Wilks guards goal for Gentry

Gentry soccer teams compete at state level this week in North Little Rock

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

— Makayla Wilks, 18 and a senior at Gentry High School, is wrapping up her final season guarding the goal for the girls’ soccer team, but she plans to continue the game she learned to love during her four years on the team in her upcoming college years.

“It seemed like it would be fun,” Wilks said of her decision to play on the soccer team in her freshman year. “I never played before, and I thought I’d try something new,” she said.

During her freshman year, Wilks worked with the goalie during warm-up exercises. In her sophomore year, the coach asked for volunteers to try out for the position guarding the goal. She did and has been playing in the goalie box ever since.

During play this season, the team had 10 games with no goals scored against her. During her junior year, there were six games with no balls kicked into the Gentry goal.

“Makayla averaged about six saves a game,” said Gentry girls’ coach Fabrizio Campagnola. “The biggest game was against Siloam (Springs), when she made21 saves (though the Gentry team still lost the non-conference contest 2-1).

Campagnola said she successfully defended against two penalty kicks - one against Huntsville and another against Green Forest. Gentry won both those games, 1-0 and 5-0, respectively, he said.

“Her strength is comingout of the goal and diving,” Campagnola said, adding that he would like to see her improve more in her level of confidence and in being able to quickly read the play and make decisions.

Wilks plans to continue playing in college and improve her game.

She will be starting college in the fall at Northwest Arkansas Community College, where she plans to begin pursuing hereducation to become a physician’s assistant. Without opportunity to play in intercollegiate sports at NWACC, she plans to play on an intramural team until she enrolls at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Then she hopes to try out for the Razorback team.

She was in the goal on Thursday, when the girls’ soccer team took on the Rogers-Heritage junior varsity team. She allowed nogoals, with the teams finishing in a 0-0 tie.

The team played its final conference game against Huntsville on Friday, picking up another win, 4-3. Two goals were scored by Ana Palacios. Bryanna Carter and Kanisha Eckart each kicked in one.

The team’s record after Friday was 10-8-1. They were 4-2 in conference play. Last year the team’s overall record was 8-8-3.

This year’s goal totals after Friday were 60 Gentry goals to 39 goals scored by opponents. Last year the team was 38-32.

The girls are scheduled to play their first state tournament game against De-Queen at 2 p.m. on Thursday, on Field 10 at Burns Park in North Little Rock.

The Gentry boys will play on the same field at 4 p.m. Thursday against Dardanelle.

Sports, Pages 9 on 05/09/2012