When he arrived at Hinds Community College on Friday, Heath Carroll had to make plenty of introductions.

While a lot of his teammates, and even a few opponents, for today’s Mississippi Association of Coaches soccer all-star game knew each other from various select leagues, Carroll was a relative outsider to that close-knit fraternity. His lone season of select soccer came when he was 14, making the Warren Central graduate a throwback in an era of increasing specialization.

Insead of focusing on soccer, Carroll tried – and excelled in – baseball and football. Soccer just happened to be the sport he was best at.

“I don’t even know anybody on our team. I’m not really associated with any of the select teams,” Carroll said, adding with a chuckle. “Some other people who graduated play year-round and they didn’t get it, and I did.”

It’s not like Carroll doesn’t have any soccer talent. He started for the Vikings for four seasons, had 24 goals and seven assists over the last two, and earned a scholarship to Meridian Community College. It was just that Carroll’s other pursuits kept him off the pitch in spring and fall, when the select season is in full swing.

Carroll was a starting infielder for Warren Central’s baseball team the last two seasons. He led the team with a .394 batting average as a junior in 2007, and finished his career with a .376 average. He also tried out for the football team last fall and earned a job as the starting punter. He averaged 36.3 yards on 44 punts.

“It was a fun experience. It was my first year of football. They asked me to come out so I tried it,” Carroll said.

While Carroll will play in the boys’ all-star game at noon today at Hinds, another Warren Central star will play in the girls’ game at 10 a.m.

Kristine Fischenich, the 2008 Vicksburg Post Player of the Year, will reppresent the Lady Vikes. Fischenich played five seasons for WC, scoring 18 goals as an eighth-grader and 18 more her senior season. Knee injuries hampered her in between. Fischenich plans to attend Ole Miss next year, and this will likely be her final competitive game.

“This wasn’t something I was expecting to be chosen for. I already had my sentimental goodbye, so this is more of a fun way to play the last game,” Fischenich said.