Grayson Soccer Standout Named Georgia Player of the Year

GRAYSON, GA -- Grayson High soccer star Ella Stevens has joined some elite company.

Stevens has been named the 2015-16 Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year. It's a statewide honor that, across various sports, has gone to athletes the likes of Abby Wambach, Derek Jeter, Alexi Lalas and Mark Sanchez.

Stevens, now a finalist for the national girls soccer award, takes the state award for the second year in a row.

In its 31st year, the award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence as well as high academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

The 5-foot-9 senior midfielder and forward scored 25 goals and passed for 11 assists this past season, leading the 14-4 Rams to the second round of the Class AAAAAA state tournament.

She completed her high-school career with 74 goals and 84 assists.

"Ella Stevens willed that team to win and put them on her back," said Chad Carithers, head coach of Brookwood High, in a news release. "I think that speaks not only to her soccer ability but also her leadership and don’t-give-up attitude."

Stevens maintained a weighted 3.62 grade-point average, is a self-taught guitarist and pianist and volunteered as a youth soccer coach and with multiple community initiatives through her church youth group.

She was a member of the U.S. Soccer Under-20 Women's team during its successful World Cup qualifying run in December and is a two-time Gwinnett Daily Post All-County selection.

She has signed a letter of intent to play soccer for Duke University in the fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

(Photo via GraysonSoccer.net)