Team concept — MVPs made their squads championship-caliber

"I don't think there are enough good adjectives to describe her as a player or a person," said Myers. "She did so much that other teams had to focus on her. She opened up things for everyone else."

Another measure of how valuable Rynearson was to the team was when she scored her goals. She scored twice against Park City in the semifinals and had four total playoff goals. Opposing coaches knew how important she was — she was voted the Region 9 MVP.

"McCall had an amazing field presence," added Myers. "She saw the field so well and she really knew how to analyze a defense. She knew when to pass and when to shoot. She was great at knowing where to attack the defense to get the openings. She just has a great mind for sports."

2A/1A: Nicole Taylor, Waterford

Perhaps no one was more surprised by the 30 goals that Nicole Taylor scored for Waterford this season than herself.

"On my club team, I play in the midfield and usually set other people up," she said. "I mean, I'll score a goal here or there, but nothing like what has happened this season in high school. I am more comfortable passing the ball."

While the 30 goals were out of the ordinary for the Penn State-bound midfielder/forward, it wasn't a surprise that she added 26 assists. It was a credit to her unselfish play to have a number that high because after watching Taylor on the field, one had the feeling she could score almost any time she touched the ball against her 2A/1A competition.

"There is no doubt that Nicole is the best player at this level," said Ravens coach Tim Dolbin. "I think she is one of the best players in the state, period. She would be one of the best at any classification."

Besides posting some amazing numbers, Taylor was a leader for a young Waterford team. Dolbin credits her with more than just being a great player. He said she was also a great teammate.

"Nicole makes sure that everyone is involved not only on the field, but off it as well," Dolbin said. "She was such a good example to our younger players. She really showed them how to practice, how to conduct themselves and what it takes to keep getting better."

Waterford was far and away the best team in the classification this season, with many games resulting in blowouts. Taylor said that while at times it was trying, her love of the sport made it easier.

"I just enjoy all of it," she said. "The running, the competition, the scoring, but the best thing is setting up a teammate for a goal with a perfect pass. That is probably my favorite thing. ... Sure, we wish we were playing better teams, but it is still fun. We are just a group of girls that like to get out on the soccer field and try to get better every time and not think about the competition."

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E-mail: mblack@desnews.com