SPRINGFIELD, MO - Glendale senior Molly Brewer is arguably the best girls soccer player in the Ozarks area. With that title comes a lot of pressure, but she doesn't see it that way.
"It's really encouraging," commented Brewer. "It's kind of a compliment."
She garners plenty of attention from the opposition, but it never seems to slow her down.
"When teams are focusing on Molly she's going to drop her head and get in there and find that game winner," said Glendale head coach Jeff Rogers.
"Some girls will follow me around for an entire game. I almost find it funny because I can mess with them."
Molly is a coaches' kid. Her dad Rob is the head women's coach at Missouri State. That background has given her a different perspective on the game than most players possess.
"She gets the game. She sees things differently. Reads the game differently. So you put all that together and she's dynamite. She's fun to watch.
This fall Brewer will go play for her dad at Missouri State. And although you might think that was a foregone conclusion, that's not the case.
"People would always say, 'Are you playing for your dad in college?' and I would say no absolutely not. I want to get out of here. I looked at other schools but Missouri State was my best option by far."
Molly and her teammates have made the final 4 twice in the past 3 seasons, and before leaving her high school career behind, she'd like another shot at state.
"I think we have a really good chance. We're a good team and we're mature."
And it always helps to have the best player in the Ozarks.
"We're really going to have to put a lot on Molly's shoulders to push us through."
Glendale senior Molly Brewer is this week's Arby's High School Athlete of the Week.
