 | Talented and willing to learn, Tualatin's Verloo has lived up to her coaches' hopes. Michael Schmitt/RISE |
By Lucas O'Neill, Special to SI.com, RISE
Before she became a star, Courtney Verloo was just a rumor.
Heading into soccer tryouts her freshman year, Verloo was an unknown commodity to former Tualatin (Ore.) head coach Duncan Nyangoro and current Timberwolves skipper Rossano Rocha, who at the time coached JV.
"There was some talk about an incoming freshman that was pretty amazing," says Rocha. "I don't think anyone had seen her previously."
It didn't take long for rumor to become reality. Nyangoro and Rocha knew as soon as Verloo touched the ball in tryouts that she was a special player.
"The first day, Duncan and I just looked at each other and said, 'Oh my God,'" Rocha recalls. "It was just absolute raw talent mixed with the ability to learn everything."
Verloo has more than met her coaches' expectations ever since. The junior forward led Tualatin to consecutive state titles in her first two seasons, earning an All-State nod in each campaign. She entered this fall already with 65 goals and 22 assists for her career. Last year, Verloo was named Gatorade State Player of the Year -- the only sophomore in the country to earn the distinction for girls' soccer. And this past spring and summer, she made appearances for the U.S. U-16 Girls'National Team.
Yet, even after Verloo wowed the coaches at tryouts that first season, Rocha admits the staff initially didn't fully grasp the skills the star striker possessed. Even though Tualatin would have been a state contender without Verloo in the mix, she proved her importance to the team's chances -- and showed off her wunderkind skills -- when she scored two goals in her first game, a preseason contest against two-time defending state champ Sheldon.
"We knew she was good, but we didn't realize how good," says Rocha. "Her speed, her game play is just something above and beyond what people normally see. I don't think we had a clue as to what we had."
Verloo would go on to score 34 goals as a freshman to help Tualatin capture the Class 4A state title. After her tremendous freshman campaign, however, Verloo had a bull's-eye on her back as teams started to approach her differently.
"Freshman year I think a lot of people were very eager to come in and test her," says Rocha, who took over as Tualatin head coach after Nyangoro retired prior to the 2006 season. "They'd come in really aggressive, and she'd put a little move on and they'd be on the ground.
"Last year they gave her the respect. They'd allow us to play the ball into her feet, and they gave her a 5-yard cushion (as if to say), 'Let her do her thing, don't dive in, don't let her embarrass you.'"
It didn't matter: Verloo was still unstoppable as a sophomore. She scored four goals -- including three in the second half -- in a win over McMinnville, a hat trick in a win over Newberg and the lone strike in the team's victory over rival Tigard.
On the season, Verloo racked up 31 goals as the Wolves won their second consecutive state title, this time in the new 6A classification. The championship victory over Oregon City was one of the most impressive games Rocha has seen from Verloo, who tallied a goal and an assist in the 3-0 victory.
"That night her whole game -- her ball movement, her runs, her shots -- everything was just so smooth," Rocha says.
Like most elite players, Verloo's skills are the result of a combination of natural talent and hard work. She was coached by her dad growing up and currently has a soccer-specific personal trainer. Verloo also spent many years playing club soccer for the South Side Strikers and now suits up for F.C. Portland.
"You want to strive to reach your full potential," she says. "I want to improve and I want to help the team."
"She's kind of like a soccer junkie who's always striving for perfection," adds Rocha.
She's a perfectionist off the pitch, too. Verloo boasts a 4.0 GPA while managing a full course load of challenging International Baccalaureate classes. With her combination of skills and smarts, Verloo should have her pick of any college in the country, and she's constantly working to improve on both fronts.
But that doesn't mean she's all business all the time. Verloo still knows how to let loose. Rocha says she's something of a comedian, and while Verloo scoffs at that term, she confirms a story told by her coach that speaks to her sense of humor.
After missing a practice last season, Verloo was expected to make up for the absence. So her teammates equipped her with an iPod and had her perform the Yung Joc hit "It's Goin' Down." As her teammates circled around, Verloo rapped and danced until she had them in stitches. Even Rocha was cracking up. It wasn't the only time Verloo provided comic relief last season. Her jokes and dancing often served as a break from the pressure the Wolves felt as defending state champs.
"I think you definitely need to keep a sense of humor about it and remember it's just a game," says Verloo.
As Tualatin looks to win a third straight state title, Verloo is excited to be playing with a young team that looks radically different than last year's squad. The Wolves lost eight seniors, including Lindsay Parlee, a standout keeper now on scholarship at Washington State.
"There's always going to be a little bit of pressure to defend that state championship," Verloo says. "It's a new season. The teams are different. You've got to work hard still."
That goes double for Verloo, who is attracting even more attention from defenders this season. Like the Timberwolves, Verloo isn't taking anyone by surprise.
"Freshman year she was the girl that no one knew about," says Rocha. "Sophomore year she really had to step up her game. Now everyone knows who she is -- there's no secret about her."
No rumors, either.
