Sapling Snapshot will look at the Timbers Academy, Pre-Academy and Alliance Clubs. The snapshots will also feature individual athletes, some of the athletes could become Home Grown Players

TopDrawerSoccer.com has slowly, but surely updated rankings on individual youth players across the country. The Portland Timbers and clubs aligned with the Timbers have found players popping up on multiple ranking lists.

The class of 2012 features two alliance-members ranked by TDS, which last updated the class in the winter of 2012.

Jaime Velasco
Beaverton, Ore.

Signed to play for the University of Portland in the fall, Velasco is a member of Westside Timbers. The reigning-Oregon 6A Player of the Year at Westview High School, Velasco transferred from a high school in Anchorage, Alaska, before his junior year.

As a junior at Westview he scored 14 goals and 10 assists. Velasco's stats were greatly improved upon during his senior season, where he led the Wildcats to a state title. As a senior Velasco recorded 30 goals and 18 assists, scoring the Wildcats' only goals in the state semifinals and finals (goal and interview from the finals can be seen here).

Velasco is rated as the No. 4 player in the Pacific Northwest and is the No. 96 player in the United States.

Just for fun, here is Velasco's recruiting video.

Mikhail Doholis
Vancouver, Wash.

Enrolled at Oregon State University in time to play spring soccer for the Beavers (including a closed-door scrimmage against the Timbers at JELD-WEN Field), Doholis has spent time in Bradenton as a member of the United States U-17 Residency Program. At the age of 15, Doholis also participated in training with the Timbers First Team. As recently as April 2012, Doholis has pictures on his Twitter in a Timbers training top and photo from the field at JWF with a caption about training.

A former member of Eastside Timbers, Doholis is the No. 1 player in the Pacific Northwest and is rated as the No. 66 player in the country.

Doholis has played for the Sounders Academy, almost certainly removing any possibility of him becoming a Timbers HGP.