John Ellis Montgomery '25 Recruiting Profile

My name is John Ellis Montgomery.  I'm a 5-foot-10 versatile defensive and midfield player from Vicksburg, MS, in the Class of 2025. I am a team player with quality ball skills and excel at passing, anticipating, and a great technical understanding of the game. I would describe myself as a playmaker (for both high school and club teams) and consistently provide scoring opportunities. When playing on defense, I am able to shut down the opposing team’s offense and have helped save numerous goals. The last 3 years, I have received the Varsity Offensive MVP Player Award, Varsity MVP, All-MAIS Div II Soccer Team, Carson Kurtz Spirit Award, Vicksburg Post All-County Soccer Player, and have been selected as a MAIS Futures All-Star Soccer Player. 

I play for the MS Rush United ECNL-RL 06/07B  club team based out of Jackson, MS. This is my 9th year playing for the MS Rush Soccer Club. On my club team, I currently play left or right center back and sometimes switch to wingback. I also play varsity high school soccer at St. Aloysius High School in Vicksburg, MS. As a 7th grader, I scored 2 varsity goals and lettered. I also received the JV MVP Award my 7th grade year. I have been a varsity starter on the high school team since 8th grade. On my high school team, I usually play striker or attacking mid. I have also played winger and striker during my high school career (7th grade to now). My junior and senior year, I have been primarily playing center back and defensive mid. At times I move up and play attacking mid. I’ve scored over 40 goals and had over 30 assists in my high school varsity career so far.

As a student, I am very focused on my grades and strive to excel academically. My current weighted GPA is 4.16. At St. Aloysius, I’m a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. While on my brief summer breaks from club soccer, I enjoy going on mission trips with my church youth group to help underprivileged families by painting, doing yard work, and other needed repairs at their homes or at the local community centers. In 2022 my church youth group participated in Serve Baton Rouge where we worked with troubled kids at Abounding Love Ministries. My youth leader, Josh Woltmann, was a former soccer player and assistant coach. As part of our mission, he gave me the opportunity to minister to these kids while using my soccer skills to help teach them the game of soccer. I have also volunteered the last three summers by assisting the Belhaven University’s Women’s Soccer Head Coach Kimberly Harrell and Assistant Coach Jonny Ellis with their annual camp held in Vicksburg for the Vicksburg Soccer Organization. During the summer of 2023, I volunteered as a camp counselor for Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg's Camp Silvercloud which is a camp for special needs kids and adults. 

I hope to have the opportunity to continue my soccer career in college where I plan to pursue an engineering degree. I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old and began playing competitive soccer with the MS Rush Soccer Club when I was 9 years old playing up in the U11 age group. I have played other sports over the years, but my passion has always been soccer. I'm excited for the opportunity to play at the next level and will work hard for any team on and off the field if I am blessed to have the chance to continue playing the game I love.