Varsity HS Jamboree Highlights Talent in South Sound

Saturday morning brought eleven teams from three different conferences together to showcase their talents and make final preparations and adjustments for the upcoming HS girls soccer season. Accomplished varsity teams from the NPSL, SPSL, and PSL made their way to Sunset Stadium at Sumner HS to participate in this annually held jamboree. Coaches use these jamborees to tweak formations, see players at other positions or simply get live meaningful reps. All necessities when preparing for a long HS season.   All teams played two, twenty-minute back-to-back games versus non-conference teams. Most teams played up and/or down in classification (4A team v. 3A team, 3A team v. 2A team, 2A team v. 4A team). This provided an opportunity for schools to showcase their talent versus other schools in the area that they may never see in a season because of their classification.   Eleven matches were played throughout the day starting with the reigning 4A district champion Sumner HS Spartans taking on the newly classified and talented 3A Enumclaw HS Hornets. Every school came out with their best effort in these short matches but there were some programs and players that stood above the rest.   Here are 7 players that showed out on Saturday:    Rowan is a talented forward who finds and moves into space well. Her athleticism was apparent and as a sophomore, she had no problem going toe to toe against her older opponents. DeForrest has great ball skills and makes decisions quickly. Her ability to move up and down the left side with ease can give the opposing defense fits. This two sport varsity athlete has the opportunity to be mentioned among the top forwards at the end of the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='272500' first='Alyce' last='Chappelle'] commands attention when she is on the pitch. Her ability to take on 2-3 defenders and come out unscathed while attacking goal is a joy to watch. Alyce battles for possession at every opportunity and wins a high percentage of 50/50 balls. The University of Idaho Vandal verbal commit also has an eye for finding the open passing lane. Her through balls seem to always have the correct weight to lead her teammates as they cruise into the attacking third. Look for this senior forward to make waves this HS season and continue her successes into her collegiate career.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/o0d8VzC4tlA?si=-RTioNriPZOR7b0n </div></figure>   Season Opener: Rogers v. Woodinville on September 10th at 7:30pm @ Pop Keeney    This speedy midfielder has the ability to play almost any position on the pitch. Braelyn is fast on the dribble and sees the field well. She is always looking for quality passing lanes and combined with her accurate passing abilities, she can move the ball efficiently. Braelyn has no problem attacking the goal and placing accurate shots on frame. Last season, Carey was voted MVP by her team for the 23/24 season and she will look to build off that success in her junior year.    <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://youtu.be/so4ZVoUVi64?si=rj8Q59JqcB0RnGoM </div></figure>   Season Opener: Lakes v. Clover Park on September 10th at 7:30pm @ Clover Park HS    The senior midfielder is very strong on and off the ball. She uses her body well to create space and gain possession. Engelken's ability to anticipate passing lanes along with her strong spatial awareness, make her very difficult to mark. AJ's aggressive play has opponents shying away from her when she is attacking or defending. She has sneaky speed and her long levers make for a quality shot. AJ and her Olympia Bears will look to best last season's win total of 10 and continue to compete at the top of the SPSL 4A standings.    Season Opener: Olympia v. Capital on September 10th at 7pm @ Olympia HS    Keely Kliewer has been a dynamic player for Auburn Riverside for years. The senior forward, who also drops back to play defense at times, is positioned to have a BIG year! Keely brings an aggressive and physical style of play to their stacked offensive and defensive group. She has a dominant left foot shot that also can have plenty of movement when she chooses. The exit velocity on her shots is elite and I would rank it among the best in her class. Keely's crosses from the left side of the pitch are highly accurate and dangerous. Her 4 goals and 4 assists last season were just a taste of what's to come this season.    Season Opener: Auburn Riverside v. Battle Ground on September 9th at 6pm @ Auburn Riverside HS    Geffre releases and moves into space quickly which always seems to make her a first option for her teammates. When McKenna is battling for 50/50 balls, she comes out with possession at a much higher ratio consistently. The senior midfielder is dangerous with accurate passing and well-placed through balls. McKenna is a high-motor player that gets better as the game progresses. Look for Geffre to be mentioned among the top midfielders this season.    Season Opener: Graham Kapowsin v. Orting on September 12th at 7pm @ Orting Cardinal Stadium    [player_tooltip player_id='275329' first='Caylee' last='Brown'], a sophomore defender for the Spartans, packs a lot of punch for her size. One of the smartest players on the field, she is constantly looking to make high-percentage clearances and passes from the back line and midfield in dangerous situations. Everything is calculated by Caylee, from body position to angles, there is no touch or movement wasted. The recent graduation of her older sister Camryn Brown, who was an All-League and All-State center back for the Spartans, has now provided Caylee an amazing opportunity. The opportunity to fill some big shoes and be a part of a dominant defensive group without missing a beat in the 2024/2025 season.    Season Opener: Sumner v. Tahoma on September 10th at 7pm @ Tahoma HS

Saturday morning brought eleven teams from three different conferences together to showcase their talents and make final preparations and adjustments for the upcoming HS girls soccer season. Accomplished varsity teams from the NPSL, SPSL, and PSL made their way to Sunset Stadium at Sumner HS to participate in this annually held jamboree. Coaches use these jamborees to tweak formations, see players at other positions or simply get live meaningful reps. All necessities when preparing for a long HS season.