Mississippi Rankings: Class of 2024 girls players to watch

With high school soccer in the rearview mirror in the state of Mississippi, soccer athletes are making the transition to club. That being said, look for these 2024s to make a big splash this summer. ECNL Birmingham's [player_tooltip player_id="39309" first="Maddie" last="Gray"] (Oxford) and [player_tooltip player_id="39308" first="Kaitlyn" last="Elliott"] (Hartfield Academy) are accompanied by Gulf Coast United's [player_tooltip player_id="39303" first="Parker" last="St. Amant"] (Ocean Springs) to highlight this up-and-coming class that is sure to impress. <hr /> <h4><em><strong>Click on the links to view the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/mississippi/rankings/girls/2023-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023</a> and the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/mississippi/rankings/girls/2024-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 Rankings</a> for Mississippi!</strong></em></h4> <hr /> <strong>M/F [player_tooltip player_id="39303" first="Parker" last="St. Amant"], Ocean Springs/Gulf Coast United</strong> Amant is a talented goal scorer for one of the top premier high school programs in the state. Tallying over 20 goals in her sophomore campaign, Amant uses her on-ball skill and technical skill to put her in a position to finish on goal. She has an attacking mindset, combined with speed and quickness always makes her a threat on the pitch. She is a blink of the eye away from a hat trick. <strong>M/F [player_tooltip player_id="39304" first="Mary" last="Grace Batson"], Stone/South Mississippi SC</strong> Batson is a tough-nosed player that uses her athletic abilities to constantly apply pressure on teams out wide. She was able to guide her team to a first-ever state championship in 2022. Batson has natural speed and strength that allows her to win 1v1 situations. Her ability to score with either foot makes her a threat anywhere on the pitch. <strong>M [player_tooltip player_id="39305" first="Bailee" last="Bennet"], Oak Grove/Hattiesburg FC</strong> [caption id="attachment_39220" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-39220" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/IMG_5926-300x252.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="252" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39305" first="Bailee" last="Bennett"]</strong>[/caption]Bennet was a Southeast All-American All-Star participant in 2021. Her ability to play box to box and defend at a high level makes her a player. Her ability to defend gives her opportunities on the offensive attack. Bennet has raw speed and can finish on goal when needed. She has quality skill while the ball is at her feet and her candid ability to see the field allows her to get her teammates involved on the pitch. <strong>M [player_tooltip player_id="39306" first="Leslie" last="Carroll"], Florence/MS Rush</strong> Carroll was a 2022 Central Mississippi All-Star participant. Her ability to defend on the ball in 1v1 situations is critical when playing out wide. She is skilled enough to join in on the attack and provide an offensive presence on the flank going forward. Carroll and her Florence HS teammates have won back-to-back state championships. <strong>Gk [player_tooltip player_id="39307" first="Laurel" last="Conley"], Ocean Springs/Gulf Coast United</strong> Conley is a talented shot-stopper that uses her size and mobility between the pipes. Conley sees most of her action when playing with Gulf Coast United, as she backs up a talented keeper for her high school team. Once it is her time to step up look for her to have a plethora of clean sheets in her career. <strong>F/M [player_tooltip player_id="39308" first="Kaitlyn" last="Elliott"], Hartfield Academy/Birmingham ECNL</strong> Elliott is a dynamic and explosive goal scorer. Her high level of play with her ECNL team translates onto the pitch during her high school experience.  Elliott can attack from either side of the pitch and can use her right and left foot to pass or finish on goal. She is a special player and one to watch going into her junior season. <strong>Outside back/Forward [player_tooltip player_id="39309" first="Maddie" last="Gray"], Oxford HS/Alabama FC 06</strong> [caption id="attachment_39236" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/IMG_5346-crop-1047x687-1645041913.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-39236" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/IMG_5346-crop-1047x687-1645041913-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39309" first="Maddie" last="Gray"]</strong>[/caption]Gray is a two-sport athlete that has unbelievable top game speed on the pitch. She can really cover a lot of the pitch out wide putting constant pressure on opposing teams. Her speed, ball control, and strong leg set her apart in this class of special players. Look for Gray to make some noise on the recruiting trail this summer going into her junior season. <strong>CM [player_tooltip player_id="39310" first="Cooper" last="Holmes"], Clinton HS/MS Rush United Elite</strong> Cooper is a talented midfielder that is able to create space for herself throughout the midfield. She is a tall, strong, physical player who dominates within the midfield with her physical presence, while also being able to incorporate technical intelligent play. Holmes can link short and long passes with accuracy which helps her excel in the midfield. F/M <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39311" first="Kennedy" last="Leverett"],</strong> Our Lady Academy/ Gulf Coast United Leverett is a pacey player that uses her toughness to get in on goal.  She can always score due to her on-goal approach.  She reads the game and opposing back lines well which helps her get in behind for goal-scoring opportunities. Leverett plays the ball well in the air and defends 1v1 at a high level when needed. M/D <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39312" first="Karsyn" last="Mallett"],</strong> St. Patrick Catholic HS/South Mississippi SC Mallett is a multi-positional athlete that can play anywhere on the pitch. She could go to goal or drop in and defend depending on the team's needs. She has a good field presence and the ability to make her teammates excel.  Look for Mallett taking the proper steps forward going into her junior season. F <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39313" first="Linda" last="Mustered"], </strong>St. Patrick Catholic HS/Gulf Coast United Mustered is a multi-sport athlete that is no stranger to competing at a high level. With already over 50 goals in her HS career, she shows her ability to finish in front of goal. Mustered uses her size and speed to win 1v1 battles. Mustered was an All-State player in 2021 and was a Southeast All-American All-Star participant in 2021. CM <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39314" first="Mckenzie" last="Price"],</strong> Clinton HS/MS Rush United 06 Girls Premier [caption id="attachment_39232" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/Mckenzie-Price-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1645041219.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-39232" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/02/Mckenzie-Price-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1645041219-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39314" first="Mckenzie" last="Price"]. </strong><em>Photo: Clinton head coach Elliott Rimmer</em>[/caption]Price is an excellent athlete and a natural leader. She is a tenacious defending CM who is also capable of causing problems on the offensive side of the ball through her distribution, her ability to dribble out of pressure, and her movement off the ball into dangerous areas. <strong>GK [player_tooltip player_id="39315" first="Sarah" last="Polk"], Clinton/IFC Red 06</strong> Polk has been a stalwart since her 8th-grade year. As a freshman, she had 15 clean sheets in just 22 games. She is an excellent shot-stopper, is more than comfortable playing with her feet and distributing, and is a vocal leader from the back. <strong>F/M [player_tooltip player_id="39316" first="Allie" last="Sifford"], Northwest Rankin/International FC of Mississippi</strong> Sifford is a skilled left-footed player that helped lead Northwest Rankin to a state championship in 2022. Her ability to send balls in on set pieces is uncandid. Sifford brings a special dynamic of speed and on-ball skill from the left side of the pitch that allows her to put her teammates in on goal which led to her having 15 assists during her sophomore campaign. <strong>F/M [player_tooltip player_id="39317" first="Lorilee" last="Taylor"], Madison Central/International FC of Mississippi</strong> Taylor was chosen as a most valuable player in the most recent Central Mississippi all-star game. She brings a high work rate and strong leg onto the pitch. Her ability to get in on goal or score from afar makes her a special player to watch. <strong>M [player_tooltip player_id="39318" first="Kate" last="Trosclair"], Ocean Springs/Gulf Coast United</strong> Trosclair is a well-rounded two-sport athlete (cross country) that can translate her high work rate onto the pitch.  She has good field awareness and a high soccer IQ. When compared with her natural skill set all these accolades make her a threat within the midfield.  Trosclair brings a special dynamic to an already star-studded class among her own teammates. <strong>GK [player_tooltip player_id="39319" first="Kaitlyn" last="Urbanek"], Oxford/Alabama FC 06</strong> Urbanek is a lanky (5-11) athletic shot-stopper. She has great footwork and can put herself in favorable positions to keep crucial shots out of goal.  She reads the game well from front to back. Urbanek is also quality when the ball is at her feet and needs to play balls out the back. <strong>M/F [player_tooltip player_id="39320" first="Addison" last="Yelverton"], Biloxi/Gulf Coast United</strong> Yelverton is a pacey athlete that can be seen putting pressure on opposing teams within the attacking third.  She can play at a high level for 80 minutes. Her on-ball awareness and ability to find players in behind make her a threat when going forward. Yelverton can defend well and can put pressure on opposing teams when looking to build up through the middle. <strong>FW/FB [player_tooltip player_id="39321" first="Zoie" last="Zumbro"], Clinton/MS Rush United 05 Girls Premier</strong> Zumbro led her team in scoring as a freshman with 11 goals and then transferred into a FB position this year. She is a physical and vocal player who can win on the tackle. She is also a natural two-footed finisher, able to score from anywhere on the field with either her right or her left." &nbsp;