Kickin’ into high gear
In the 56th minute of the Utah State-Portland State game last Saturday Charity Weston slyly picked herself up off the cold ground and smiled as she glanced at her bench.
The referee was giving a yellow card to Portland State’s Jessie Corr who is a good two inches taller than Weston.
“I don’t want people to think they are going to push me around,” she said. “But I’m not out to start fights. I’m just aggressive, I guess.”
She had drawn what would be the lone yellow card in a match that saw more players get pushed than if they were buttons at a button factory.
It took Weston six games to score her first goal but it took just two to draw her first yellow card on a defender.
“Against Southern Utah the ball was going into the keeper and I went after it. It didn’t look like she had full control of the ball,” Weston said. “The defensive player came up and shoved me and said, ‘don’t touch my keeper’ and I kind of gave her a little shove back but she initiated it so she got the card.”
It’s this feistiness that helps in her leadership role, what keeps the Ags in their games. Weston routinely gives up inches against her defenders but so do most of her teammates.
“It doesn’t bug me,” she said. “Everyone is a lot smaller than most of our opponents. I’ve seen Tiffany McQueen out jump some players who are 4-5 inches taller than her.
“Its all about the quickness and the way you play the game.”
Weston said she isn’t a vocal leader but her actions are what the team should follow.
This year has been tough for the Aggies with injuries to some key returning players. More freshman are getting to play which takes some time to get accustomed to the individuals, Weston said.
“We’re having a difficult time gelling together or learning how each other plays,” she said. “Me and Dana [Peart] understand how each other plays but getting to know the freshman and getting to know their style of play and to look for feet or for through balls.”
The time it took to get used to the new players and also to get accustomed to her new forward position might have taken their toll early in the season as Weston was held scoreless in her first six games, though not without her chances.
Against Southern Utah she managed to hit the corner of the post and the crossbar as time expired in the first overtime period.
“I’m happy for anyone to score whether its me or not,” Weston said. “I just want our team to win. Coach was saying someone needed to step up and I’ve hit the post and had one-on-one chances with the keeper and it was a relief off my shoulders to finally score, because I am a forward and that’s my responsibility.”
When she did finally score, things worked out as the Aggies won their first two games of the year thanks to Weston’s three goals against Idaho State and San Francisco.
Weston was named Western Athletic Conference player of the week that week, and she was also an honorable mention All-Big West selection last season.
The conference season is just around the corner for the Ags and Weston said she feels good about their chances.
She said she had plenty of time to watch the style of play in the WAC as she was a medical redshirt her freshman year at San Jose State before transferring to Logan.
“If we come together at conference that will be key,” Weston said. “I’ve seen the teams play at conference. Anyone has a chance at winning and I definitely think we’ll be a team up there at the top.”
As for the remaining three game before the conference season heats up there is still plenty on the Aggies plate.
Weston said the Ags need to keep their outside backs involved in the offense and keep pressure on the other team at all levels of the field from their forwards to their defenders.
-krn@cc.usu.edu