Tennessee stars ready for high school season

The fall high school season is nearing in Tennessee as these eight players are primed and ready to help their schools to winning seasons. These eight players are impact players for their respective clubs and have a lot of skill and ability.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/07/image0-2-crop-1526x1002-1720319984.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-189777" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Eliza Roberts Webb School</figcaption></figure>   McKalie Ball, Forward, Webb School, Class of 2026   Ball is a forward from Knoxville where she attends Webb School and plays for FC Alliance on the 2008 ECNL team. She helped her club team win a Ohio Valley Conference title, the first for the club, and will look to bring trophies home to Webb this fall. As a sophomore last season, Ball helped Webb to its first appearance in the state tournament, and now lofty goals should be set considering there are nine ECNL players on the varsity this upcoming season. A well-accomplished and decorated player already who started playing varsity in eighth grade, she brings versatility to the team. She primarily plays as a wide forward, but can play as an outside back or she can simply float and man-mark the other team's best player out of the game. Ball brings a positive energy to the pitch and to the club every day. She is an excellent teammate. Her physical skills are great as well as she has great speed and she is strong. She is not afraid to be physical with her strength. She is very technical, and she truly loves to compete. You can see her improving as well as her shot accuracy and her 1v1's are something she continues to work on. She is growing as a creative player as well, continuing to work on setting up her teammates.   Kaitlyn Daley, Attacking Midfielder, Wilson Central, Class of 2026   Daley plays at Wilson Central High and plays club for Kings Hammer Murfreesboro. She is a No. 10 who gets very excited about competing and about being the most creative player she can be. She likes taking players on in 1v1 situations and showcasing her ability to create chances. She likes the speed of play and adjusts really well, playing one-touch soccer and threading that perfectly weighted pass between good defenders. She can do those things because she has great technical skill and can use both feet. Daley is her team's free kick taker. She is a very hard-working player who is striving to improve on finishing her chances, working on her technical and defensive skills while also working very hard to improve her strength and speed.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/07/IMG_6134-crop-712x468-1720396412.jpg?w=711" alt="" class="wp-image-189813" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Christian Taylor</figcaption></figure>   Sydney Delbo, Attacking Midfielder/Forward, Ravenwood High, Class of 2026   Delbo is an attacking player, all the way, as she features as a No. 10 or plays as a wide forward, or a striker. The Tennessee Soccer Club and Ravenwood High player absolutely loves and enjoys this game. She works incredibly hard and competes just as hard. She does not lose focus on being a good teammate, though. She is a very technical player who looks to connect with a passing style of play as she likes to play the ball on the floor, likes to keep the ball and looks for open spaces to be creative in. Her versatility is key as she helps her team out by being able to play the different attacking spots, and this is allowing her to make a big impact on the game. She is becoming quicker on the ball, and is covering a ton of ground when she tracks back defensively. She continues to mature her mental approach to the game as she is growing in terms of toughness and confidence.   [player_tooltip player_id='157762' first='Taylor' last='Genova'], Midfielder/Forward, Stewarts Creek, Class of 2027   Genova is a versatile player towards the front of the pitch as she generally plays the No. 10 spot, but will play as a wide forward on either side and sometimes she can slip back to the middle and play in central midfield. She attends Stewarts Creek High and plays for the Tennessee Soccer Club's 2009 ECNL team. She is an attacking midfielder with great field vision as she lets things develop in front of her, waits for the right moment and she can do this because she is excellent on the ball and is composed. She is very creative and is dangerous in the attacking third. She operates well in tight spaces because of her technical ability, and she is a very good finisher. She can score on balls in the air, she can hit a ball one-time, or one-touch and hit it. She can use either foot to score as well. Genova is always looking to improve and is working on the defensive side of the ball. She's especially looking to improve her 1v1 defending. She is also developing into a leader as she heads into her sophomore season.   Harper Gibson, Midfielder, Martin Luther King Magnet, Class of 2026   The midfielder from Martin Luther King Magnet is also a player on the 2008 ECNL team at Tennessee Soccer Club. The rising junior is a very technical player who enjoys playing possession-based soccer as she is very good on the ball and very calm. She has very good speed which allows her to go from box-to-box, as she uses that speed often to get back and help defensively and thwart a speedy attacker. She also can get forward, and is a creative playmaker. She distributes well, setting her teammates up and putting them in good positions. A well-rounded player looking to impact both sides of the ball, Gibson is also a leader and a good teammate.   [player_tooltip player_id='168623' first='Olivia' last='Strong'], Attacking Midfielder, Gallatin High, Class of 2026   Strong is an attacking mid from Gallatin High and plays club for the Tennessee Soccer Clubs 2008 ECNL team. Strong returned this past season from an ACL injury, missing nearly a year of action, and her development kicked into high gear. Her feel for moving on and off the ball improved greatly. This was helped by the fact that she is versatile, as she played many different positions and allowed her to see the game from several perspectives. Having suffered a brutal injury, Strong learned what a newfound work ethic can do for one's drive and determination. She has turned it up in terms of her offseason work and preparation as she continues to improve her speed of play. She is a burgeoning star when it comes to being a playmaker who can contribute goals, because her creativity is excellent and her finishing is improving.   [player_tooltip player_id='111825' first='Reese' last='Vanhooser'], Central Defender, Paige High, Class of 2026   Vanhooser plays for Tennesee Socer Club, playing for the 2008 ECNL team and is going into her junior year at Page High where she will play this fall. She is consistently being regarded as one of the smartest players on the pitch as the center back shows an uncanny ability to read the game. She shows consistency with her passing ability, as she can possess the ball and break lines. She is also very strong in the air as she can win 50/50 balls or be a threat on set pieces. She is continuing to grow even more comfortable with the ball at her feet and attract pressure to open up space, showing the consistent passing ability mentioned above, even with long balls. She accelerates well and can keep up with attackers, and is very good at shielding as the ball is ushered out. She communicates well with her teammates and leads the back line.   [player_tooltip player_id='189243' first='Elle' last='Weathersby'], Attacking Midfielder, St. George's Independent School, Class of 2027   Weathersby is a rising sophomore at St. George's Independent School in Collierville, and plays club at Lady Lobos Rush on the 2009 ECNL-RL team. She is mainly an attacking midfielder, but she can actually play anywhere along the spine, having played center forward, defensive mid and center back. Her versatility is valuable. She likes to play quick, likes to move the ball fast and play one or two-touch soccer. She distributes well because she makes quick decisions, and she distributes accurately. She has a strong shot and can score from distance. She shows great confidence and composure on the ball and has worked very hard to become the player she is, and continues to work hard. She values being a dependable player for her teammates.

The fall high school season is nearing in Tennessee as these eight players are primed and ready to help their schools to winning seasons. These eight players are impact players for their respective clubs and have a lot of skill and ability.

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