Towns County senior Brooke Barrett has always played with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Often she was overlooked in her playing career for, as she was told often, “being too short,” or “playing at Towns County – that’s just not good enough.”

That only fueled her desire to prove people wrong, and that she did. Barrett has been knocking on the door for this award since her freshman year for the Lady Indians, and this season she finally grabbed ahold of the BLITZ Soccer Player of the Year honors.

The stats speak volumes to Barrett’s importance to her team. 27 goals, 16 assists in 2018 on the way to a first-ever Sweet 16 appearance for Towns County. Keep in mind we don’t typically see that number of assists when sitting next to that many goals. Barrett, a Georgia Southern commit who will be taking the pitch for the Eagles this fall, notched 87 career goals for Towns County and 58 assists.

Barrett is Towns’ all-time leading scorer, but here are some other accolades to her name: She was the MVP for the first North/South High School All-Star Game in June 2017, tallying a hat trick and an assist in the 5-2 win. Barrett was first team on the Olympic Development team for six years and was the youngest player on that team. Like her teammates on that team, she’ll be the latest to play in NCAA Division-I.

She’s played twice in Italy in tournaments, winning multiple MVPs (one on loan with the boys team). Showing a great knowledge of the game, Barrett also has coached a U-8 and a U-6 soccer team. She’s also been named MVP at several camps including Top Drawer Soccer.

The D-I schools recruiting her were Georgia Southern, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia, The Citadel and Mercer.

VOTING RESULTS

Our panel of 18 voters, made up of media reporters/broadcasters, former BLITZ players, former coaches and a couple of fans, submitted their Heisman-style ballots for the six finalists for the award:

HISTORY OF SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Barrett is the first Towns County player to win the award and has been close to winning it in each of the last three years.

2018 – Brooke Barrett – Towns County SR F
2017 – Fallan Lacey – Dawson County SO GK
2016 – Alexis Satterfield – Lumpkin County SR F
2015 – Alexis Satterfield – Lumpkin County JR F
2014 – Anela Melton – Dawson County JR GK
2013 – Tina Libao – Dawson County FR M
2012 – Emily Stowers – Dawson County SR F
2011 – Kaitlyn Hooper – White County SR F
2010 – Kaitlyn Hooper – White County JR F

LOOKING AHEAD – THE NEXT FAVORITE(S)

This was an incredible finalist group, and should be again next year even without Barrett moving on and Stephens County legend Erin Carter. Freshman Molly Muenchen (Dawson) will be the front-runner, along with former Player of the Year Fallan Lacey. Other finalists back next year includes goal-scoring queen Madison Yost (Union) and rising junior Bella Ramey. Don’t forget Dawson’s Rachel Rajczak and Lumpkin’s Hope Kenney as well. So much talent in Northeast Georgia…