Texas High School Girls Team Spotlight – Lake Highlands Wildcats
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The high school soccer season is underway in the state of Texas and until mid-April, then the State Tournament will be held, thousands of teams will be in action all across the Lone Star State competing for a spot in…
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Continue ReadingThe high school soccer season is underway in the state of Texas and until mid-April, then the State Tournament will be held, thousands of teams will be in action all across the Lone Star State competing for a spot in the playoffs.
Prep Soccer will be following the action and constantly providing match reports on some of the most exciting duels and highlighting the players that are standing out for their teams. We’ll also be presenting some of the most promising teams that we get to watch live so you know them a little bit better.
Lake Highlands Wildcats
The Lake Highlands Wildcats from Dallas compete in the UIL Division 6A – Region 1, District 7. The program has been a force in the area, having made it to the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons – their only run to the Regional Finals dates back to 30 years ago. This season, the Wildcats have a solid roster, with solid defenders, dynamic midfielders and dangerous forwards.
Players to Watch
Haley Pokorski
Haley Pokorski
Pokorski has been used as a left-back for the Wildcats and has been doing a great job in the position – but she can also play on the right. Also a volleyball student-athlete, she uses her size well to win plays in the air and is always well-positioned to make stops on the turf as well. She’s really good at cutting passing lines and also understands exactly where she should be at every moment. Pokorski also has very good quality on the ball and is very confident with it, connecting good passes from the back and helping the team initiate plays.
Sydney King
Sydney King
A very dynamic player, King makes a big impact for Lake Highlands on both sides of the ball. She’s very participative in the team’s play and plays a box-to-box role that helps the Wildcats in a big way. King is very clean on the ball, has excellent vision and distributes the game well, moving the ball from one flank to another efficiently. She also moves well off the ball to get in a position to get it and works hard to win the ball back on defense.
A freshman, Chaump plays an important role for Lake Highlands when it comes to chance creation for her midfield role. She’s very quick and efficient with the ball, pushing the team up the field with her play. Chaump is very good at dribbling the ball forward but can also connect with her teammates and find good passes. The best part of her game is her ability to make good decisions quickly, a skill that gives us a head start in basically every play she’s involved with. Chaump is also very good with movement off the ball and a solid finisher.
Highlights
Also capable of playing on the backline, Hoppers is typically deployed as a forward with Lake Highlands. Her original position is normally on the left side of the Wildcats’ front line, but she has the freedom and the intelligence to move around the attacking third and find the space she needs to make plays. Hoppers is very dangerous from the left, where she can either dribble the ball to the end line to make a cross or bring it inside in a better spot for her to finish. She’s really good at shooting from long distances and is effective with set pieces too.
A very mobile offensive player, Steele is heavily involved with Lake Highlands’ attacking efforts. In theory, she’s the team’s most advanced player, but her relentless movement makes her circulate well in every inch of the offensive half. Steele is great at making herself available for combination plays with her teammates and is also very good at making plays on her own, using her pace and dribbling ability. She is also extremely efficient with her long distance shots.