Benthall (5) is pictured during the Lady Trojans' game against Southeast Lauderdale on Saturday.

Wayne Benthall’s contributions to the Northeast Lauderdale girls soccer team were numerous, but perhaps the one the Lady Trojan players immediately remember are the heaters.

Since soccer is a winter sport in the MHSAA, games are often played in cold temperatures, and Benthall would arrive early to make sure the girls had portable heaters near the bench in order to keep warm. When Benthall died in August after a heart attack, team captain Shantiona Bridges was trying to think of ways to honor Benthall, and continuing to make sure the heaters were there at every game seemed like an obvious choice.

At the Lauderdale County Soccer Tournament this weekend, heaters weren’t the only thing honoring Benthall’s memory. Since Northeast Lauderdale was the host school for this year’s tournament at the Jaycee Soccer Complex, T-shirts and a poster were made for the tournament that recognized Benthall. Since Benthall was a Chief Master in the Mississippi Air National Guard, a booth was set up by National Guard recruiters at the tournament as well.

“It means a lot to the whole team,” said Bridges, a junior. “For him to be recognized like this is a big thing.”

Benthall’s youngest daughter, sophomore Emily Benthall, currently plays on the Northeast Lauderdale team, and his oldest daughter, Northeast Lauderdale alumna Anna Benthall, played for the Lady Trojans when she was in high school. The elder Benthall coached both of his daughters when they played in travel and youth soccer, and Lady Trojans coach Brant Cunningham was a friend and classmate of Benthall’s. They both graduated from Northeast Lauderdale in 1984.

“Wayne was a tremendous supporter of Northeast soccer,” Cunningham said. “He was always willing to help. He was just an all-around good team supporter and friend, and it’s very important for any program to have someone like that. You have to rely on people to step up because it builds character for the team and motivates the fanbase.”

Emily said her father’s dedication to the sport is something she experienced ever since she started playing at age 3.

“He was always the first one at our soccer games, and he would take off from work so he would never miss one,” said Emily, who plays center midfield for the Lady Trojans. “He was always there for me. He was our No. 1 fan. He loved watching my sister and me play. He always told me if they had soccer back when he was in school, that was the sport he would have played.”

After Benthall’s death, Bridges said she and her teammates wanted Emily to know they were there for her.

“We had to keep our teammate uplifted and stay together and be one,” Bridges said. “She’s handled it well. We know it’s been hard, but she’s been keeping it together. She’s all smiles. She knows we love her and that we’ll be there for one another.”

Emily said her teammates have been a big help since her father died, and she’s grateful to have soccer both as a fun activity and a place to go for support.

“I enjoy being with them and them having my back,” Emily said. “They’re always there if I need to talk, and they’ll ask if I’m OK and give me a hug when I feel down.”

Through her time playing on travel soccer teams and in the Meridian Youth Soccer Organization, Emily knows numerous players on other Lauderdale County teams, players she played against Saturday who have given her their well wishes outside of the soccer field. One of those friends is Clarkdale freshman Kristen Phillips, whose father died in the last couple of years. Through travel soccer and a shared grief experience, the two have grown close in recent months. Even though they play on rival county school teams, Emily said she’s grateful to have Phillips in her life and even gave her a high five during Clarkdale and Northeast Lauderdale’s matchup Saturday.

“She’s become one of my best friends,” Emily said. “It means a lot having her. Not a lot of people know what it feels like, and she does. When we played against each other (on Saturday) and she scored, I wasn’t mad at all. I was happy for her.”

Northeast Lauderdale plans to start a Lady Trojans scholarship in Benthall’s name, and work is being done to create a practice field for the school’s soccer teams and youth football teams in honor of Benthall’s memory as well.