Pattonville High coach Tom Iffrig wasn't demoralized one bit when sophomore midfielder Kailey Utley missed a penalty kick with about 24 ½ minutes left in Friday's Class 3 state semifinal game and the Pirates trailing Columbia Rock Bridge 1-0.
"I turned to my assistant coach (B.J. Lancaster) and said, 'she's going to make up for this in a big way,' '' said Iffrig. "And she sure did."
Utley scored two goals in the final 12 minutes to help her squad come from behind to beat the Bruins.
"She's unbelievable," said Iffrig of Utley, the North County Journal Athlete of the Week. "In the semis against Rock Bridge, she pretty much took over the game after missing the penalty kick."
And even though the Pirates were overwhelmed 7-2 by an incredible Liberty team in the title game on Saturday, Utley again had an outstanding game. She was credited with a goal on a corner kick that caromed off one of the Liberty players to help the Pirates get on the board early in the second half after they trailed 4-0 at the half and then she assisted on a goal by Emily Cockrum to help Pattonville pull to within three goals of the Blue Jays, 5-2, midway through the second half.
"Personally, I thought I did alright offensively," said Utley of her effort in the final four. "I could have helped a little more on defense. I'm just glad we were able to make it that far and I was able to help get us there helping with my offense."
Boy, did she ever help on that side of the field. Utley supplied four assists and three goals for the Pirates in the team's last four games of the season.
"It shows she's one of the best players in the state that she can play against the best competition and still put up numbers," Iffrig said of Utley.
The two tallies she got against Rock Bridge are ones she said she'll cherish for a long time to come.
"That's something I'm always going to remember," she said. "It was something I had to do after missing the penalty kick. I knew I had to do something to make up for it."
Iffrig is likely to keep those goals in his memory bank as well. Particularly the second one, which won the game for the Pirates.
"It was a really phenomenal effort by Casey Vitale," he said. "She beat three defenders. She got the ball and dribbled down the left side and then did a cut move. She slotted the ball to Kailey and she ripped it by their keeper."
Utley is the first to admit her goal against Liberty was not a thing of beauty since it was knocked in by a Blue Jay.
"I was trying to put it on the back post," she said. "It looked like it was going to the middle of the box at the top of the six-yard line and a girl stuck her foot out and it went in off of her."
Iffrig is used to Utley, a three-sport athlete at Pattonville, doing outstanding things. Despite being in just her second season with the Pirates, she led the team in scoring this year. She finished with a team-high 21 assists and was third on the team in goals scored with 12.
"She's a five-tool player," said Iffrig, who then credited her with seven. "She's extremely skilled with the ball, extremely quick, she's mobile and she obviously has great speed and great vision. She's a great passer and finisher, too, so she's got it all.
"She wants to play at the highest level," Iffrig added of Utley, who also is a 4.0 student. "She wants to play for a big-time program and I definitely won't be surprised to see that happen."
ffrig said he has already heard from coaches from the University of Nebraska and Notre Dame who are interested in his versatile midfielder, who is generally a lead by example sort but will have to take on more of a vocal role next year along with fellow sophomore star Mikala McGhee because some key seniors like Vitale and Tiffany Laughlin will be graduating.
"Next year, me and Mikala will really need to step up and lead the team," Utley said. "We were happy with second place but next year we want to get first. We aren't satisfied. We know it will take a lot of hard work if we're going to be able to make it as far and have a good season next year."
That work will start immediately for Utley as she heads back to work with her Scott Gallagher select team. That's the main thing on her plate but she also will have a camp and play in a league for basketball and softball, too.
"I don't really get a break," she said. "But I like staying active and doing stuff."
