The University of Mississippi Athletics
Two Soccer Signees Named Gatorade Players of the Year
5/18/2016 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. - Two Ole Miss soccer signees - Tennessee's Gabby Little and Mississippi's Alley Houghton - were named 2015-16 Girls State Players of the Year for the Winter and Spring High School seasons, Gatorade released Tuesday in collaboration with USA Today High School Sports.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Little as Tennessee's best high school girls soccer player, and Houghton as Mississippi's top high school girls player.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Little and Houghton join an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O'Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
Little, a Germantown, Tennessee native, led the Mustangs to a 22-0 record and the Class AAA state championship this past season. Little scored 23 goals and dished out 20 assists, including eight goals and three assists in six postseason games.
An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the 5-foot-7 senior forward played in the High School All-American Game in North Carolina in December. She capped her high school career with 60 goals and 41 assts.
Little has maintained an A average in the classroom. An active member of the Girl Scouts, she has volunteered locally with fundraising campaigns to benefit breast cancer research and on behalf of multiple community-service initiatives through her church.
Houghton, a local product from Lafayette High School in Oxford, is the first Gatorade Mississippi Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Lafayette.
The 5-foot-3 senior forward scored 71 goals and passed for 10 assists this past season, leading the Commodores (19-3) to the Class 4A state final. The state's returning Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Houghton concluded her prep career with 250 goals, shattering the state record.
An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, she is also a two-time Clarion-Ledger First Team All-State honoree. Houghton has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of the Oxford Humane Society and the Special Olympics.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter at @CoachMattMott. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.
