Millard West soccer twins look forward to college careers

Although Millard West senior soccer players Riley & Ashley Atkinson won't get to play their final high school season together, the twins will get play on the pitch together in college.

YEARS, MILLARDWEST SENIORSOCCER PLAYERSRILEY AND ASHLEYATKINSON HAVEHAD OTHERS SEEINGDOUBLE.ASHLEY: I STARTEDPARTING MY HAIRDIFFERENTLY THANHERS BECAUSEPEOPLE WOULDJUST CALL USTWINS.LIKE 'TWINS COMEHERE' AND I'DALWAYS BE LIKE 'WEHAVE NAMES BUTOK.'

THE IDENTICALTWINS PRACTICENEARLY EVERYDAYIN WHAT THEY CALLTHE BARN, A LARGEGARAGE NEXT TOTHEIR HOUSE,WHERE THEIR DADLAID DOWN TURFAND SET UP A NET.AND WHILE ASHLEYAND RILEY ARERARELY APART....THAT DOESN'TMEAN THEY DON'THAVE THEIR SHAREOF DISAGREEMENTS...WHEN IT COMES TODRIVING...RILEY: I DRIVEBETTER THAN YOU.AND CLEANLINESSAMONG OTHERTHINGS.ASHLEY: I'M THECLEAN ONE.SHE'S THE MESSYONE.ALTHOUGH THEY'VESHARED SEVERALEXPERIENCESTOGETHER OVERTHE YEARS, THERE ISONE THE TWINSWISH THEYWOULDN'T HAVE....TWO YEARS AGO,RILEY MISSED HERSOPHOMORESEASON WITH ANA-C-L TEAR....AND LAST YEAR,ASHLEY FOLLOWEDSUIT MISSING HERJUNIOR YEAR WITHAN A-C-L TEAR ASWELL ...ADAM: SAME KNEEOR DIFFERENT?TWINS: SAME KNEE.RILEY: I KNEW HOWHARD REHAB WAS.YOU HAVE TO PUTYOUR MIND INTO ITOTHERWISE YOU'RENOT GOING TO GETBACK TO WHEREYOU WERE.IT'S SUPERIMPORTANT THATYOU'RE TAKINGEVERY SMALLDETAIL.THAT'S SOMETHINGI KIND OF SLACKEDON.WATCHING HER GOTHROUGH IT, I WASCONSTANTLY ONHER LIKE 'YOU NEEDTO DOING THIS ANDTHAT BECAUSEYOU'RE NOT GOINGTO GET BACK TOWHERE YOU WERE.'THIS YEARWOULD'VE BEENTHE FIRST THATBOTH SISTERSWOULD'VE LIKELYSTARTED ONVARSITY AS THEWILDCATS WEREGOING FOR BACKTO BACK STATETITLES.UNFORTUNATELYBECAUSE OF THECORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC, THATREUNION ON THEPITCH WAS PUT ONHOLD ...RILEY: JUSTDEVASTATED.JUST COMING OFF ASTATECHAMPIONSHIP, IFEEL LIKE OURWHOLE ENTIRETEAM WAS SUPEREXCITED ANDPUMPED AND JUSTREADY TO GOAGAIN.ASHLEY: THE LASTTWO, LAST THREEMONTHS ARESUPPOSE TO BE LIKESOME OF THE BESTTIMES ANDESPECIALLY IN YOURSENIOR SEASON,JUST NOT REALLYHAVING THAT ISDISAPPOINTING.BUT THE ATKINSONTWINS' DAYS OFPLAYING ON THESAME TEAM WON'TEND THIS SPRING....THIS FALL, RILEYAND ASHLEY WILLCOMPETE FORLOYOLA CHICAGO...ADAM: WAS THEREEVER REALLY DOUBTOR DEBATEWHETHER YOU GUYSWOULD ORWOULDN'T GO TOTHE SAME COLLEGE?ASHLEY: YES.OH, FOR A LONGTIME WE THOUGHT18 YEARS ISENOUGH TOGETHER.WE'LL SPEND THEREST FOUR APART.RILEY: I'M NOTGOING ANYWHERESHE GOES.AND THEN AS MUCHAS WE WANTED TOBRANCH OFF ANDBE OUR OWN ITHINK IT WOULD'VEBEEN HARD.ASHLEY: I'D GIVE IT AWEEK.IN THE MEANTIME,THE TWINS WILLCONTINUE TOWORKOUT IN THEBARN ....WITH THEOCCASIONALBICKERING ...BUTALSO THE SISTERLYLOVE.RILEY: IF I GET HURT,SHE'D BE LIKE THEFIRST ONE UPWAITING, MAKESURE I'M OK.ASHLEY: WE NEEDEACH OTHER.WHILE