Here's what makes Katie Peterson one of Pueblo's best soccer players
Katie Peterson is arguably the best soccer player in Pueblo.
She plays for Pueblo West during the high school year and a club team in Colorado Springs during the offseason. But the junior Cyclone hasn’t always been a star in the sport. She’s had to earn it every step of the way.
Peterson has been playing soccer since one of her earliest memories.
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“I just love competing with everybody and I love playing with this team,” Peterson said. “Just having fun all the time, I originally played on an all-boys team with a bunch of my friends, and I had to eventually switch to the girls' team.”
That passion and drive to compete is evident in Peterson’s play. She is one of the top players in the South-Central League this year and the only player in Pueblo to receive recognition on the CHSAA all-state team last year.
“I think I worked really hard to receive that and I'm hoping that I can push for first-team all-state this year. If I get that, I mean, I wouldn't be able to do it without my team obviously, and we lost a lot of seniors last year and they were a great help, but I think that this team this year we can do even better.”
Peterson went on to say that growing up in Pueblo and playing soccer has been an experience in itself. She enjoyed the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the city thanks in large part to playing with Pierson Wimer, another star in her own right, who plays on the other side of town.
“I think playing on a high school team is a lot different than a club team,” Peterson said. “I play for a team up in Springs and I play with Pierson, from (Pueblo County High), and I love playing with her. It's just overall really different. The competitive level is a little bit more intense than high school, but I still love playing high school.”
Playing with and against top talent is often a way to grow. Peterson has put herself in that spot and now is hoping to use this year's opportunity to take the S-CL title.
“Every time we play each other it's just a battle,” Peterson said. “I love competing against Pierson. It's fun, but we always push each other and it's great so far. I love all the players and I love the coaches. If we compete this season and just keep grinding, I think we can make a great run in the playoffs.”
In order to secure that spot in the playoffs and have a chance at winning the league title, the Cyclones will have to get past the Hornets and Wiemer this season. Peterson knows this and is doing all she can to help her team get to that point.
The Cyclones (4-1) are in second place in the S-CL, and are one game behind the Hornets (5-0). To overcome County and take the title, Pueblo West will have to defeat them in the last league game of the season.
“I think our biggest competition is going to be County, I think that the games will be a battle but I'm excited to play them,” Peterson said.
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Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West soccer's Katie Peterson is among Colorado's best players
