A Gulfport soccer star is Mississippi’s Gatorade Player of the Year
A dynasty is building in Gulfport.
Gatorade announced Friday Mary Frances Symmes as the Mississippi girl’s soccer Gatorade Player of the Year.
It’s the third straight year the award has been kept in house at GHS, with current Ole Miss Rebel Kate Smith winning each of the last two years.
It’s the fourth year a GHS player has won the award under head coach Christopher Pryor, with Smith and Symmes joining Kelsey Myrick in 2008.
“It’s a huge honor for any school, but I think that’s especially so for the Coastal teams,” Pryor told the Sun Herald. “Sometimes we feel like we kind of get overlooked. ... I couldn’t be more proud of our program. We put in a lot of hard work here at Gulfport soccer.”
Symmes was honored after scoring 22 goals in her season season and assisting on 17 more. She finished her career with 32 goals and 42 assists.
A top-100 recruit, Symmes is joining the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fall.
Along with her on-field work, Symmes also volunteered at the Human Society of South Mississippi and other charity works.
“Mary Frances Symmes deserved it, she put it in the work,” Pryor said. “She’s come a long way. I hope she does well at NC State.”
