Earlier this season, Raven London recalls, she got one of the nicest compliments of her high school soccer career from one of Florence’s coaches.

“He told me one of his forwards was scared to come back and face me,” London said, laughing and smiling at the timing of the story as much as the compliment itself.

It came, she further explained, at a basketball game where she was standing on the baseline as one of Vicksburg High’s cheerleaders.

Yes, the fearsome defender who leaves opponents quaking in their boots also happens to be a bubbly senior with a truckload of school spirit. It’s all part of the versatile nature that has made her a valuable member of the Missy Gators’ soccer team as they prepare to take on Center Hill today at 5 p.m. in a first-round Class 5A playoff game at Memorial Stadium.

“When basketball comes around, it gets difficult,” London said of juggling both activities. “But soccer is my first priority. That’s what I want to go to college for.”

London is still seeking a firm offer to play college soccer somewhere, but she has certainly contributed heavily to the Missy Gators’ efforts over the years. A six-year starter, she began her career as a forward, moved to the midfield for a season or two, and finally settled in as one of the team’s best defenders.

Her current role is the one she’s enjoyed the most, she said.

“Playing defense, I like it because I can prevent the other team from scoring. I feel like that’s a higher honor,” London said. “It’s weird, but I love being on the other team’s fast players. I love catching up to them and preventing them from scoring.”

The defensive positions in high school soccer are something of a paradox. The people who man them generally do so in obscurity, yet often have the best overall skills on the team and are thus put on the back line to keep things in order.

London said it took her a few years to realize that, but she embraced defense once she realized why she was put back there.

“At first I didn’t understand that. Now I understand why I’m back there,” she said. “The more I talked to coaches and other people talked to me, they let me know I’m a key point on the defensive line.”

On that last point, Carroll agrees. Vicksburg’s defense has posted seven shutouts this year, with London and fellow senior Caroline Williams leading the way.

“My defensive line doesn’t get the credit it deserves,” Carroll said.

London was a member of The Vicksburg Post’s All-County team each of the past two seasons. She scored a total of five goals, and has three this year. Most of her scoring has been done in blowouts, with the game well in hand and everyone getting a chance to mark up the stat sheet.

London joked that her offensive skills have eroded to the point she doesn’t know if she could play consistently on that side of the field.

“Usually when I get moved up it’s because we have a lead. I love having the opportunity to score, but I’m on defense. So when I get the opportunity I usually send it way off to the right or something,” she said.

London and the Missy Gators (9-2) will need to be on the mark tonight against Center Hill (9-9). Vicksburg, the Division 4-5A champion, has the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs but will need to avoid the kind of letdown that led to an early exit last season.

In a first-round game against New Hope, the Missy Gators gave up four second-half goals in a 5-4 loss that still haunts them.

“It’s been a constant reminder to us that even if we’re ahead, don’t let it go because you never know what can happen,” said senior Amy Dixon, a five-year starter in the midfield. “We all know that if we lose it’s the end of our season, so we’re trying to play with all of our heart.”