Photograph Katie Roupe Madison Clayton has had a remarkable career playing soccer at Waynesburg Central High School. The dynamic senior has over 100 career goals and is committed to play soccer at University of Pittsburgh starting next fall.
Clayton has been playing soccer ever since she was five years old and started playing on travel teams at the age of nine.
“It all kind of started out you know when you are five years old and your parents want you to play a sport to get rid of some of that energy you have at that age, but for me I really enjoyed doing it,” Clayton said.
Division I athletes are a rare find in Greene County. Clayton shed some light on her recruiting process.
“Playing club soccer since I was young really helped and I owe a lot to my club coaches, [Waynesburg Central head coach Joe Kijowski] and my parents,” said Clayton.
Clayton also said that going to recruiting camps in general and keeping in touch with coaches from the camps and tournaments she played in helped.
A unique thing about Clayton is the fact she is not even a student at Waynesburg Central.
Clayton is a senior from Jefferson-Morgan High School, which is just located a couple minutes away from Waynesburg. Jefferson-Morgan, however, does not offer a soccer program so to accommodate her desire to play high school soccer she joined the Waynesburg Central girls team. With Clayton’s help, Waynesburg’s soccer program is now one of the best in the W.P.I.A.L.
Last season she helped the Lady Raiders capture their first ever section title and W.P.I.A.L. semi-finals. Clayton said that was one of her favorite memoires she has had playing for Waynesburg.
Fast-forward to this season. In just the fifth game of this year she scored her 100th career goal. Her head coach, Joe Kijowski, talked about the night she scored her 100th goal.
“I was happy for her,” Kijowski. “100 goals is a great milestone, but at the same time she’s a team player and she’ll tell you first hand she has bigger goals for the team first then her own personal ones.”
Although Clayton was happy about reaching the milestone, she thinks more about the big picture.
“It was exciting, but at the same time I have bigger expectations then scoring a 100 goals,” Clayton said. “For the team I want to win a W.P.I.A.L. championship.”
Some of Claytons goals for the team are to win another section title, along with a WPIAL championship and a state playoff run.
For Kijowski, Claytons work ethic is part of what makes her such an impactful player. “She has been a hard worker, great leader because she leads by example, and she has improved her game every year., Kijowski said. “Her work ethic has always drove her, she has always wanted to play in college and I am happy she is going to get that chance.”
Clayton is planning on graduating early from Jefferson-Morgan in order to enroll early at Pitt.
“It will be a big advantage [enrolling early] because I will be around the team early, learn their training styles and get to know the university a lot better,” Clayton said.
Clayton is not completely certain what her major at the Pitt will be, as she said there are a few she has an interest in.