By: Sean Moylan
Running in an open field with a ball at the end of her field hockey stick, Hightstown’s Jessica Haughton is athletic grace in motion and impossible not to watch.
In most of Hightstown’s varsity field hockey games this year, she was the best player on the field. But she may be just as good in track and field.
"Right now I like field hockey better but it changes depending on whatever season I’m in," said Jessica Haughton, the greatest scorer in the history of Hightstown High girls’ varsity field hockey.
This year Haughton scored 27 goals to smash Wendy Greczyn’s 32-year old single-season record for goals by a Hightstown player. She also had 13 assists. With 72 goals and 42 assists, Haughton has more points than any player to ever suit up for the Rams. Yet she’s such a great high jumper, long jumper and hurdler that she routinely qualifies for the Meet of Champions in the winter and spring track seasons.
In a different system, Haughton, dare we say it, may have been just a "15" goal a year scorer. But under Hightstown head coach Jule Reisig Howarth, who loves offense as much as defense, Haughton’s career flourished. In fact, last year she scored 22 goals to come within a goal of tying Greczyn’s school record.
This year Hightstown had one of its best seasons ever when it made it all the way to a Central Jersey Group III Final versus Moorestown. While the Rams held the Quakers off the board in the first half, they eventually lost the game 3-0. The Quakers denied Haughton the ball and she got very few scoring opportunities in the game.
"They were really good. They had really good passing. It was a little frustrating but I tried to go back and help out," said Haughton, an attacker who actually played some midfield in the game.
Defensively, Haughton plays well on penalty corners "I think toward the end of the year we started coming together and realizing (how good we were)."
The Rams were so close they sang cheers on the bus ride home from Moorestown to cheer each other up.
"I’m going to miss everyone, but I’m really going to miss Caitlin Fallon. We’d pass the ball back and forth and we always knew where the other was," noted Haughton. "It’s weird that I’ll never play in a high school field hockey game again."
The highlight of the season was when Hightstown knocked off Central Regional, 3-2, in the second round of the playoffs.
"They (Central Regional) were seeded first. I had two goals. The second one was in overtime. I was happy it was over because I was so exhausted," said Haughton, who often was double or triple-teamed by other squad’s best defenders.
"Sometimes it was really frustrating because if there’s two or three girls against me, there’s nothing I can do. But if I score (against a double or triple team) it feels good."
As great as the season was, it did take a bit of a physical toll on Haughton’s body.
"Toward the end of the season I was really tired and I had trouble with my calves cramping up," added Haughton, who fought through the pain to almost bring Hightstown a championship.
After a couple of rough games to start the season, 2006 went very well for Hightstown. Rams’ goalie Heidi Nicklaus had a breakout year. Fallon was terrific as usual and Haughton was so good she was chosen as the News 12 NJ and NJEA Scholar Athlete of the Week, where she was featured in a special television segment. The senior star is ranked 8th in her class with a GPA of 4.21.
"That was exciting," said Haughton. "I was a little nervous."
To be the best, takes countless hours of work. Hightstown Don Hess, who coaches Haughton in spring track and considers her to be one of the best and nicest athletes he has ever coach, often would see Haughton out on the field with her father Jim, perfecting her game and shot during the summer months.
"He (Jim Haughton) tells me if he sees me doing something (that looks wrong)," said Haughton. "Every day after school I’d dribble around the house."
She plays for the Future’s program and in an Indoor soccer league at Peddie. This season Haughton let her game flow more naturally.
"I didn’t put that much pressure on myself. I said to myself ‘whatever happens, happens.’ Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself to break out," said Haughton, who loves playing for Reisig Howarth. "This year it was fun. She (Reisig Howarth) makes practices fun."
Haughton will get one last chance to play for Reisig Howarth, when she suits up for her in the Jim Davis Classic All-Star game next week. While she made a lot of All-Star teams this fall and is sought after by many colleges, Haughton hasn’t picked her college or even her sport of choice yet. Maybe she’ll be another Bo Jackson and play two sports. Eventually, though, she’d like to be a math teacher.
"I definitely want to coach. That’s one of the reasons I want to be a teacher," added Haughton.
But right now, Haughton is doing some light jogging to prepare for the upcoming winter track and field season. And in a couple of weeks, track will probably be Haughton’s newest favorite sport.

