Littlewood kickin' it to the next level

Morgan Littlewood, seated at center, on Monday signed a national letter of intent to play soccer at the University of Mobile. (PHOTO: Family members pose with Littlewood at her signing ceremony Feb. 11 at the Navarre High School Media Center.)

Friends and family joined Littlewood in the Navarre High School Media Center as the four-year Raiders’ starter committed to play college soccer for the Rams.

“Morgan has been a leader on the field and in the classroom,” NHS coach Rob Simon said. Littlewood, who plans to major in nursing, has a 4.0 weighted grade-point average. She served as a captain for the Raiders for three of her four seasons.

Littlewood is a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic All-American selection. Simon expects her to be named to that team again in 2013.

Littlewood played three different positions for the Raiders. In her first three years, playing primarily on offense, she scored 18 goals and had 9 assists. This year, Simon moved her to the center defender position to solidify the Raider defense. Even though she played defense, Littlewood still scored four goals and three assists as a defender.

Littlewood played for the Gulf Coast Texans, a Pensacola-based organization affiliated with the Dallas Texans Soccer Club, during the summer. That exposure helped bring her to the attention of the Rams, who play in the Southern States Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).