Paige Waskom’s head was throbbing with pain, both physical and emotional.
Just minutes into Center Grove’s girls soccer sectional title match against Columbus North, the senior tried to get in the way of a shot attempt from Bull Dog star Jenna Lang. She won the battle, knocking the shot off target, but she lost the war — concussion symptoms sidelined Waskom for the rest of what proved to be her final high school match.
Though it killed her to sit and watch, she did what she could to be with her fellow Trojans in spirit during a season-ending defeat.
"Even though I wasn’t on the field physically with them, I wanted them to know that I was mentally there and emotionally there with them," Waskom said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]
When Waskom was on the field, she was her usual dominant self, leading Center Grove to 14 wins, and she is the Daily Journal’s Player of the Year for a second consecutive season.
The Trojans stumbled out of the gate, dropping their first two matches of the year, but eventually found their groove behind Waskom and fellow co-captains Macy Detty and Peyton Murphy. Along the way, the team found a fight that it didn’t know it had in years past or at the beginning of this season.
"Even if there’s no chance of us coming back or if we’re leading by 9-0, it doesn’t matter," Waskom said. "We always play until the end."
As was the case throughout her career, Waskom was an overpowering presence all over the field for Center Grove. When she was needed to hold the fort in the defensive half, she did so. When she needed to set the tone on offense, she did that too, scoring a team-high 12 goals.
Waskom will now try to make a similar impact on the next level when she heads north to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee next year. She’ll be pushed not only by the disappointment of her final match at Center Grove, but also by the tougher competition that comes at the Division I level.
"Division I’s always been a dream for me, and accepting the scholarship opportunity to Milwaukee, I knew that I still have unfinished work," Waskom said. "So even though I was super upset with the way high school ended, I’ve got unfinished business that still has to be taken care of, so when I get to Milwaukee, I’m just super excited to push myself even farther.
"I’m not only going to challenge myself as a person, but as a player as well. I’m super excited to kind of get out of my comfort zone and play with girls who are not only physical, but they’ll give you a run for your money and they won’t give anything to you for free."
Sounds a lot like what Waskom’s opponents here have had to deal with over the last four years.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="All-County team" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The 2020 All-County team for girls soccer:
<strong>Ellie Bigelow, Greenwood Christian junior:</strong> The last line of defense for the Cougars came up with 272 saves, more than any other goalkeeper in the state.
<strong>Stephanie Brady, Franklin senior:</strong> Transfer from Whiteland gave her new team a major boost offensively, totaling eight goals and a team-leading 12 assists.
<strong>Macy Detty, Center Grove senior:</strong> Saw her production dip somewhat but still finished with four goals and seven assists while impacting the game in other ways … Will play college soccer at Army.
<strong>Kayli Farmer, Center Grove sophomore:</strong> A major difference-maker in the midfield and on defense for the Trojans … Scored once and dished out eight assists.
<strong>Mollie Hill, Franklin junior:</strong> Returned after a year off and led the charge for the much-improved Grizzly Cubs, finishing with 13 goals and seven assists.
<strong>Emily Karr, Center Grove sophomore:</strong> Scored 10 goals, reaching double digits for the second straight year, and added six assists …Â Tallied three goals in a sectional win over Whiteland.
<strong>Makensie Kramer, Center Grove senior:</strong> Used her top-level speed up front to contribute nine goals and eight assists as the Trojans racked up 14 wins.
<strong>Addie Marshall, Franklin junior:</strong> Repeat all-county selection ranked fifth in the state with 229 saves, helping the Grizzly Cubs go from three wins to eight this season.
<strong>Emily Metzger, Greenwood sophomore:</strong> Established herself as an offensive force with 15 goals and six assists … Had five multi-goal games, scoring four times against Beech Grove.
<strong>Peyton Murphy, Center Grove junior:</strong> Despite battling injuries throughout the season, scored seven goals and dished out a team-high 14 assists … A second-team all-district pick.
<strong>Sarah Turcotte, Whiteland junior:</strong> Shouldered a heavy load for the Warriors, scoring 14 of the team’s 29 goals and assisting on four others … Helped an improving team win three of its last five.
<strong>Paige Waskom, Center Grove senior:</strong> Led the Trojans with 12 goals while also serving as the team’s leader at both ends of the field … Earned all-district recognition … Will play college soccer at Milwaukee.
Honorable mention
Haley Achs, Whiteland; Ella Blazek, Center Grove; Olivia Brawley, Greenwood; Erica Buening, Franklin; Izzy Cameron, GCA; Ava Crowe, Center Grove; Savvanah Frye, GCA; McKinley Garrett, Whiteland; Emma Gill, Whiteland; Kiley Hankenhoff, Greenwood; Addie Jolley, GCA; Hailey Kriech, Whiteland; Alaina LaPorte, Whiteland; Katie Potter, GCA; Riley Williams, Center Grove; Casy Zuch, Center Grove
[sc:pullout-text-end]
