As a junior, Gila Ridge soccer star Millie Vega had the greatest single season in Yuma County girls soccer history, scoring 44 goals and 11 assists en route to a spot in the record books.
However, her junior campaign was just the beginning.
All Vega set out to do was to eclipse the 100-goal mark and maybe the all-time career record for goals in Yuma County, but little did she know that she would accomplish far more than that.
As a senior, Vega elevated her status from Yuma County legend to Arizona legend, breaking 11 state records in the process as she became the most prolific scorer in the state’s history. Gila Ridge’s shining star scored 71 goals and 13 assists, not only breaking 6A and all-time season records for goals and points, but also pushing her career totals to astronomical levels that may never be touched. For her achievements, she has been named Yuma Sun/Yuma Rotary Club Girls Soccer Player of the Year for the third year running.
“We’ve tried to pick a goal for her to achieve every season and each year I say, ‘There’s no way she’s getting that,’ and she exceeds it,” Gila Ridge head girls soccer coach Cooper Cox said. “She doubles, even triples our expectations. What she did this year was incredible. Six program records and 11 state records is just insane and something we are undoubtedly going to miss.”
To truly appreciate Vega’s excellence, only a list of her records at the Arizona level will do her justice.
6A records:
- Most points in a game (23 vs. Yuma High)
- Most points in a season (155)
- Most points in a career (364)
- Most goals in a game (11 vs. Yuma High)
- Most goals in a season (71)
- Most goals in a career (171)
Top performer records
(regardless of conference)
- Most points in a season (155)
- Most points in a career (364)
- Most goals in a game (11 vs. Yuma High)
- Most goals in a season (71)
- Most goals in a career (171)
Some of these records are incredibly close, with Vega only clearing her opposition by a single point or goal. However, the marks surrounding Vega’s exceptional senior season have a significant amount of cushion around them, making Vega’s name a potential mainstay at the top of the record books for many years to come.
“I feel like I’ve worked really hard for this,” Vega said regarding her records. “I want to let myself have the moment because it is super special. I am very proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
Over 22 games and nearly 1,500 minutes on the pitch, Vega was held scoreless in just four games, still managing to make an impact with an assist in two of those contests.
On Dec. 13, in Gila Ridge’s first game of the Great Southwestern Soccer Shootout in Yuma, Vega had her first big game of the season, scoring six goals in a 7-0 win over Southwest. Against Holtville a day later, she had six of eight in the 8-0 win.
Over a three-game stretch against West Point, Dobson and Verrado, she scored 12 goals, including all four against Dobson in a back-and-forth gutsy 4-3 win.
“That’s a performance of hers that really stands out to me,” Cox said. “(Dobson) was a tough opponent and we actually went down a couple of times in that game, but we squeaked one out with (Vega) scoring all four.”
“That was one of those where she and I made eye contact and without speaking, she knew that she needed to get it done for us on offense. She took it to the next level and made it her goal to win us that game.”
Against Deer Valley, Vega had eight goals. Then four against Mesa and five against San Luis.
Then, on Jan. 17, Gila Ridge made the 15-minute bus ride to Curley Culp Memorial Stadium to play the Yuma High Criminals.
What Vega did to Yuma High was criminal, as she scored 11 goals and one assist in a 16-0 drubbing of the home team, earning her two state records and narrowly missing out on a third in the process.
Out of all the records, Cox identified Vega’s Arizona-best 364-point career mark as his all-time favorite, showcasing his player’s diversity as an offensive threat that can make the pass beyond her ability to take the shot.
“I know she can score a lot of goals, but there’s more to the game than that,” he said. “There are a handful of assists in there as well and she’s second in program history for career assists, so that shows she was a dominant goal scorer and capable of finding the back of the net, but was also a team player and helped make her teammates better.”
When reflecting on her career herself, Vega made sure to give her best friend and running mate, senior midfielder Chayton Barron, a fair share of credit for making her soccer experience better.
“When I think about soccer, I think about playing with Chayton,” Vega said of their friendship. “We can tell each other anything, sometimes we get mad at each other and then work it out that way... We are going to work together to make each other better on and off the field... We always talked before the games, had our moments on the field where we needed to lock in and perform for our team.”
After all of the goals, records and minutes spent on the pitch, Vega ultimately decided to hang up her cleats after the final whistle of her final game. Instead of playing college soccer, Gila Ridge’s greatest soccer player and upcoming valedictorian hopes to make a career in the medical field as a doctor.
“I’ve had my run in high school and I’m ready to become a doctor and pursue that,” Vega said. “Looking back on my career, I just want to be remembered for being the greatest scorer here at Gila Ridge in both boys and girls soccer. It’s been really fun.”
