Even as she piled up goals and gained recognition as one of Mississippi’s better young soccer players, Jordan Polk said she never thought of herself in that class until the texts started coming to her phone.

“I played in the all-star game and coaches started texting me and it was like, ‘Dang!’ I didn’t think of myself that way,” the Warren Central junior said. “I always knew I was going to play (in college), but I didn’t think I was going to be serious about it. My mindset now is a lot different. I want to be serious about it.”

Now that soccer has her full and undivided attention, Polk is indeed a great player — seriously. She has been a starter for five seasons at Warren Central and reached double figures in goals in all of them.

Polk racked up a school-record 28 goals this season while leading the Lady Vikes to the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals for the second year in a row, and was an easy choice as The Vicksburg Post’s girls Player of the Year for Warren County.

“It feels good,” said Polk, who has scored 79 goals in her high school career. “I would never do any of it without my coaches and my team. They help me get to where I am every day. Every goal I get, it’s always because it’s a team effort.”

Warren Central coach Jeremy Lawrence said Polk’s best asset is her knowledge of the game and ability to see the field. She often puts herself in the right place at the right time to receive a pass or beat a defender and create a scoring opportunity.

“I feel like the girls look to her and know if they can get her in the right position she’s going to get us a goal,” Lawrence said. “They know that in big games and big situations, if I can just find a way to get her free she’s going to get a goal. Probably 80 percent of the times that she gets a chance to score, she’s going to score, and they know it.”

They also know, Lawrence added, that Polk gives as well as she takes. When defenders focus on her, it opens lanes for teammates to create their own opportunities.

In addition to leading the team in goals this season, Polk had a team-high 14 assists. She has 30 assists over the past three seasons. Seven Warren Central players scored at least five goals this season.

“Just that alone, if you don’t even count the number of assists that she’s had or the number of times she’s helped create chances that led to an assist or a goal,” Lawrence said. “She’s so important. She’s not just taking all the goals. She’s helping contribute to everybody else.”

Polk has gotten better as she’s gotten older. After totaling 10 goals in each of ther first three varsity seasons, she scored 21 as a sophomore and 28 this year.

Polk has played club soccer as well as in high school, and she said she’s gained confidence as her skills noticeably improved.

“Whenever I didn’t score as many, I think I put myself under too much pressure,” she said. “Now I go out there and just keep my calm and keep my composure and focus. I just have fun.”

Winning with Warren Central has also been fun. The Lady Vikes have a 33-12-1 record, two Region 2-6A championships, and two trips to the Class 6A semifinals over the past two seasons as Polk came into her own.

The Lady Vikes took eventual state champion Saltillo to the limit this season before losing 3-2 in the North State title game.

“It’s so fun. Whenever I was younger and we were in other districts, we just lost and it wasn’t like we even had a chance. Being able to be put in a district with teams you can actually compete with, it’s a lot funner to win,” Polk said. “Although we didn’t win in the third round, it was a fun experience to be able to get that close to beating Saltillo.”

And there’s still one more year to go. The Lady Vikes will have to replace a half-dozen players as they try to break through in 2025-26, but Polk will be back for her senior year.

Lawrence did not mince words when saying how valuable Polk has been to the team’s success, and how important she’ll be next year.

“Honestly, indispensable,” he said. “All of our girls are talented. They bring a lot to the table. Jordan is obviously a step above that. It’s incredible the amount of work she puts in, not just here but with her club team and in the classroom. She is a model player. That’s what you want the kids to look up to.”

Vicksburg Post Girls Soccer Players of the Year
2025 – Jordan Polk, Warren Central
2024 – Gloria Hall, Warren Central
2023 – Amari Johnson, Vicksburg
2022 – Trinity McGloster, Vicksburg
2021 – Gloria Hall, Warren Central
2020 – Madelyn Polk, Warren Central
2019 – Brantlee Richards, St. Aloysius
2018 – Mary Ranager, St. Aloysius
2017 – Mikayla Banks, Vicksburg
2016 – Sara McDaniel, St. Aloysius
2015 – Mikayla Banks, Vicksburg
2014 – Mikayla Banks, Vicksburg
2013 – Tabitha Hayden, Vicksburg
2012 – Lindsey Barfield, Warren Central
2011 – Riley Griffith, St. Aloysius
2010 – Tabitha Hayden, Vicksburg
2009 – Rebecca Wilson and Diari Gilliam, Vicksburg
2008 – Kristine Fischenich, Warren Central
2007 – Mary Clare Scurria, Warren Central
2006 – Andrea Harrison, St. Aloysius
2005 – Emily Coker, Warren Central
2004 – Brandi Parker, Vicksburg
2003 – Brandi Parker, Vicksburg
2002 – Brandi Parker, Vicksburg
2001 – Courtney Chapman, Vicksburg
2000 – Courtney Hubert, Warren Central
1999 – Kristin Chapman, Vicksburg