Texas High School Soccer: 4A Midfielders to Watch

There is a growing movement within the state of Texas to expand the game of soccer. This expansion is leading to large increases in the level of competition at the high school level. As this competition continues to grow, coaches are learning every day that they must do whatever it takes to get the best out of their players. From all of this growth are coming talented, high potential players that want nothing more than to achieve success at the next level.   Texas UIL 4A has an excess of high potential midfield options that could increase the depth and overall talent of countless collegiate programs. These midfielders are driven, dedicated and ready to prove themselves to a world of doubters. The following athletes are some of the standouts from an amazing collection of players at the Texas high school level.    Initial Thoughts:   Adrian Gonzalex Olgin, or “Zini” as he is known around Ranchview High, is a very talented midfielder from the class of 2026. Olgin had a stellar sophomore season, tallying 28 goal contributions in only 13 matches for Ranchview High School. During this run, Olgin proved that even at a young age he was going to be a force to be reckoned with inside Texas 4A high school soccer.    Size Profile:   Zini Gonzalez Olgin possesses an athletic build and has decent height for a midfielder at the high school level. Olgin is pretty lean but for what he loses in size, he gains in speed and agility. Standing at 5'8 and weighing around 130 lbs, Olgin has the height to win the ball out of the air and the diversity in his movement to cut through a back line to find space in front of goal.   Skill Set:   Olgin has great vision in the midfield and is able to get his head up to scan for attacking opportunities. Zini is very comfortable with the ball at his feet even at such a young age and is surely only going to improve as he progresses in his career. Zini's ability to glide with the ball and utilize his lateral movement gives him a huge advantage over the opposition. Zini's talent and dribbling ability doesn't hinder the ability of his teammates or isolate himself in the midfield unit; instead Zini's talents are a compliment to his teammates and does a lot to give them more space to work themselves.   Attacking Preference:   Olgin utilizes high footballing intelligence and speed of play to throw off the opposing defenders and find space for his teammates in the attack. Quick lateral movement and direct passing gives Ranchview the opportunity to convert balls from the byline and half space into goal scoring opportunities. Olgin has the ability to score practically anywhere on the field, however he still isn't too big to do the small things. With every attacking opportunity, you can find Olgin crashing the net. These moments may not seem prominent but go a long way in inspiring his team to stay on ready for anything.    Final Thoughts:   Adrian “Zini” Gonzalez Olgin is a very exciting prospect for the class of 2026. This young midfielder has the attacking talent and the intelligence to make real impacts during the remainder of his career within Texas high school soccer. Olgin's unique combination of direct attacking play and controlled movement helps him to open up the field for his teammates and create attacking opportunities.      Initial Thoughts:   Gabriel Merriman is an excellent midfielder and forward from a very talented Salado team. He uses a unique style of play to disrupt the movement of the opposition's defense and expand the field for his team. He isn't overwhelmingly fast but has good enough pace to make defenders uncomfortable. Merriman's height gives him an advantage over other midfielders and has the strength needed to hold the ball or make his own space. Ultimately, Merriman is a great addition to Texas High School soccer and overall is a bright spot in the class of 2026.   Size Profile:   Gabriel Merriman comes in at 5'11 and around 160 lbs. This height advantage allows him to stand over much of the opposition and win the ball out of the air. He also uses good strength to push the defense off the ball and utilize his excellent hold up play to pick out the necessary passes to boost his team's chances of scoring.    Skill Set:   Gabriel Merriman has a variety of skills that make him one of the most exciting players to watch in Texas High School soccer's class of 2026. From the ability to shoot from distance to the quick and decisive passes that he is able to play, his attacking prowess is fantastic. Merriman also seems very comfortable turning on the defenders and getting them from his back to behind him quickly. This gives Merriman the opportunity to either find a running ball for his teammates or place a shot on target for himself.   Attacking Preference:   Merriman has excellent hold up play and times his runs well to throw off the defensive press. Merriman's ability to find the wide space and hold his runs, forces the defense to keep him onside and allows his teammates to make accurate runs to expand the play. Merriman utilizes this hold up play to give himself the opportunity to play accurate passes into the run of his teammates or open up space for him to shoot from distance.    Final Thoughts:   Gabriel Merriman is a very exciting midfielder and forward in the class of 2026. Utilizing good size, tactical intelligence and off the ball movement; Merriman does well to control the midfield but also excels in the wide space when necessary. This combination of playing styles is what gives Merriman the unique ability to thrive in various places on the pitch and disrupts the defense's ability to guard him in the attacking third.      Initial Thoughts:   Edwin Alvarado Gomez is an exciting prospect at Lampasas High School for the class of 2025. The midfielder and defender has both the defending and attacking capabilities needed in order to act as a true utility player for any squad that he is a part of. The depth he provides to the program at Lampasas makes him one of the most well rounded players in Texas High School soccer.   Size Profile:   Alvarado Gomez is of average height and physical build for high school soccer players in Texas. He possesses the size needed to maintain the space for play creation on the pitch. His size and build also contributes to his agile style of play and ability to move laterally through the defenders. This agility helps Alvarado Gomez find space with the ball at his feet and gives him the opportunity to get shots off when necessary.    Skill Set:   Edwin Alvarado Gomez has good ball movement and is able to manipulate the ball in the space given to him in order to create attacking opportunities. This manipulation on the ball allows Alvarado Gomez to play passes across his body onto the boot of his attacking teammates. Alvarado Gomez is comfortable with the ball at his feet and uses quick movements to beat defenders. It's apparent that Alvarado Gomez is capable of beating defenders in tight spaces and doesn't mind having to utilize quick movements in order to create attacking opportunities.    Attacking Preference:   Edwin Alvarado Gomez is comfortable shooting the ball at all angles on the pitch. These shots come from outstanding angles yet Alvarado Gomez always seems to pick out a corner of the net. His ability to utilizes space and angles gives Alvarado Gomez the capability to find his teammates in open space due to the defenders attempting to lock him down closely. As multiple defenders step to Alvarado Gomez, his teammates are left open to take advantage of the space given to them.    Final Thoughts:   Alvarado Gomez has great ability on the attack and during the defense, giving him a very well-rounded look as a midfield player in Texas High School soccer. His ability to score from eccentric angles and play running through balls towards his teammates gives him an advantage on the offensive side of the ball compared to other midfielders in his position. Alvarado Gomez is confident on the ball and doesn't back down from the challenge of beating defenders 1v1 or even 2v1. He is a great prospect in the class of 2025, he would do well for any team looking to boost their creativity in the attack.     Texas High School soccer is consistently growing and increasing the level of competition that is seen every day. This new level of competition is lifted by the outstanding prospects within its ranks. Class 4A is oftentimes put on the back burner due to the size of the schools involved, however there is plenty of high level talent and competition available. The midfield's of the 4A programs in Texas have plenty of potential and should not be ignored. These midfielders have every opportunity to play at the next level and produce good numbers for the programs they find themselves involved with.

There is a growing movement within the state of Texas to expand the game of soccer. This expansion is leading to large increases in the level of competition at the high school level. As this competition continues to grow, coaches are learning every day that they must do whatever it takes to get the best out of their players. From all of this growth are coming talented, high potential players that want nothing more than to achieve success at the next level.