O'Fallon Patch Spotlight Athlete Of The Week: Bridget Stewart, Fort Zumwalt South soccer

Since her older sister Shannon, is already on the team, most members of the Fort Zumwalt South girls varsity soccer team already knew Bridget Stewart before she came to the school this year.

Since she’d come to several games the last two years, most of the Bulldogs had met Bridget. They liked her, and once they found out she was a soccer player too, thought she’d be a nice addition to the program’s freshman team once the 2011 season came around.

What those girls didn’t know, but found out very quickly once tryout practices began back in March, was that Bridget Stewart, who stands all of 5-foot-4, might be smaller and younger than most every varsity player in the area, but she plays with big-time heart and has big-time talent to boot, and that’s why she’s been named the O’Fallon Patch's Spotlight Athlete of the Week.

“Since her older sister plays for us, we kind of knew about her coming up,” South High girls varsity soccer coach Vernon Gano said. “But once she came out, the first day, there wasn’t any question that she couldn’t handle it. All four coaches, we all got together, and said she needs to be playing forward for us (on varsity).”

And that clearly has been a wise decision, which Stewart has made look like a brilliant choice ever since the first game of the year, when she made her varsity debut with a rousing two goals and an assist in a 5-0 South High season opening victory over Hazelwood Central High.

“I just go at it hard, and try to give it everything I’ve got when I’m out on the field,” Stewart said. “My dad and my coach that I’ve been playing with since like second grade, they push me hard, and that’s where I learned to give it everything I’ve got.”

And that everything she’s got, has turned into the best South High has had to offer on the field this season. Stewart leads the Bulldogs in goals scored (12) and total points (31)

Stewart is the Bulldogs’ leading goal scorer (12) and leader in total points (31) in 2011. In fact, those totals were more than twice that of anyone else on the team heading into Friday night’s ultra-important GAC North contest at Fort Zumwalt East High.

The final score of that game was not available at presstime, but if 10-10 South High, which is looking to improve on its fourth place league standing, was going to have any chance in a pulling out a tough road victory in a critical matchup with Zumwalt East, Bridget Stewart had to play a key role.

“It’s just so impressive to walk out and see a freshman that just steps up and plays (so well) against girls that are four years older than she is,” South High girls varsity soccer coach Vernon Gano said. “It’s really nice to have somebody with her kind of touch up top, and for her to not be selfish at all. It’s really nice to have her out there on the field for us.”

For the season, Stewart ranks sixth in the entire conference in goals and total points. But even after scoring that team-leading 12th goal of the season in Monday’s 5-2 win over Hazelwood West High, Stewart seemed more interested in figuring out what more she could do to help her team win.

“Everybody has just welcomed me with open arms,” Stewart said. “Nobody teases me or anything, or treats me like I’m just the freshman. I kinda feel like this is my family. So I have to go hard after every ball, and try to score, and try to make plays to help us win.”

South High found out this week that it had been named the No. 3 seed in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 8 playoffs, and it will play its first round district game against Wentzville Timberland High on Monday, May 16, at Troy Buchanan High at 4 p.m.

If the Bulldogs can win that game, they would advance to a district semifinal matchup against Troy Buchanan the next day, Tuesday, May 17, with the winner advancing to the district championship game on Thursday, May 19.

South High has already played and defeated both Wentzville Timberland and Troy Buchanan once each this season.

On April 7, the Bulldogs beat Timberland 2-0, and a week earlier, on March 31, South High upset a then-No. 3 ranked Troy 2-1, thanks to two magnificent goals by the freshman fireball Bridget Stewart.

“I think people are starting to notice that she’s got skills,” Gano said. “You saw out here tonight, that when she gets the ball, they’re starting to double- and triple-team her. Which is good, because she’s able to get the ball to one of her teammates that’s wide open for a shot, or they give it back and now she’s open. It’s just really nice to have that on our team.”

South High will close the final week of the regular season with three big-time games this week, before heading into district play next week.

On Monday, the Bulldogs will play at state championship-favorite and third-ranked Incarnate Word Academy at 4 p.m.

Then on Tuesday, South High will host archrival Fort Zumwalt North High at Jack Ball Stadium at 6 p.m., before closing the regular season Thursday evening, with a showdown at GAC North-leading Francis Howell North High also at 6 p.m.

“We’ve been really focusing on playing consistent,” Gano said. “We’ve been really shaky, kinda win-one, lose-one lately. We just want to play consistent the next couple of games.”