Perez, Hill nab HS PotW honors
Kobe Perez, a senior midfielder from Dalton High School (Dalton, Georgia), and Kayla Hill, a senior midfielder from ThunderRidge High School (Highlands Ranch, Colorado), are the TopDrawerSoccer.com High School Players of the Week.
Finding a more dominant team than Dalton over the last two seasons anywhere in the country isn’t easy. The Catamounts were 44-0-1 through the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and their 15-0 start to 2015 hasn’t slowed the momentum. They have a ways to go before reaching Gilford’s all-time boys record of 133 consecutive games without a loss, but the streak continues. Perez has been an integral part of that success this season, and last week he scored twice and assisted on a third in Dalton’s smashing 6-0 win over previously ranked SIMA FAB 50 side Riverwood. That win gifted the Catamounts another district title.
Last season, ThunderRidge entered the postseason as a long-shot No. 21 seed in the Class 5A tournament. While their odyssey didn’t last longer than the second round, they got in a 2-1 upset win over No. 12 Legacy. A goal from Kayla Hill helped spark the win. Now a senior headed to TCU next season, Hill’s doing her best to leave an even bigger mark. Last week, Hill scored a goal and provided five assists to lead the Grizzlies to three victories. Her one goal was a biggie: it was the match-winner in a 1-0 victory over Regis Jesuit. As the Colorado postseason approaches, ThunderRidge will look to one-up its performance from 2014 with Hill leading the charge.
Other boys finalists include Julian Esquer-Perez (Washington-Lee High School, Arlington, Virginia) and Paul Rothrock (Lakeside School, Seattle, Washington). Other girls finalists include Parker Goins (Union High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma) and McKenzie Dixon (Bentonville High School, Bentonville, Arkansas).
The TopDrawerSoccer.com High School Player of the Week honor is designed to highlight a selection of the nation's rising stars populating the high school ranks. Coaches are free to nominate a boys or girls player each week by emailing their submission to Will Parchman at wparchman@topdrawersoccer.com. Be sure to include the school, position, grade year and any relevant stats from the previous week. The selection process will take into account a slew of factors from contribution to team results to individual accolades. Honorees are announced each Wednesday.
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