Rockets select Clayton, Coles
Madison Clayton is Jefferson-Morgan's fall sports female selection in the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program.
Bobby Coles is Jefferson-Morgan's fall sports male selection in the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program.
JEFFERSON 鈥� Jefferson-Morgan doesn鈥檛 currently have a girls soccer team but the high school may have a WPIAL championship trophy from that sport to put on display some time soon.
That would be thanks to senior Madison Clayton, one of the WPIAL鈥檚 best players who, through a co-op, has played for Waynesburg Central throughout her high school career and was a key component in the Lady Raiders鈥� recently completed championship season.
Clayton and senior golfer Bobby Coles have been chosen as Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 fall representatives for the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar-Athlete program.
Clayton, the daughter of Jason and Julie Clayton, started participating in her sport long ago.
鈥淚鈥檝e been playing soccer since I鈥檝e been five years old,鈥� Clayton said.
Coles, on the other hand, didn鈥檛 begin to play golf until right before he entered high school.
鈥淚 have been golfing for four years,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淢y dad just wanted somebody to play with. He got me to play, and from there I just started to love the sport and kept with it.鈥�
In assessing his game, Coles said, 鈥淢y short game was definitely better this year. Driving is all over the place honestly. My chipping and short game and my putting are better.鈥�
Coles, the son of Bob and Tammy Coles, made the Rockets squad as a sophomore and has been on the team ever since under longtime coach John Curtis.
鈥淛ohn is a great coach,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淚 was happy to have him and happy he stayed around after being a coach for so many years. We definitely improved this year from last year. We never did too amazing but we had two wins this year. That鈥檚 better than we had done in previous years, so I鈥檒l take that.鈥�
Coles was a key figure in both victories, posting a team-best round in each.
鈥淗igh school golf is definitely a lot more competitive,鈥� Coles said, in comparing it to casual golf. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more just having fun with family and friends. But we still have fun with it in high school and I really enjoyed being on the team.鈥�
Clayton鈥檚 team was away from her actual high school, but she grew up playing with most of the Lady Raiders.
鈥淚 played with some of those girls for a really long time,鈥� Clayton. 鈥淚 played on rec teams and club teams with them, so it wasn鈥檛 difficult playing for Waynesburg. I felt like I was welcome from the beginning.鈥�
Clayton had J-M followers throughout the season.
鈥淎 few students and a teacher came to my WPIAL final game and some of them came to my playoff games and a lot of them came to regular-season games,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淪o my high school gave me a lot of support.鈥�
Clayton is hoping her school can secure a replica of the WPIAL trophy her Waynesburg team won.
鈥淲e received a section title plaque so we鈥檙e going to try to get a WPIAL one, too,鈥� she said.
While the Lady Raiders鈥� title came as a surprise to most, Clayton wasn鈥檛 one of them.
鈥淲inning the WPIAL had been my goal for a really long time. It was something my team definitely saw happening,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淲e knew if we just continued to play the way we did, our hard work would pay off and lead us to a WPIAL title.鈥�
Clayton, who played center forward, wound up her high school career with a school-record 142 goals after scoring a WPIAL-leading 57 as a senior. While some of those goals were dazzling, it was the one that put the final nail in the coffin in the WPIAL championship match against previously undefeated and top-seeded Freedom that she treasures most.
That came with 13:52 remaining and Waynesburg holding a 3-1 lead and all but sealed the WPIAL title for her team.
鈥淚 had so many chances that entire game and I just wanted one so bad,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淚 scored the last one, so it just made me feel relieved, like we have this game.鈥�
Clayton recalls the joy of the final seconds when she realized her dream.
鈥淭here were about two seconds left, and I was jumping in the air because I was so excited,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淵ou could tell how much we wanted it the entire game. It was so exciting. It made me so happy to know my senior year we ended up fulfilling a goal that we鈥檝e been working for for so long.鈥�
The next step for Clayton is NCAA Division-1 soccer for the University of Pittsburgh, where she has earned a soccer scholarship.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 not going to be easy and that everything鈥檚 going to be a challenge,鈥� said Clayton, who hasn鈥檛 picked a major yet. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 so nice to know my parents鈥� hard work paid off and my coaches and my hard work paid off, too. I鈥檒l probably be playing outside back or outside forward.鈥�
Clayton didn鈥檛 let her involvement with soccer affect her school work. Her grade-point average is 4.0.
鈥淚 learned to have very good time management because I have practice all the time,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淪o as soon as I would have a free period or anything I would work on homework, and I didn鈥檛 have practice until night, so I鈥檇 make sure I鈥檇 study as soon as I came home and get everything done.鈥�
Coles sports a 3.81 GPA and is headed for the Pittsburgh Technical College for Network Administration.
鈥淚 really want to pursue a career in network administration,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淓ven though it鈥檚 like a technical school, it鈥檚 nice that it鈥檚 still considered a college and I鈥檇 still get associate鈥檚 or have a chance at a bachelor鈥檚 if I want to go for that. It鈥檚 nice being very hands on but still a college.鈥�
Coles is enjoying his senior year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been very laid back,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淚 have a lot of good classes, but it鈥檚 just a lot of figuring out the rest of my life. As far as school work, I鈥檓 always on task.鈥�
Coles鈥� favorite class is engineering.
鈥淭his year, it鈥檚 a brand new class at our school. Mr. Pratt teaches that and it鈥檚 a great class so far,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a learning experience. It鈥檚 a little tough here and there, but we鈥檙e figuring things out and it鈥檚 very fun.鈥�
Coles wants to continue playing golf after he graduates.
鈥淎bsolutely,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淚 plan to play the rest of my life. As long as my body will let me, I鈥檒l play golf.鈥�