Texas Shootout: Five Center Backs to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>College Station will be the destination of several club teams from the Lone Star State this week as the city hosts the 37th edition of the Texas Shootout, one of the most traditional showcases held in the state every summer, organized by Challenge SC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Besides being an opportunity for players to showcase their skills, the tournament held at Veteran's Park from Saturday to Monday will also provide the many sides from the ECNL and GA leagues that will be present among the 129 entered teams with a great opportunity to finalize their preparations for the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Soccer Texas will be in attendance over the weekend, but before we get there, let's take a look at some promising prospects who will be in action, this time highlighting the center backs:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Brooke Cross","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'5u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Byron Nelson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Sting Dallas Royal","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Cross and her team Sting Dallas Royal ECNL RL G06/05 I will have matches against Arkansas Rising RL, NB Ajax White and New Mexico Soccer Academy this weekend. She's an important part of their backline with her ability to win duels and cover her teammates. Cross does a very good job of defending inside the penalty box, but is also very efficient when trying to get stops in transition plays or when she's dragged higher up on the field. She times her sliding tackles extremely well and is also excellent at blocking shots.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab207d"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15791711/654073e39a90f20524eea28e' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab2209"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Brooklyn Chavis","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Jordan","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Albion Hurricanes FC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Chavis will play an important defensive role for her team Albion Hurricanes West USC TX ECNL RL 06 in their matches against BVBIA SATX, Sting-RL ECNL NTX One and Solar ECNL RL NTX White. A center back with interesting physical and technical skills, she thrives with her positioning, always appearing in the right spots to make plays. Chavis uses her body well to gain possession and shield the ball, but also has the pace to chase opponents away from the penalty box. Very strong in the air both defensively and offensively, she has a powerful and precise left leg, with which she connects long passes out of the back and fires dangerous shots on target.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.fieldlevel.com/app/profile/brooklyn.chavis/soccerwomen/videos/1848159u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eHighlightsu003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab22a5"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Francesca Johnson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Episcopal","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Rise SC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"One of the captains of her Rise SC 07 team in the GA league, Johnson will lead the team in matches against Solar SC ECNL RL, Dallas Texans ECNL RL and MS Rush United Premier in College Station. An imposing center back, she uses her physical tools extremely well to dominate opponents and keep them away from the penalty box, as well as to handle crosses and long passes. An SPC state champion with Episcopal, she also operates well up higher on the field, keeping opponents under pressure and cutting their passing lanes. One of the team's most vocal players, 'Franny' does a very good of remaining calm at all times, which positively impacts her decision-making.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab2331"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iGmqkPW9r","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/C1iGmqkPW9r </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["112582"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Morrow is one of the talented defenders of her FC Dallas ECNL 09 team that will be tested against West Side Alliance ECNL RL, Albion Hurricanes FC ECNL and Sting Austin ECNL RL this week. A state champion with Prosper, she was an important piece in the team's defensive system that was instrumental to the team's success. Morrow is excellent at dominating opponents inside and around the penalty box with her physicality, but also holds her own extremely well in 1v1 situations and transition plays. The center back also has what it takes to contribute offensively, having a good presence inside the penalty box in set pieces and also sending long balls forward with precision.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab240d"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":163558,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/02/IMG_2126.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-163558" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FC Dallas vs. PDA Blue</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["148138"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Billick and her Lonestar SC Black 09 GA team will have FC Dallas ECNL RL 09 and FC Dallas ECNL 10 as their opponents this week. She's a 5'10u0022 defender who's very firm in her actions and doesn't allow opponents much space to make things happen inside and around the penalty box. Billick plays with a lot of intensity on defense and does a good job when she needs to make stops further up in the field too. Also capable of playing as a right back, she likes to support the offense with her accurate passing and also by using her ability to dribble the ball to go at defenders out wide.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab245a"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19912633/663be3213d2654d9e8dbc015' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664cc4fab2478"} /-->