Texas HS Boys Standouts – Houston Area – Goalkeepers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high school soccer season has come to an end in the state of Texas, crowning six teams as the new state champions in Georgetown and closing another exciting period of competition reuniting most of the top prospects in the Lone Star State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've attended several matches in the Houston area over the last few months, from pre-season tournaments to the playoffs, in order to provide the best coverage possible for Prep Soccer and compiled a list with several players that I got to see once or multiple times who left a very strong impression about their games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, with the season concluded, it's time we reveal their names, starting with the goalkeepers:</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":"Gregor Jones","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'5u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"100","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"George Ranch","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_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":"Jones had an excellent senior season with George Ranch, playing a big role in the team between the posts. A very large goalkeeper, he covered a huge area of the goal and was also incredibly agile to make reaction saves. A dual-sport athlete (he's set to play football for Arkansas Tech), Jones is very strong physically and that showed in the way he exploded toward the ball to make a save or when he rushed forward to take up space from opposing attackers. The goalkeeper also used his size to handle crosses inside the penalty box with ease.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9a8a7"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/wgjones85/status/1629335104366559234?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/wgjones85/status/1629335104366559234?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- 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":"Ben Aviles Vera","_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":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"100","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Seven Lakes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Houston Dynamo","_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":"A state champion with Seven Lakes, Aviles Vera was in excellent form all season, but saved his absolute best for the most critical moment of the Spartans' campaign, allowing just two goals in 180 minutes of play against the top teams in Texas at the State Tournament. Reliability is the name of the game with him, who picks a safe, efficient save over a flashy one every single time he has the chance to do so. Aviles Vera is an excellent shot-stopper, using his excellent positioning to get to the right spot and make saves. He also handles well long-distance shots and crosses into the penalty box.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9a939"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["15929"],"_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":"Helme had a solid season between the posts for Memorial. His technical skills are very easy to notice every time he has to make a save. He has excellent reflexes between the posts and does a very good of using every part of his body to make stops, more often his legs. Helme used to a be field player and because of that, he's very strong with his feet, an ability he uses to connect long passes from the back and help the Mustangs break pressure. He also does something coaches love to see in every goalkeeper, which is communicating constantly with the backline and helping keep things organized.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9a983"} /--> <!-- 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":"Johan Osuna","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"100","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bridgeland","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Dynamos 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":"Osuna was one of the individual standouts in his Bridgeland team that narrowly missed the postseason in the highly-competitive Cypress district. Extremely agile between the posts, he made some impressive saves when I saw him in action, reacting very quickly to point-blank finishes and getting out of his position to stop opposing attackers. Osuna is also a goalkeeper that will step up in the most critical moments of matches and come up with big saves. He's very good with his feet and distributes the ball with great precision and intelligence from the back.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9aa08"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13258036/630cedaa578daf0d28bb1a18' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9aa4c"} /--> <!-- 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":"Elijah Betancourt","_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":"100","_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":"Betancourt provided a reliable presence for Jordan between the posts in his junior season. A goalkeeper with excellent technical skills, he used his agility to make big saves for the Warriors during their campaign. Betancourt is at his best when operating between the posts as he's very quick to get off the ground and fly toward the ball, but also operates well in the air, collecting crosses. He communicates very well with his defenders and it's easy to see how his instructions not only keep the players in front of them connected to the game, but also how the minor adjustments he suggests often prevent the team from being exposed.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9aac6"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16964820/6372d6b85b3d6b0a108e60e5' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644b0d2b9aae4"} /-->