Soccer coach calls it quits after school lets field named in his honor deteriorate over the summer

Ashley Yudin was looking forward to the upcoming season. The Davis (Calif.) High boys soccer coach, who led the team to six Sac-Joaquin Section titles during his tenure, was hoping to going out on a high note, after deciding that his 26th season at the school would be his last.

But instead of coaching the boys soccer team for one final campaign, Davis threw everyone a curveball when he told school officials he would be retiring a year earlier than expected.

His reason for walking away suddenly? According to the Sacramento Bee, the school let the soccer field -- which was named in his honor -- deteriorate over the summer, to the point that when Yudin showed up to prepare for the season, he took one look at the field and figured it was a sign to walk away.

"It was just the perfect storm as far as things that could go wrong," Yudin told the Sacramento Bee. "They were putting solar panels over the parking lot and the water main was twice broken. The field went two or three weeks without water, then there were four more breaks. Watching that field die was heartbreaking to me."

Yudin Field was closed Aug. 1 due to nearby construction. The construction, coupled with field irrigation issues, caused the grass to die, making the field unsuitable for games.

In the meantime, officials told the Sacramento Bee that the Davis soccer team will practice off campus at East Davis, and play games at the school's football stadium, which has synthetic turf, while Yudin Field is repaired.

While it's not the way Ashley Yudin had hope to go out, his last game at Davis will be one he'll always remember. Just last season, Yudin's team defeated Jesuit (Calif.) High in the D-I section championship on penalties, ending the school's national record 68-match winning streak. Talk about walking away from the sport on a high note.

Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.