Virginia's Future Stars: 2027 Class Sophomores on the Rise

<p>The Prep Soccer state rankings for the Virginia class of 2027 will be updated next week. Prior to the update to the sophomore class, we take a look at some of the risers in the rankings. </p>   <p>Check out a scouting report on some of the standouts from this group. </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">First Team All-State selection as a freshman, there are already lofty expectations on the defender from Colgan High School. Koppers experience playing against top older competition at the high school level has prepared her well for the challenges at the club level. She was a top performer during the ECNL playoffs. She played right center back for her club team. She plays with a lot of poise. She rarely makes a mistake on the field and scans through her options quickly. She is a terrific defender especially in 1v1 situations. She would project at the top center back in the 2026 class well, to give some perspective on the level of prospect here. She has a high ceiling and a lot of the key traits scouts look for from a modern day center back. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Papadopoulos was Second Team All-State for her high school and First Team All-Conference for her club team. It was a banner year for the Fairfax Brave midfielder. She is one of the best attacking midfielders in this group. It feels strange to write midfielder considering her stats as she is a prolific scorer, but she does line up from the attacking midfield role. She has a nose for the goal and gets into a scoring position frequently. She is listed as a right footed player, but she is an elite finisher with her left foot too. She has strength on the ball and good pace on the ball. Papadopoulos continues to be one of the top performers from Virginia at a national level. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiyR-2ofMJM </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Allen is from West Virginia, but included in the Virginia rankings based on her club team location. She has been part of the US Soccer Talent ID events in the past. She has also been recognized as a top talent in the Girls Academy. I thought Allen had some stellar performances at the club level this past season. She is a dynamic winger who is an impactful player on both sides of the ball. She has a quick burst and her defensive instincts are elite. She creates turnovers with her pressure thanks to her activity and quickness. On the ball, she has skill, power, and breakaway pace. Allen is a player who can fit in early at the college level.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">DeLacy was named to the ECNL All Conference First Team for the Mid-Atlantic. The VA Union midfielder was nearly unstoppable this season. She uses her body well to shield players off the ball - she has a knack for dribbling across the defender so she pins them on her hip to create an advantage. It's a sophisticated nuance of her game that really stands out from game film and makes her tough to stop in the open field. She has incredible balance too. She is right foot dominant, but that strength and balance shines as she is too tough to stop even though defenders know which way she is going. DeLacy is a multifaceted prospect from the midfield and can create too. DeLacy's player profile suggest a high level impact player at the next level and should be on the radar for all scouts.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXnApUpiUAM </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Lesinski is a midfielder/defender on the Beach FC (VA) 09 ECNL team. She is the captain of the team. Lesinski was recognized for her key contributions this season with a spot on the ECNL All-Conference Second Team Mid-Atlantic. She is a top performer on the futsal court and I think there are aspects from that game that translate onto the pitch. The control of the ball and ability to navigate away from pressure stand out from game film with the Beach FC star. She's very good at using the momentum against them and gets around them with subtle moves. There is an elusiveness to her play on the ball. Lesinski seems to play as a more offensive player at the high school level, she shown to be an exceptional defender as well at the club level.</p>    <p></p>   <p></p>

The Prep Soccer state rankings for the Virginia class of 2027 will be updated next week. Prior to the update to the sophomore class, we take a look at some of the risers in the rankings.