Amber Clutter is now a high school girls soccer All-America.
Not just All-County or All-State but All-America.
That is something really heavy to digest even for the talented South Carroll senior who has been a celebrated three-sport athlete for four years.
"I'm shocked," said Clutter in a rare display of emotion. "But it hasn't sunk in yet just what I've won. I don't know what the award means exactly. I definitely didn't expect it."
Out of hundreds of thousands of girls who play high school soccer in America, Clutter is one of the top 50.
Only one other player in Maryland -- McDonogh junior Laurie Schwoy -- was named to the team chosen by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and sponsored by Umbro.
Being mentioned in the same breath with Schwoy is an unbelievable honor for Clutter.
Schwoy scored 69 goals this season for the high-profile McDonogh program. Clutter shattered the Carroll County girls soccer career scoring mark with 70 goals in four years.
Clutter and Schwoy will receive their All-America awards at a na- tional banquet Jan. 14 at the Sheraton in Washington. In past years, the All-America awards banquet has been conducted in California.
The two All-Americas will be honored again Jan. 25 at Michael's in Glen Burnie by the Maryland Soccer Coaches Association. They will receive their All-South awards that evening.
Clutter is the first girls soccer player from Carroll County to be an All-America and only the second athlete in any sport in the 28-year history of South Carroll High to earn All-America honors.
Basketball standout Melanie Wagener, who went on to play for the University of Virginia, is the only other South Carroll athlete to make All-America. She did it in 1988.
Now that Clutter has walked off with this award, her chances of being recognized by the major Division I collegiate women's soccer programs should increase.
Because Carroll County does not have much of a history of producing top girls players, it has been hard for Clutter to attract a lot of attention from the likes of James Madison and Maryland.
James Madison had been Clutter's first choice, but the Harrisonburg, Va., school seemed to cool its interest in her over the past couple of months. That prompted the two-time Carroll County Player of the Year to look elsewhere.
She visited Wake Forest, Campbell and Catawba a couple of weekends ago and apparently liked what she saw at Campbell " and Catawba.
On Monday, Clutter listed Mount St. Mary's, Campbell and Catawba as her final three choices.
But if the big schools come calling for the All-America with more scholarship money, Clutter said she obviously would be interested.
Whichever school lands Clutter, it will have much more than just a superbly talented soccer player whose unselfishness prevented her from rolling up more eye-popping statistics.
Clutter is an All-America off the field in every way.
She has worked many hours in community helping those less fortunate, is a Maryland Distinguished Scholar, is vice president of the South Carroll varsity club, carries a 3.9 grade-point average and writes a sports column in the Mount Airy Gazette.
More important, Clutter is a down-to-earth, genuine girl who has never let her success on the field go to her head.
In fact, she has often said she is tired of all the attention and wishes the other girls on her team would get more recognition.
When asked to talk about her accomplishments, Clutter usually just smiles warmly and says she doesn't know what to say.
South Carroll girls soccer coach Jim Horn has led the Clutter admiration society and this All-America award has left him beaming with pride.
"It's really satisfying for me to see Amber make All-America," he said.
"There has been so much effort from her and her parents [Bruce and Linda]. Her mom and dad have done far more for Amber than I have by taking her to all those soccer games no matter where they were played. I'm as happy as I can be."
With Clutter rising to the level of high school All-America, Horn said he now feels he did poorly as a coach not to win a state title with Clutter on the team.
However, the Cavaliers had the misfortune of playing state 3A-4A champion Centennial in the first round of the regionals. South Carroll lost that game, 1-0, giving up an early goal in the first half and dominating the second half without scoring.
When it came time to honor his 11-2 team at a banquet recently, Horn said he tried to mention the most outstanding play of the season for each member of the squad.
But he said it was impossible to name just one play for Clutter.
"There were so many things she did, so many brilliant headers and shots," said Horn.
"To pick one would be impossible. But one goal I will always remember is the one against Westminster when Amber was outside the circle with her back to the goal and she turned suddenly and shot the ball into the net at the far post."