Sandy, Utah – There's no danger of
Bizzy Phillips ever running out of steam on a soccer field.
Phillips earned the nickname "Energizer Bunny" from her coach for a good reason. The
Alta (Sandy) senior is always moving, looking to win the ball, make a pass or fire off a shot. Whatever the Hawks need to do to get an edge on an opponent, you can count on Phillips having a hand in it.
Bizzy Phillips, Alta
Photo by John Coon
That's one reason why Phillips fills the role of center midfielder so perfectly for Alta. She embraces having such a key role on the team because it puts her right in the middle of the action.
"You control the tempo of the game and everything is going," Phillips said. "I love it also because you're a part of the offense and the defense. You get to be the passer. You get to be the scorer. You get to be the defender too."
Her ability to make things happen is reflected in how potent the Hawks are on both sides of the ball.
Phillips has 23 goals in 17 games this season and ranks second in scoring in Class 5A. Her teammates
Sydney Fitzpatrick (20 goals) and
Madie Lyons (19 goals) also rank in the top five in scoring in 5A.
Defensively, Alta has surrendered just five goals all season. Hawks goalkeeper
Julianne Gentry leads the entire state with 11.5 shutouts.
Phillips is often in the middle of it all, making plays on both ends of the field. Her internal batteries never run low for a second.
"She never stops," Alta coach Lee Mitchell said. "Because she works so hard, she inspires the rest of the team to work harder."
It has helped Alta rise to No. 17 in the
MaxPreps National Top 25 rankings. The Hawks, who won their most recent 5A girls soccer title in 2011, are determined to get another championship after falling short to Viewmont in the 2012 title game.
Alta opened the Class 5A playoffs on Tuesday by drilling Hunter 8-0 in the first round.
"Each of us is going to step up and we're going to get to the ball no matter what," Phillips said. "Every shot is going to be a good shot. We're not going to waste any opportunities. The ultimate goal is just to win. We're not going to let anything get in our way."
Phillips has not let anything get in her way either while blossoming into a soccer star.
When she was 12 years old, Phillips would challenge her older brothers when they went to play indoor soccer games in the gymnasium at Waterford, a local Class 2A school. Her ability to make great passes and score goals were evident even at that age. She watched them and learned from them and used what she learned to tailor her own training.
Her brothers are the first to say that unmatched drive has made Phillips into the player she is today.
"She brings this fierceness to the team and this energy that strengthens everyone around her," said her older brother Andy Phillips, a standout placekicker at the University of Utah. "That's why she is perfect for that center-mid position. She receives the ball and can read. Not only can she read a runner, but she can also play the ball right to their feet. She can score, but she can assist like crazy. That's what she brings to the team is that energy and that playmaking ability."
Phillips has just scratched the surface of her potential. She will have an opportunity to add new dimensions to her game when she begins playing for BYU in 2014.
From the time she attended a BYU soccer camp at age 11, Phillips decided she was going to play soccer for the Cougars one day. This dream became real when BYU offered a scholarship after her sophomore season.
Phillips didn't need to see any other offers or visit any other schools. She committed to BYU right away.
"That was it for me," Phillips said. "I was done. I didn't care (about other schools). I was so excited. I still am so excited."
Those who know her best are convinced Phillips will make as big of an impact at BYU as she did at Alta.
"She had a goal to be picked up by BYU and she succeeded in that goal in her sophomore year," Andy Phillips said. "Now she's working her tail off to make sure when she goes down there she has a starting position."
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps.com. He is a
former prep sports reporter with the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret
News. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports.
