With the 2026 Tullahoma High School soccer season in the rearview, Wildcat players are still racking up accomplishments. Rising senior Gage Allen and rising junior Jake Bethea were both listed on MLS (Major League Soccer) NEXT teams.

Allen was named to the U19 Kings Hammer MLS NEXT roster, and Bethea was named to the U17 team. MLS NEXT is one of the premier development platforms for youth soccer in the United States. It helps get eyes on soccer talent all across the country and serves as a potential big stepping stone for players looking to compete at the next level–college and professional. There is proof of its success, recently so on the biggest stage in the world.

The United States Men’s National Soccer Team is currently competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They looked more than primed to get one of their best results at the oncein- every-four-year event. They most recently got a 2-0 win over Australia that helped clinch the top spot in their group after Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0. Scoring the second goal in the USA’s game against Australia was defender Alex Freeman. He is the youngest player on the USMNT roster at just 21 years old. Not too long ago, he was also in the MLS NEXT program. In securing his goal against Australia, he became the first MLS NEXT Academy player to score a goal in the World Cup.

This past season, both Bethea and Allen were part of a Tullahoma High School soccer team that made it to the district championship and won the most games in a season, going all the way back to 1988. They will be essential pieces in hopefully bringing Tullahoma back to the same big stages they found themselves in 2026.

Bethea appeared in four games for Tullahoma last season scored one goal. Allen appeared in 13 matches and scored nine goals, and also logged nine assists.

The details of the upcoming season for Allen and Bethea as members of their respective Kings Hammer MLS NEXT teams have yet to officially be announced. Though their season will start on July 1st, and there will be a Southeast MLS NEXT Cup Qualifier from Nov 20-23. That event will feature teams from all across the USA and will take place in North Carolina.

U19 Kings Hammer roster- Gage Allen, Jeremy Argumedo, Brayden Brinkley, Enzo Carreira, Eduardo Carreira, Liam Dooley, Ryder Fitzpatrick, Landon Flerra, Adrian Lara, Alexis Menjibar, Riley Morgan, Ali Osman, Cooper Stump, Ike Thompson, Artur Valente, Aiden Warren, EE Webb

U17 Kings Hammer roster- Jake Bethea, Ethan Bouchard, Brycin Brown, Aiden Campbell, Nash Foster, Jefferson Galindo, Isaac Gomez, Evan Geuvart, Austin Hicks, Noah Huffman, Rafa Lopes, Emmanuel Mendoza, Matias Ochoa, Jariel Padilla, Hector Sanchez, Braison Stevens, Anthony Torres, Jameson Troester.

Jake Bethea

Gage Allen