Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
FHS’s Bertalotto set for All-Star Game
Caroline Bertalotto will enroll at the University of Arkansas this fall to study exercise science with the goal of eventually becoming a physical therapist.
But the recent graduate from Fayetteville High School has one more match to play before continuing on her life’s journey.
Bertalotto will suit up for the West team against the East during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association High All-Star soccer game in Conway June 24. The match will begin at 5 p.m. on the campus of Central Arkansas University.
Bertalotto was a senior co- captain and four- year varsity player for Fayetteville, which finished as state runners-up this season after winning the Class 6A championship in 2021. She found out she’d been selected for the All-Star game in a roundabout way from Joe Thoma, her high school coach at Fayetteville.
“He texted me and asked if I was free on June 24,” Bertalotto said. “I said ‘yes, why?’ He said there was an all-star game in Conway that day. He then said ‘you’ll be playing in it.”
Fayetteville had some vacancies to fill coming into the season, especially with the loss of Maddie Wilburn, the 2021 tournament MVP who led Fayetteville to a 170-3 record. But other players came to the forefront, including Bertalotto, who teamed with Lauren Magre to provide most of the scoring opportunities for the Lady Bulldogs.
She was part of senior class that won 51 games, went to two state title games and played on a championship team in 2021 that did not lose a match.
“Berti is a special girl who provided leadership to the younger girls this past season,” Thoma said. “She was instrumental in running many of our restart plays. She took our corner kicks and most of the free kicks from medium range. With 10 goals and 12 assists on the season, Caroline was always dangerous with her skillful serves into the box for our forwards to score and with lethal shots from distance.”
Bertalotto scored one of the biggest goals of her career during a Class 6A state semifinal game against Bentonville at the Benton Athletic Conference. Bertalotto scored with about 20 minutes left to break a 3-3 and eliminated Bentonville, which went 111-2 in 6A-West Conference play. The win lifted Fayetteville, which had finished third in the league, into the state championship game for the second straight year.
“We hadn’t beaten (Bentonville) all year, so that was really cool to to do that and make it to the championship game again,” Bertalotto said.
Bentonville West got its revenge in the championship game against Fayetteville, which ended the high school career for Bertalotto and the other seniors on the team. But Bertalotto is thrilled to be able to take the field one last time as an all-star in girls soccer.
“I’m really excited about it,” Bertalotto said. “It’s so cool to be a part of that.”