Technically not part of Southern California in the CIF breakdown, but the Bakersfield Christian deserves the spotlight anyway. The star center forward for the team lived up to lofty expectations. She’s an incredible talent with her close control of the ball combined with elite burst. It wasn’t a one-player team though. Fellow freshman Jenna Adams Jenna Adams M State CA was also outstanding for Bakersfield Christian. A two-way player out wide, Adams made a name for herself with her rookie season. 

Bartlett lives in Kern County, but travels quite a distance to play in Ventura County for Eagles SC. She is a prodigious young player, one of the prizes of the 2028 class and will be a star at Bakersfield Christian. She is the top ranked forward in her class and is an absolutely electric player. She is a rare player that combines elite skill with an understanding of the game as she can read what is going to happen before others and react accordingly. She’s very fast and explosive, and she is just dynamite on the ball. She can beat you with straight-line speed, she can beat you with her ability to stop and go, and once in range of goal, she’s lethal when it comes to finishing.

Bartlett is one of the top prospects in the 2028 class for California. She shows a rare combination of skills and shows them at a very high level. She shows an electric quality and a dynamism that is not often found on the pitch. She combines her skills with awareness and anticipation and she works so hard that you can tell she wants to be great. She is a player with great burst and acceleration, and once she is on the ball, you are in trouble because she can change pace and direction incredibly well and leave defenders in the dust. She is a star in the making who can score in a variety of ways, from calmly slotting a ball home to scoring an electric goal from range. She’s also very team-oriented and will set teammates up to score if they opportunity is better.

Going into the event, I knew Bartlett from her standout play at the ECNL level and had some high expectations for the young prospect. She lived up to the previous acclaim. She scored the goal of the day in the full-field scrimmage. It was a wonderful chip that showed skill, awareness, and ambition. The forward is dynamic, electric, and impossible to contain. She keeps close control of the ball and has excellent balance. The way she bursts from a complete stop to full speed shows some similarities to the way Mallory Pugh (Swanson) used to influence the game at the youth level. The most impressive part of Bartlett’s game is that she can scored outrageous goals like she did on Saturday, but she is so calculated in those moments and already has a terrific understanding of when to do it – and when to play the safer option in order to help her team. The sky is the limit for Bartlett who will be in a star in this game at the highest level in the future.