The season was short of highlights. But when flashy moments happened, junior midfielder Makenzie Peterson was likely involved.

South Whidbey High School’s girls soccer team struggled with injuries and personnel continuity this season to a 2-13 record. Still, Peterson’s efforts as a midfielder were enough to convince the competition she deserved all-conference recognition.

“She just displayed, first of all, incredible work ethic to the game of soccer,” said Falcons girls soccer coach Paul Arand. “And not just during the season, but during the offseason.”

Peterson, 16, has played at the midfield position since the eighth grade. She used to be a defensive player and was hesitant to be a midfielder.

“I thought that people who played center-mids were crazy because they had to run a lot,” she said. “But I like to run a lot now, so it’s perfect.”

“I love midfield.”

The team co-captain credited endurance and mental fortitude for her skill and talent.

“I’m definitely not a lazy person,” Peterson said. “People that are lazy, actually, drive me crazy.”

Year-round Peterson competes in O-Mok-See horse riding competitions across the state and during the summer, across the country. She won her age division at a national championship in July. She also played year-round select soccer on the mainland last year, but tried out for the high school girls basketball team instead this winter.

As a freshman, Peterson lettered on the basketball team. Her goal is to letter on the girls tennis team in spring so she can be a three-sport varsity letterman.

As a center midfielder, Peterson rarely took the shots and found herself distributing and dribbling. That suited her just fine, though.

“I like to help people. So I guess in [midfield] you don’t get the glory,” Peterson said.

Peterson scored two goals during the season, both against Sultan in a 3-2 win.

Arand understood her ability to handle the ball and limit turnovers under her possession.

“When she gets the ball, she has to possess it even under heavy pressure,” Arand said. “She was just a workaholic on the field.”

The other members of the all-conference teams know Peterson well. She played with most of them during last season’s select team.

“They play year-round,” Peterson said. “Two of the girls are now playing for the University of Washington, and are starters.”

“To play against them and have coaches even think of me and put me on second team, I was grateful,” she said.

One of Peterson’s fondest memories from this season came in a 4-0 loss to Archbishop Murphy. During the last game of the season at Archbishop Murphy, Peterson’s teammate Angelina Berges told jokes humorous enough to get the opposing team’s girls to laugh.

“It was the only time I remember the other girls laughing,” Peterson said.

Things didn’t look so funny in January. Peterson tore her right ACL and had surgery in February.

Her surgeon, Dr. Roger Larson at the University of Washington Medical Center, told her most ACL recoveries take at least nine months. Her physical therapist expected her recovery to require more time, especially since she resumed O-Mok-See riding three months after the surgery, with her doctor’s approval.

By tryouts in late August, Peterson pushed the time table for her knee’s readiness. Despite her limited summer workouts, Arand said she led the pack during warmups and running drills.

“That’s a position that requires a lot of endurance.”

Her coach appreciated her dedication.

“[Peterson] displayed great commitment because she was there for the team every day at practice,” Arand said.

That commitment resonates outside sports, too, for Peterson. Coupled with her willingness and affinity to help others, she is a member of S Club at South Whidbey High School, a daughter division of the Soroptimist organization.

S Club is hosting a dinner to raise money and awareness for Soroptimist at Greenbank Farm on Friday, Nov. 19. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m.

As a student at South Whidbey, Peterson enjoys English, particularly writing poetry. Don’t expect her to be the next Dr. Seuss or Edgar Allan Poe.

“Anything other than rhyming,” Peterson explained. “I like poems that don’t necessarily rhyme, but are about life lessons or experiences.”

If she’s not playing soccer, basketball, tennis, volunteering, studying, writing or riding, she’s cooking.

“I like to cook,” Peterson says, annunciating each word as she holds up a stack of eight cooking magazines. “My grandma gets me cooking magazines and I cook recipes out of them.”

South Whidbey girls soccer also had three players receive honorable mention. Juniors Brianna Haimes and Amanda Lutsock as defensive backs and freshman Maia Sparkman as a midfielder. Peterson considers Haimes and Lutsock to be first-team defensive players and suspected they missed out on first or second team because coaches couldn’t decide between the two. Lindsay Grimm was nominated to the second team at goal keeper.

“I would like to congratulate Lindsay,” Peterson said. “For her to get that [nomination] is pretty awesome.”

Arand expects the return of those players with Peterson to help build the soccer team into a competitive group.

“Any time we can get players who are playing well for us to return is a big boost for our program,” Arand said. “We need that kind of consistency, because we’re seeing that with our competition.”