Chico—You (and I, now) may catch grief for this, but you make a needed commentary here.
I tire of many many fans/parents/coaches claiming this or that player as "great" based on a few moments in high school—a setting that can be very deceiving because of the great disparity in talent and experience. (This is true in all HS sports—not just soccer—but I think it is pronounced in soccer because of the high profile of club soccer.)
Many fine players from the Challenge and Classic levels in club look extremely good in some high school settings but have not made premier teams. In other words, talent is relative.
And some of our best premier players look average when playing matches at the Regional and National levels against teams from TX, IL, etc.
I usually keep most of my choices for "best" to myself, but I tend to make such decisions based on seeing the player in a variety of settings. Not just "scoring goals in high school"—though that feat should not be undervalued.
Overall, I think it best to note that we have a large number of very talented and dedicated young women soccer players in the state and it is a wonderful development over the past decade to have watched that grow.
