be a legend. She will leave Tallulah Falls School as a legendary volleyball player – perhaps the best to ever suit up for the Lady Indians – but she’s an even better teammate, student, and person. The holder of six school records has achieved success on and off the court, and leaves behind a lasting legacy that includes a state championship and a humble attitude that elevates those around her.

Since the age of 10, Jennings has fine-tuned her craft in the game of volleyball. Starting out some 8 years ago, she’s learned more than just the skills necessary to become the greatest volleyball player in Tallulah Falls School history. While she has given the school and the sport so much, it has granted her much more in return.

“This sport has given me so many lifelong friendships and memories that I will never forget,” Jennings said. “It has given me opportunities to not only better my skill, but better myself as a person. Volleyball has always been a safe place where I can just put the world aside and pursue my passion. I will forever be grateful for this sport.”

The old adage ‘records were made to be broken’ rang true for Jennings. Though her goals were not always set on becoming the all-time leader in kills, digs, or aces, her elite level of play led to her finding those records on the way. While those categories have her name etched on the leaderboard, she recognizes they belong to all her teammates, coaches, fans, and family.

“I am so grateful for the amazing teams that I have been a part of that have encouraged, supported, and helped me to accomplish these goals,” states Jennings. “I would not be where I am today without my teammates, my coaches and my family. Teamwork and trust are two very important aspects of volleyball, and without a good pass and set, I never could’ve gotten so many kills. The excitement on the court, on the bench, in the student section, and from the fans fueled me and pushed me to be my best. It means so much to me that I have been given these amazing opportunities to work hard and challenge myself and have such a successful outcome.”

Jennings’ career school records include kills (1,085), digs (1,025) and aces (283). She also holds single-match records in kills (28) and digs (28), as well as single-season the single-season kills mark of 417. She is the school’s lone Region/Area Player of the Year, and is the only player in TFS history to be named 1st-Team All-Area three times.

Still, she’d exchange all the accolades and stats for what she was able to accomplish in her final season at TFS – a state championship.

“It is every volleyball player’s dream to win a state championship,” Jennings said. “Our team worked harder than any TFS team that I have ever been a part of. “

– Brian Carter