BETHALTO – Helping her teammates is Aubree Wallace’s main focus as a central midfielder. And as a result, the second year of the Civic Memorial itself received help.
It all came together to the tune of 20 goals and 14 assists for Wallace, this season’s Telegraph Large Schools Girls’ Football Player of the Year.
“I try to get everybody the ball the best I can,” Wallace said. “My main role is to distribute the ball, but I also want to help my team in any other way I can. I want to be there for whatever they need.
Wallace and teammate Abrianna Garrett were deadly for the Eagles in the recent IHSA “summer” women’s soccer season. Garrett, a freshman, scored 27 goals and had 10 assists.
As a central midfielder, Wallace’s goal tally was higher than she expected. In many cases, an effective central midfielder starts scoring plays with ball distribution, but doesn’t get his name in the stats.
It is often the players who pass the ball to the player who obtains the assist.
“We work really well together,” Wallace said. “A lot of passes to Abrianna, she managed to slip me. I didn’t have many outside goals.
Wallace plays club soccer for Lou Fusz SC in St. Louis and recently started a new season there, training two nights a week at the club’s soccer complex on Creve Couer Mill Road in St. Louis.
Wallace and the Eagles had an up and down season, finishing 8-11-1. But CM has made solid progress, despite the unusual circumstances caused by the IHSA delaying the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CM head coach Eric Zyung and assistant coach Derek Jarman are a good coaching team, Wallace said. Jarman is the boys’ head coach and Zyung is his assistant. At one point late in the boys’ delayed football season, the girls’ pre-season training was underway, meaning there were several days when both coaches changed hats in the middle of training .
Wallace said it was good for the women’s team.
“I think training with the boys has made our team better, tougher,” she said. “It was probably difficult for the coaches, but it helped us.
“I really like (Zyung’s) coaching style,” she said. “He’s not afraid to call you if he needs to, but he’ll also let you know when you’ve done something right. Coach Jarman isn’t shy about speaking out either. It’s a good team. »
Wallace also played basketball for the Eagles, as well as the Southern Illinois Hawks traveling club basketball team, coached by Jonathan Denney and Lee Green.
She also raced cross country at CM last season.
Hawks teams completed the July Homer Monday at the annual USJN Summer Finals in Chicago.
Whether it was on the football field, the basketball court or a cross-country course, Wallace said she gave it her all. But if in a hurry, she does not hesitate to profess her favorite.
“I prefer football,” she said. “I’m hoping to eventually play Division II or maybe Division I college football.”
For two years, however, she will remain a CM Eagle.
“When they (IHSA) said football could have playoffs last season, I was really excited,” she said. “And I think we have a good chance next year.”
Despite being beaten three times in 2021 by the eventual Class 2A state champion Triad, the Eagles’ last two losses have each been 3-0. And Wallace said it showed just how far CM has come over the season.
“I think we played them hard,” she said. “Triad are such an amazing team, but I love playing against big teams. If we keep working and listening to our coaches, I think we can compete with them even more. We’ll have just about everyone coming back. .
