Sparks Fly: Arrington and Braylyn Sparks sign with Fairmont State

And as they head to college to continue their athletic careers, they’re not done being teammates. Both signed letters of intent to play soccer for Fairmont State and celebrated with their families Wednesday evening.

“She’s literally my best friend,” Braylyn said of Arrington. “We’ve grown up being able to push each other and hold each other accountable for our entire lives. I feel like that’s what you need at the next level. You need determination, the drive and someone to hold you accountable.”

For a brief moment, the concept of them drifting apart was possible.

“Our recruitments were a little bit different,” Braylyn said. “I started early and emailed a lot of schools. A wanted to stay close to home. I was reaching out of state, so it was up in the air for a while.”

Arrington, though, says she never planned to let it happen.

“I knew I wanted to keep playing with my best friend,” Arrington interrupted. “I knew that even if she went out of the state, I was going to be dragged with her. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make sure we were still playing together. Academically, I wanted to stay around here, but if she was going to play out of state, I was going with her.”

The match at Fairmont State seemed destined from the beginning. Head coach Kernell Borneo has been the twins’ club coach for years, dating back to their middle school days. He knows their development, play style and ability to win.

“We had a previous connection that sparked it,” Braylyn said. “He’s seen us play since middle school since we’ve played for his team. What sold it for us was the players. It’s a welcoming environment that is close to home.”

The winning touch has found Philip Barbour in recent years, but it’s particularly present in the Sparks sisters. The Colts are three-time consecutive state runner-ups in girls’ soccer and made back-to-back state tournaments in basketball with Arrington and Braylyn leading the way.

Both have been all-state players in both sports. It’s never been a question that soccer was the end goal.

“Soccer has always been our sport,” Arrington said. “Basketball was more of a hobby growing up. I loved them both equally, so it’s gonna be sad to say goodbye to it. Soccer’s just something I feel like we both put our time into. It’s my first love.”

Braylyn cites a competitive edge.

“We’ve always played more competitively,” Braylyn said of their experience in soccer. “We’re on travel teams and stuff. Basketball was the side thing while soccer was a main priority.”

They reminisced on four state tournament appearances in soccer on Wednesday.

“B and I were fortunate enough to be on the first team ever to go to a state soccer tournament,” Arrington said. “At the time, we didn’t really know how important that was. We were just like, ‘We keep winning, what do you mean?’”

Braylyn was a 100-goal scorer. Arrington had over 46 assists in two seasons of MaxPreps statistics.

“But looking back, our dad has drilled it into our heads that no one can ever take that away from us,” Arrington said. “I’m going to hold onto that. This school has meant a lot to me. I’ve had amazing coaches, teammates and all the above. My family has been incredible. All glory to God, I feel blessed.”

A lot of Arrington’s passes went to Braylyn through the years. The two connect seamlessly as the focal point of the Colts’ attack. It’ll be a bonus for the Falcons, who Arrington says may lean into their style.

“Our coach has told us that he wants to play more attacking minded,” Arrington said. “B and I are both attacking players, so I think as long as we train hard and do our thing, we’re gonna be pretty good. We’re trying to win the MEC again and make it far into the tournament.”

Fairmont State was the champion of the MEC in 2022 before a 7-10-2 season in 2023.

“We went to a lot of their games,” Braylyn said. “They had a lot of injuries. We know the coach and the style of play. The biggest thing is the physicality and speed of play. It’s something to get used to, but I think we can fit in pretty well.”

The benefit of Fairmont State is proximity. Family and community support will be a short drive away.

“The campus is super cute,” Arrington said. “The biggest thing for me was being close to home. We have a tight knit community here that I didn’t want to say bye to quite yet. I know we’ll still get a lot of support being as close as we are.”

“I’m going to miss Philip Barbour,” Braylyn added. “It’s helped our athletics excel; the community support is crazy. I think we’ll have some followers once we get to Fairmont.”

With a close drive to home, a familiar coach and years of experience playing together, both can focus on the physical jump to the next level. Both seem excited about the challenge.

“We went to a lot of their games,” Braylyn said. “They had a lot of injuries. We know the coach and the style of play. The biggest thing is the physicality and speed of play. It’s something to get used to, but I think we can fit in pretty well.”