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RECRUIT SCOOP: Kara Rao, West Brook Soccer
Kara Rao helped lead the #2 ranked West Brook Lady Bruins to a solid season on the pitch, holding opponents to only 10 goals on the season through 22 games. Rao was also a solid contributor to head coach Adam Bell's offensive machine, contributing eight assists from her back position.
Bell identified Rao's ability as a, "great attacking player who has the ability to pinpoint players with passes and long balls to support the attack. Unselfish teammate, who puts the teams needs above her own."
VYPE caught up with Rao during this quarantine period to get her thoughts on the soccer season, and what the Lady Bruins can look forward to with next season.
VYPE: During this time of quarantine what are you doing as an athlete to stay in shape and keep engaged with your coach and teammates?
Rao: Every morning our coach would send us a workout for us to do for the day. The girls on the team have a separate group message without our coach that we talk in all the time. Every once in a while we would have a zoom meeting with the whole team to just see how everyone is doing and to see each other's faces.
VYPE: Explain a typical day in your life with the "stay-at-home" order and how are you engaging with your school work and personal life?
Rao: A typical day in the life at home for me would be, when I wake up I eat and then start on homework. After I finish with the homework I have due for the day, I will do the workout my coach sent us and then just watch tv and play with my puppy for the rest of the day.
VYPE: You were one of the top players in SeTX on the #2 ranked West Brook Bruins, what do you remember most of this season as a top defender in the area?
Rao: What I remember most from this season is how well the team worked together. A lot of us have known and played with each other since before high school. I believe this helped us have a very successful season. Everyone on the team was friends with everyone, so it was just a great experience being able to play with the people closest to you.
VYPE: West Brook Soccer had a great season before the coronavirus hit what, in your opinion made the season such a great success?
Rao: One main thing that made our season so successful was our new coach, Coach Adam Bell. He traveled from the Houston area everyday to be able to coach our team. He motivated and pushed us to be the best we could be. He brought structure that the team just didn't have before he came.
VYPE: What do you want your legacy to be at West Brook?
Rao: I would want my legacy at West Brook to be that I was a team player, that I was someone everyone could count on during the game. I tried my best to be someone who could provide support to the offense and also be someone who the team could trust in the defense and not worry about us being scored on with me on the back line.
VYPE SETX Recruiting - Bryce Anderson, West Brook Football
VYPE caught up with West Brook's Bryce Anderson (2022) about being a top recruit, 2019 vs 2020, and his decision to commit to LSU.
Anderson currently is the #4 ranked safety in the nation by multiple media outlets.
Here is our interview with the MaxPreps All-American.
VYPE: You're ranked as the #4 safety in the nation by multiple outlets in your class, what are the tools you bring to the safety position that separates you from other elite level safeties?
ANDERSON: The tools that I bring is that I am a very versatile player. I can play corner and lock up any receiver. I can go in the nickel and lock up anybody, and I can also go play 30 yards back and show my range. So i'm very versatile which helps me a lot!
VYPE: West Brook had a disappointing loss to Strake Jesuit in the second round last year. What type of team will the Bruins have coming into the 2020 season?
ANDERSON: We will be a very young team with not that many returners, but we're capable of making a push for state and accomplishing everything we couldn't accomplish two years ago and that's winning state.
VYPE: You were one of the top sophomores in the nation last season, what is your mentality in 'getting better every day?'
ANDERSON: My mindset is if I'm not workin then I know somebody up in California or Florida or Georgia is working harder than me, and I will never accept that. I will outwork everyone even if that comes with me working out four times a day, I will always outwork everyone.
VYPE: As an incoming junior you will be looked at as a leader for the Bruins this year. What, in your opinion, makes a great leader and what type of leader do you want to be this year working with reserve players?
ANDERSON: What makes a great leader is leading by example & most importantly being a vocal leader. That's what i'm working more on now is being more of a vocal leader for the team.
VYPE: You were voted a Max Preps Sophomore All-American last year, what personal goals (tackles, ints, etc.) do you want to set for yourself heading into the 2020 season?
ANDERSON: I set to make a run for state because individual goals comes with team success, so the further we go in the playoffs the more colleges get to watch the games, the more exposure you get & the more yards you get.
VYPE: You are committed to play football for the LSU Tigers, what went into the decision to dedicate yourself to the LSU program?
ANDERSON: LSU was really where I wanted to be for the start. I went there on campus the first time & it was beautiful, I was sold on everything about it and I went to one of the craziest games of my life, the Florida game, and i committed after that.