Six Yellow Jackets move on to junior college programs

Several players who made their mark on the Starkville High School soccer teams will now take their talents to the next level.

Six Yellow Jackets made their future plans known on Wednesday

afternoon in a celebration held in the school library.

Soren Voges-haupt, William Wells and Micah Caples of the SHS boys along with Emma Wilson and Julia Mcpherson of the girls will join the Northwest Mississippi Community College program, while Brayden Green of the Jackets signed with

Southwest Mississippi Community College. Voges-haupt and Mcpherson have committed to their schools on a strong academic terms.

“Obviously, I want soccer to work out and go as far as I can, but I want my life to be set up where I can play soccer and personally Northwest was the best choice to set my future up the way I want,” Voges-haupt said. “I had a couple of offers, but I was attracted to the Northwest campus the most. Their student-athlete resources were much better than every other college I toured. They have their own student-athlete tutors and own student-athlete resource labs. No one else had anything like that.”

Green broke the trend of SHS players going to Northwest by signing with Southwest.

Heading to Summit seemed to be the best option for Green when it came to playing soccer into the future.

“The plan the coaches had for us and connections they have to other four-year schools in Division I and Division II really stuck out to me,” Green said. “Their plan is to send us all to a bigger four-year school and make us better men and better players.”

Voges-haupt, Green and the other SHS boys were able to win Class 6A, Region 1 with an undefeated record and reached the North State match.

Coach Evinn Watson was proud of what the Jackets were able to accomplish.

“That's the biggest thing,”watson said.“it was great making it to North State and the maturity that they showed. We picked up some problems at the beginning of the year, but they really came together as seniors and figured out a way to get past that. They put it all on the field and ended up winning some big games. It was sad to see it end a little bit short, but I'm so proud of them for something Starkville High hasn't done a lot in soccer.”

The Northwest girls program had its eye on Wilson for a while. The Rangers offered her a scholarship in her junior year at SHS.

After conversation with the coach, Wilson decided Senatobia would be her destination.

“I started out with club season and the coach was talking with me,” Wilson said. “I thought about it for a while and I decided it was the best place for me. I'm super excited to go.”

Wilson appreciated the members of the Lady Jacket coaching staff and head coach Rafa Costa for leading college coaches in her direction.

Costa said the leadership of Watson and Mcpherson were invaluable for him.

“I had them for their junior and senior year and how important they were to me in terms of my message across to the group,” Costa said.“they were voted in as captains straight away from the moment I came in.”