Every once in a while we’re forced, through some resonating event or another, to turn our attention to an area or walk of life we wouldn’t ordinarily pay much attention to.

In the last few days the South Region has come into focus in a way that has overshadowed our usual East, and often West Coast, biases.

And for a most unfortunate reason, too.

Catastrophic weather conditions and flooding continue to take their toll on Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky with the death toll in the region rising.

In the wake of this natural disaster, we talked to a few of our Players To Watch from the South in order to get the pulse of current conditions.

Anna Grigg, of Franklin, Tennessee (part of the Nashville Metropolitan Area), has seen first hand the damage inflicted on her state. With her high school closed for the moment, she’s watched many of her friends forced out of their homes as they take shelter from the floods.

As she describes, though, the crisis has also revealed the true character of many of the nearby citizens.

“The reactions of people have been amazing,” she said. “People have opened up their houses to those who had to evacuate and helped tow cars out of flooded areas in high traffic. There are even kids passing out water bottles and food.”

Fortunately Grigg’s home has stayed out of harms way, but it’s still a bizarre time for her.

The same can be said for Will Cross, a native of Nashville who is a standout player for Brentwood SC who has competed on region III teams with the likes of Ive Burnett, Nicholas Melo, Holden Fender and Edvaldo Pedro.

“I walked around a friend’s neighborhood the other day and the roads were all vanished under water,” Cross said. “There are literally lakes where streets used to be – where the Cumberland River usually stops is no longer clear. The whole idea is quite scary.”

Of course, youth can be a great diversion in times of crises, and Grigg has found the perfect way to take lemons and make lemonade.

This past Saturday, she used the soggy conditions to her advantage by organizing a game of mud soccer with a group of friends.

“Soccer can always be a great distraction in times like these,” Grigg said. “I find soccer to be a great way to just forget about stressful things. It’s helped a lot.”