Heaps, Smith Named Top Soccer Players in Alabama

  • Mountain Brook High School's Isabel Smith and Jack Heaps were both named the Gatorade Player of the Year for girls and boys soccer.

  • Thursday, June 23, 2022 – Mountain Brook High School’s Jack Heaps and Isabel Smith were recently named the boys and girls Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year for the state of Alabama. This marks the first time in state history that both soccer players awarded hail from the same school.

    The Gatorade State Player of the Year is selected by a collaborative selection committee and based on the criteria of athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.

    Heaps, the co-captain of the boys team, helped lead the Spartans to their first state championship in school history, while Smith served as captain of the girls team and started every game of the season that ultimately ended in the state quarterfinals. Both former Spartans are committed to playing at the next level. Heaps, a rising senior midfielder, will play for Georgetown in the fall of 2023 while Smith will begin playing for Indiana this fall.

    The Heaps family now adds its second Gatorade Player of the Year trophy to their collection. Jack’s father, Jay, won the award in the state of Massachusetts in 1994-95.

    Jack Heaps:

    • 2022 Team Captain
    • Scored 33^ goals and contributed 5 assists
    • 4th* player in program history to win Gatorade Player of the Year
    • 2022 First Team Super All-State
    • 2022 First Team All-Metro
    • United Soccer Coaches Association First Team Super All-State, First Team 6A

    *previous Gatorade Players of the Year in program history include Charles Wood (2002-03), Austin McKee (2004-05), Nathan Diel (2009-10 and 2010-11)

    ^ 33 goals in a season is a new school record

    Isabel Smith:

    • 2022 Team Captain, Team MVP
    • Scored 31 goals (44% of all team goals) and contributed 13 assists
    • 2nd* player in program history to win Gatorade Player of the Year
    • United Soccer Coaches First Team Super All-State, First Team 6A
    • 2022 Birmingham Kiwanis Club Girls Soccer Player of the Year

    *previous Gatorade Player of the Year from Mountain Brook was Leigh Haynes in 2014-15

    For more information, follow Mountain Brook Schools, Mountain Brook boys and girls soccer as well as Mountain Brook Athletics on social media.