Brock Netter, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
Two regional finalists, three district champions, a handful of sectional title winners and a number of instant classic games … needless to say, this past boys soccer season was as successful as they come.
Southern Ohio Sports Authority was right there every step of the way, covering individual milestones, improbable feats and wins that changed history.
After a fun-filled year, take a look at our All-Area team, which consists of 25 area players who were at their best throughout the fall season.
Hunter Barnard | Sophomore | Forward | South Webster
Talents like Barnard are a huge reason why South Webster couldn’t wait for this season to start. His toughness, intuition and soccer IQ helped pace the Jeeps to 16 wins, but he saved his best soccer for the tournament and even netted the game-winning goal to lift his team into a regional final. He’s got two years left and is only getting better.
Joey Bloebaum | Senior | Midfield | South Point
Line Bloebaum up anywhere on the field, and simply put, watch the magic happen. He has Swiss Army Knife capabilities, which was a huge part of the Pointers winning 12 games and a sectional title. In the process, he found the goal 20 times and dished out a team-high 13 assists, earning a second-team All-Ohio nod.
Rhys Brachett | Senior | Forward | New Boston
When the Tigers needed a play to be made, they looked to Brachett at every single turn. Although the success in the win-loss column was less than desired, the senior gave it his all every night and led the team to five wins with 14 goals and seven assists, both team-highs. He was named the SOC I co-Player of the Year.
Ivan Chavez | Junior | Midfielder | Zane Trace
The Pioneers were flat-out dangerous all year and Chavez was at the center of the storm. Chavez was a second-team All-Ohioan with 22 goals and 25 assists on his resume. Those numbers helped Zane Trace finish 13-4-1. Next year should be even better as he continues to be the team’s centerpiece. He’ll enter his senior year with 62 goals and 67 assists.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Josh Childers | Senior | Defender | South Point
Childers found the goal five times and passed out seven assists, but that’s not why he’s on the list. He’s one of, if not the, top defenders in the OVC and his play on the back line was a huge reason for the Pointers making a district final appearance. They allowed just 24 goals all season. He was a first-team all-district selection.
Connor Estep | Senior | Midfielder | Wheelersburg
To say that Estep was the glue that kept the Pirates together is a massive understatement. Senior leadership is so important to a team’s chemistry and Estep provided the brunt of it. The midfielder aided the Pirates to yet another regional tournament appearance, scoring five times and passing out 16 assists along the way. In his four years at ‘Burg, the program went 71-10-3.
Isaac Eyre | Junior | Goalkeeper | Lynchburg-Clay
Most of the players on this list are known for finding the back of the net. Eyre, on the other hand, made his name by stopping those shots from connecting. Behind his elite skills in between the pipes, he pitched eight shutouts for the Mustangs and came up with 116 saves, earning first-team all-district and second-team All-Ohio honors.
Max Hagans | Senior | Forward | Wheelersburg
When Hagans came into the program, he did so with the program’s all-time leading scorer in Aaron Jolly. Now that he’s leaving the program, he is the all-time leading scorer. The talented forward led the Pirates to another flat-out special season, helping the team win 18 games and a fourth consecutive district title. He ends his storied career with 131 goals and 56 assists.
Lucas Hanes | Senior | Forward | Unioto
When Hanes left the pitch for the final time in a Unioto uniform, there wasn’t much he hadn’t done. The school and county’s all-time scoring leader tallied 34 goals this fall, pacing his Shermans to a 13-6 mark and a district final appearance. Hanes ends his career with 139 goals and 67 assists during a four-year run that saw two district titles and a regional championship.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Jordan Harrington | Senior | Defender | Zane Trace
When there’s a free ball and Harrington is a part of the chase, chances are he’s getting to the ball first. With closing speed for days, he was part of a back line that allowed just 30 goals — 1.67 goals per game — and helped the Pioneers win a sectional title. He also had his chances to score and found the net 11 times with 13 assists. His versatility will certainly be missed.
Cody Helser | Senior | Forward | North Adams
Look up the word ‘dangerous’ in the dictionary, and there’s a picture of Hesler with the ball at his feet. A wizard on the pitch, he was the straw that stirred the drink for the Green Devils as they won 13 games and a sectional championship behind his 22 goals and 20 assists, both team-highs. He was named first-team all-district.
Kaiden Koch | Senior | Forward | Chillicothe
Ever since he stepped foot on a soccer field, Koch has been different. He operates at a gear few players have, he knifes through defenses with the greatest of ease, and he’s been the center of Chillicothe’s offensive attack for quite some time. He ends his career with three FAC championships and an FAC co-POY honor.
Caleb Lewis | Senior | Forward | Northwest
During one of Northwest’s best-ever years as a program, Lewis pieced together one of its best individual seasons. The first-team All-Ohioan was the key piece to a team that went 14-5-1 and reached a district final, tallying a career-high 53 goals and 13 assists. Over the past four seasons, he’s laid a foundation for future success, leading the Mohawks to a mark of 43-24-7.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Sekou Mara | Senior | Forward | Miami Trace
Slowly but surely, Miami Trace is taking steps towards success as a program. That doesn’t, and wouldn’t have, happened without players like Mara. With the unique ability to take over any match he played in, Mara was always dangerous with the ball at his feet. He was the FAC’s co-Player of the Year and earned a second-team All-Ohio honor, leading MT to seven wins.
Brady Medinger | Senior | Forward | Ironton St. Joe
Ironton St. Joe took back the reins atop the SOC I, and Medinger was a huge reason why. There was no shortage of scorers for the Flyers, but the senior forward was the engine that made them go as he finished with 21 goals and a team-high 19 assists. That led ISJ to 14 wins and SOC I and sectional titles. He was the SOC I co-Player of the Year and a first-team all-district honoree.
Myles Montgomery | Junior | Forward | Minford
Athletic. Fast as lightning. An absolute terror to mark. There’s your scouting report on Montgomery. The numbers back it up. As a junior, Montgomery tallied 22 goals and 11 assists for a team that battled to a 13-4-2 record and a sectional championship. Montgomery has a year left to make defenders look foolish. He’ll be doing just that while adding to his 55 career goals.
Andy Pigman | Senior | Forward | Athens
For the last three years, Pigman patiently waited his turn up top and all he did, much like the players before him, was produce. Earning a second-team All-Ohio honor, the senior was a nightmare for goalkeepers, finding the back of the net on 35 occasions and helping his team to 15 wins and a fourth straight district final appearance.
Gabe Polcyn | Senior | Forward | Fairland
Fairland’s offense scored 33 goals the entire season. Polcyn had 19 of those goals. That’s how much he meant, not just to the offense, but to the entire team. He led the Dragons to nine wins, including their first sectional title in school history. His efforts were rewarded with OVC Player of the Year and first-team all-district honors.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Cole Rawley | Junior | Forward | Fairfield Union
He’s quick-footed with the ball, aggressive in his pursuit and he’s never backed down. Rawley’s headstrong approach, night in and night out, was a key factor in the Falcons claiming their first district championship since 2016. He finished the season with 16 goals and four assists, earning MSL and first-team all-district honors in the process.
Caleb Redding | Senior | Forward | Fairfield Union
Special. That’s what Redding is on the soccer field, and Fairfield Union followed his lead this season all the way to a regional final. In the process, he tallied a program-record 29 goals, tying the school record for goals in a career with 85, alongside passing out a ridiculous 36 assists. He was the MSL Player of the Year, and a first-team all-district and second-team All-Ohio selection.
Caleb Schmelzer | Senior | Midfield | Fairfield Union
You can’t miss Schmelzer, well, in any walk of life. He’s 6-foot-7. And he plays every bit of it on the soccer field. He consistently found himself in the right place, at the right time, in the right moments throughout the season. Schmelzer helped the Falcons to 18 wins and an MSL title while netting 14 goals and five assists, earning MSL and second-team all-district honors.
Kalin Schneider | Junior | Goalkeeper | Gallia Academy
Behind every successful team is a great goalkeeper who will risk it all to keep the ball from finding the back of the net. That’s what Schneider was for the Blue Devills, who have won 29 games over the past two seasons with him in goal. He tallied 114 saves, helping GA win 11 games and a sectional title.
Dylan Shupert | Junior | Midfield | South Webster
Shupert had the unique ability to do anything the Jeeps needed on the field. Need a goal? He’s got you. Need an assist? Done deal. Chase down a ball? He’ll turn on the burners. His ability helped his team win a district title for the first time since 2019. Considering that Shupert is back next season, as are most of the Jeeps, don’t be surprised if they end up back in the regional championship game … or further.
Nick Sylvia | Sophomore | Forward | Wheelersburg
Sylvia continued to remain as dangerous as ever. What he didn’t do in the scoring column, he got the job done for others, who eventually scored. He led the team with 27 assists, but also found the back of the net 19 times, earning SOC II, first-team all-district and second-team All-Ohio honors.
Cameron Thompson | Senior | Defender | Unioto
In four years with Thompson at the center of its defense, Unioto played a total of 80 games. They gave up 110 goals — or 1.38 per night — and pitched 29 shutouts. Obviously, Thompson couldn’t do it all. But the point is, those numbers aren’t coincidental. Thompson blanketed his opponents again as a senior, helping the Tanks win 13 games and a fourth straight SVC title.
Honorable Mention Selections
Marco Chavez, Zane Trace; Emilio Cruz, Unioto; Henry Barnes, Westfall; Isaac Herlihy, Chillicothe; Carter Dunfee, Chillicothe; Thatcher Brown, Jackson; Carson Scott, Hillsboro; Westley Smith, McClain; Aiden McCafferty, Fairfield Union; Luke Stout, Circleville; Sam Tieman, Minford; Breyden Byrd, Wheelersburg; Jay Jenkins, Northwest; Braxton Dillow, Valley; Benaiah Andrews, South Webster; Bryson Burcham, Ironton St. Joe; Elijah McQuay, Western; Austin Jaurnarajas, Athens; Beckett Camden, Gallia Academy; Moritz Klattenhoff, South Point; Connor Blagg, Rock Hill; Gage White, North Adams; Christopher Oldfield, Peebles; Jay Cordery, Lynchburg-Clay
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