Parker gets shot at junior national team

Brandi Parker has dominated high school soccer since arriving on the scene at Vicksburg High as an eighth grader.

Her game-winning goal against Brandon in the final minutes of overtime gave the Missy Gators a fifth state championship.

Now, she’ll try to take her talents to an international level.

Parker, a junior at VHS, is one of 18 players from the southern region Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina who will play in an Olympic Development Program qualifier.

The ODP has four regions around the country, and the select teams from each region will play in a tournament. Out of all four regions, 18 will be chosen to play on the junior national team.

“I didn’t even make the pool last year,” said Parker, who added that pool teams played practice games against one another to decide the top 18. “I made it this year, then made the top 18.”

College coaches from around the country will be at the camp, but Parker said she is not too worried about their presence.

“Once you get on the field, you put it out of your mind,” Parker, said. “I will be a little nervous at first, but after a while, you just play soccer.”