The great ones do their jobs on the field or court seemingly with grace and ease, rarely being burdened by the opposition and coming up big on the biggest stages.
Edinburg Vela’s Taylor Campbell has followed that definition throughout her four-year high school soccer career, which culminated in a Valley-leading 61 goals this season and a trip to the third round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Because of her dominance and accomplishments on the soccer field, Campbell has earned The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Girls Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
By season’s end, Campbell finished as the Valley’s second all-time leading scorer as three girls, including her, shattered what was the record of 146 goals at the beginning of the year. Campbell’s total: 177.
Imagine what the number could have been if last year wasn’t cut short right before playoffs and this year’s schedule didn’t have fewer non-district games.
“They could’ve reached 200 goals, without a doubt” Edinburg Vela girls head coach Americo Cortez said. “It’s an amazing accomplishment, for all the girls, and it says something about Valley soccer.”
Looking at the offensive juggernaut known as this year’s SaberCats, what’s even more impressive about Campbell’s numbers is the fact that Vela was filled with girls who could score. Still, most teams marked, double marked and even triple marked the future Trinity University soccer player, who said what helped her this year to shed defenders was being stronger. She began lifting weights during the COVID-19 quarantine and the results were obvious.
“Either somebody else would score, or, more than likely, she would still score,” Cortez said. “It didn’t matter.”
During many of Vela’s matches, Campbell could be heard yelling advice, directing traffic and praising teammates for their passes and “great idea.”
But you better not blink once she is in possession of the ball. Not only could she score effortlessly, but she could score quickly, either with crosses, through balls or hears, often pulling the trigger as fast as a gunslinger in the Old West. During one matchup against Edinburg High, Taylor hauled in a pass while standing at the top of the box, with her back turned to the goal. She made one quick move, faced the goal and shot a laser to the back of the net — with her left foot — before anyone could adjust to her having the ball.
“Taylor can score from anywhere,” Cortez said. “She can score from close, from far, off corner kicks, with a header. And she’s very creative. That makes her even more dangerous.”
Campbell first credits having such a talented team as the biggest reason she had the level of success she did this year.
“It was crazy this year to score that much, but honestly what helped was the level of talent we had on our team, it was just outstanding,” Campbell said. “We were always capable of doing what we did but this year we were just a different level and my teammates contribute to so much of my success. Without them, I wouldn’t score like that.”
Campbell began her club career as a defender, playing defensive back. One day her club coach tried her up top. She scored in every game the rest of the season. She hasn’t moved since.
“I started thinking that maybe I’m better on top,” she said. “I stayed there after that.”
Another strength other than talent and all those physical traits, is Campbell soccer IQ.
“You look at the girls who scored a lot this year — (Donna North’s) Gabby (Aviles), (Sharyland High’s) Xochi (Nguma) and I — I really think we have those high soccer IQs and that helped us with a lot of our goals,” she said. “Like knowing where to be at the right time. We think ahead and sometimes we have no time to think but we just have to know to be there.”
And for four years, and least 177 times, Campbell just knew to be there.