Warren Central soccer duo signs with junior colleges

Published 5:58 pm Monday, November 4, 2019

Over the past few years, Warren Central has scattered a number of soccer players across the landscape of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges.

On Friday, it sent two more that way.

Midfielder Maddie Watkins signed with Hinds Community College, and forward Madelyn Polk with Holmes on national signing day. They’ll join about a half-dozen other Warren Central alumni on junior college rosters around the state.

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“It’s very exciting, especially since me and Madelyn both signed. We get to play against each other. And then Addie (Hale), my cousin, plays at Hinds so we’ll be together next year,” Watkins said. “I like it, because last year our four seniors all signed so now we get to play against each other. It’s like we’re all together, but we’re playing against each other.”

Watkins, a midfielder, is a four-year starter for Warren Central. She has 13 goals and 12 assists in her high school career, and is off to a great start this season. In two season-opening classic games Saturday she totaled one goal and three assists as the Lady Vikes beat Raymond 8-0 and Vicksburg 9-0.

Watkins had six goals and a team-high five assists last season.

Watkins said she was glad to sign early, and not have to worry about finding a landing spot as the season progressed and college rosters started to fill.

“I do not have to stress. I wanted to commit before my senior year so I didn’t have to worry and go down to the last minute trying to figure out where to go,” Watkins said.

Polk, meanwhile, is starting her second and final season at Warren Central after transferring from St. Aloysius. She has scored 93 goals in her high school career — 76 at St. Al and 17 at Warren Central — after tallying six in Saturday’s wins over Raymond and Vicksburg.

Polk led the team with 11 goals last season, but despite her prolific offensive production said early indications are that she’ll play as a defender for Holmes.

“In college if they tell you to go somewhere, you have to go play that position,” Polk said with a laugh.

In the meantime, she’ll enjoy the pursuit of the 100-goal milestone as she closes out her high school career. She said she was fired up to get a chance to continue her soccer career.

“I love it. I’ve been playing since I was 3 years old. I went to select, then came here and played high school, and to go there (to Holmes) is a big deal to me,” Polk said. “They’re state champions this year, so I feel good about it. I’ll be hanging out with a lot of girls I know, so it won’t be weird or anything. And then it’s a really good school, in athletics and academics.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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