Introducing the players on 2023 Wichita Eagle high school boys soccer All-Metro team
The Wichita Eagle announced its 20th annual All-Metro boys soccer team on Friday, recognizing some of the best high school soccer players in the state of Kansas from the 2023 season.
The All-Metro first team features the top players and the top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based on statistics, team success, postseason recognition and area coaches’ feedback. Maize South senior midfielder Vitor Geromel was named the Player of the Year after scoring a state-record 56 goals and helping the Mavericks win their second straight Class 5A state championship.
2023 Wichita Eagle All-Metro boys soccer team
Carson Achey, Goddard junior
One of the most electric goal-scorers in the state, Achey finished his junior season at Goddard with 40 goals and 10 assists. The forward was voted MVP of AV-CTL Division II and named a second team all-state player in Class 5A.
Goddard coach Josh Hansen: “The kid is something special with the ball. Every game he was probably double-teamed because I don’t know if there was a defender around who could defend him 1-on-1. His first step is so quick and the crazy thing about Carson is that he is just as fast on the ball as he is without it and that’s really tough to do. He was basically our entire offense and I think everybody knew by the end of the year that he was just that guy.”
Molelwa Abandelwa, Southeast senior
Arguably the best story in the City League, Southeast finished with 11 wins and a regional championship appearance with Abandelwa helping lead the way. He was the top scorer in the City League with 20 goals and seven assists, which helped earn him first team all-league honors in the City League and second team all-state honors in Class 6A.
Southeast coach Cody Fitch: “Molelwa is a take-on artist who can entertain with his excellent footwork and game-winning goals. Whenever we needed a goal, we could usually count on Molelwa to deliver.”
Cooper Buell, Augusta senior
Augusta battled a spate of late-season injuries, but Buell was the constant presence for the Orioles as the team’s central defensive midfielder during a 15-win season. Buell notched seven goals and 18 assists, as he was voted MVP of AV-CTL Divisions III-IV and earned first team all-state honors in Class 4A.
Augusta coach Dusty Buell: “More than anything, I was proud of Cooper’s relentless spirit. We went through a stretch where we were dealing with a lot of injuries and he was kind of the glue that kept the team together and he really put us on his shoulders. He was so good at distributing the ball and he was always making his teammates better and being someone they could count on.”
Cooper Carman, Andover Central senior
Carman didn’t play a glamorous position at outside back, but he did the little things that helped Andover Central win 13 games. He finished with two goals and six assists and was named a first team all-state player in Class 5A, as well as a first-team defender in AV-CTL Division II.
Andover Central coach Steven Huskey: “Cooper not only could win 1-on-1 defensively, but he was a threat on the attacking side as well. He could dribble past people like he was a winger. He had great corners into the box and he was able to generate a number of assists and help us build out of the back.”
Jonny Galvan, Newton senior
The creative engine in the middle of the field for a 16-win Newton team that won a regional championship, Galvan registered 16 assists to go along with four goals. He was named a second team all-state player in Class 5A and a first team midfielder in AV-CTL Division I.
Newton coach Scott Jantzi: “He was the playmaker out of the midfield for us. When the ball was at his feet, he made things happen. He was just a really exciting player to watch and he could put the ball at somebody’s feet whenever he wanted. And then just his change of pace, his confidence, his ability to see the field, he was a special player for us this season.”
Vitor Geromel, Maize South senior
Geromel cemented his status as one of the greatest high school soccer players in Kansas history, as he finished with an all-time record of 130 career goals. The Clemson signee netted 56 goals to also break the single-season scoring record and help lead Maize South to its second straight state championship, as he was voted Forward of the Year in Class 5A and MVP of AV-CTL Division I.
Maize South coach Rey Ramirez: “Vitor was such an incredible young man to work with these past four years. We feel so fortunate and blessed to have had him and now that he is graduating, we are just as excited for the next four years to be able to watch him on TV and keep track of his ACC and national-tournament appearances.”
Dylan Gorman, Maize South senior
A big reason why Maize South was able to go 41-1 the last two seasons with back-to-back Class 5A state championships was the defense in the back. Gorman was one of three in the back and a standout defender for the Mavericks who was voted first team all-state in Class 5A and a second team defender in AV-CTL Division I.
Maize South coach Rey Ramirez: “Dylan is as competitive, as driven and as fearless of a soccer player as you will find at the high school level. He is an intimidating player who really dominates out there on the field. His competitive nature really drove our team training in practice and helped our development because he set the tone each and every day with the highest level of intensity that really spread throughout our team and helped us improve.”
Erik Huerta, Bishop Carroll senior
Carroll had one of the top defenses in the area, in part because of Huerta spearheading the team’s defense in his midfield position. He also added 13 goals and three assists to help Carroll to a 10-win season, as he was voted first team all-state in Class 5A and a first team midfielder in the City League.
Carroll coach Mike Skaggs: “Erik was a four-year varsity player and everything you could ever want in a central midfielder. He was a tenacious defender with great foot skills, a great attitude and a great work ethic. He led by example and with his voice. He was somebody other teams had to mark up because he can put the ball anywhere. He was a captain for us this year and probably one of the best midfielders we’ve ever had in our program.”
Keagan Lewis, Bishop Carroll senior
Scoring on Carroll was a difficult proposition this season with Lewis protecting the net. He allowed just 10 goals in 18 games and notched seven shutouts, as he was voted Goalkeeper of the Year in Class 5A.
Carroll coach Mike Skaggs: “Keagan really took a step up from last year when he was a back-up for us. His vocal command in the back was improved this year and he was a big, tall body who just commanded his box very well. He had great distribution, great punts and he came up with some stellar saves in big games.”
Cooper Mathews, Trinity Academy junior
A return to full health saw Mathews return to his dynamic goal-scoring ways, as the central attacking midfielder finished with a career-high 36 goals and 12 assists. Mathews received first team all-state honors in Class 4-1A after helping power Trinity to a third-place finish.
Trinity coach Casey Casamento: “Cooper has a combination of technical ball control and an ability to break individual defenders down. And then he’s just a stone-cold finisher. He has this appetite and hunger to score and he has as strong of a mentality as they come. He’s able to fight the whole game and keep coming and he usually ends up delivering something special.”
Collin Meyer, Derby senior
Meyer spearheaded one of the area’s top defenses from his midfield position, which helped Derby win 15 games. He was voted a second team all-state player in Class 6A and a first team midfielder in AV-CTL Division I.
Derby coach Paul Burke: “Collin was our leader, he was the heart and soul of our team and he was the quarterback on the field for us. He was very vocal and worked hard every single day in practice. He was going 100% in practice like it was a game and he’s just a super competitive guy who was willing to do anything to help make the team better.”
Juan-Pablo Salgado, Newton senior
Newton’s dynamic attack was led by Salgado, who broke the program scoring record with 23 goals and five assists this season. He helped the Railers win 16 games and a regional championship, as he garnered first team all-state honors in Class 5A and was voted a first team forward in AV-CTL Division I.
Newton coach Scott Jantzi: “Over the last year, he joined a competitive club team and played some high-level soccer and I think that’s how he improved. He just transferred that over to us in the fall and gave us great goals up top. If we were able to get him behind the defense, he was just so fast that he could really take advantage when he was in open spaces.”
Ben Scognamillo, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
The creative force in the middle of the field for the Crusaders, Scognamillo came up clutch in several of the big games of the season. He scored or assisted in every game but one to finish with 18 goals and 10 assists, as he earned first team all-state honors in Class 5A and was voted first team midfielder in the City League.
Kapaun coach Anthony Cantele: “Ben is one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever coached and I’ve had some pretty good ones. What impressed me the most about him throughout his career is how he trains. He puts in so much extra work. He does everything in practice at game speed. He does everything with a purpose and I think that’s what has made him one of the best players to come through our program.”
Nate Stephens, Andover Central senior
The consistent threat up top, Stephens was a presence that every team had to account for when they played Andover Central. He finished with 22 goals and 13 assists for a 13-win team, as Stephens was voted first team all-state in Class 5A and a first team forward in AV-CTL Division II.
Andover Central coach Steven Huskey: “What stands out to me about Nate is the amount of work he puts in. He’s always hounding me about unlocking the stadium during non-training days over the summer time and during the weekends in the fall. He’s always trying to get as many touches on the ball as he can. He’s just a quiet professional and is constantly working to improve. He’s definitely one of the best I’ve ever had.”
Caden Wait, Maize South senior
The hero who scored the game-winning goal to help Maize South secure its second straight Class 5A state championship and 41-1 run the last two years, Wait was a rock in the back for the Mavericks. He was voted first team all-state in Class 5A and a first team defender in AV-CTL Division I.
Maize South coach Rey Ramirez: “I feel bad for Caden because he gets overshadowed playing with great teammates. There’s a lot of recognition that Caden has deserved but hasn’t received because recognition is usually limited on one team. But he has been a stalwart defender for our program and really the epitome of what we want all Maize South center backs to be.”
Trenton Womack, Trinity Academy senior
The top defender on a Trinity team that reached the Class 4-1A state semifinals, Womack was a consistent presence for the Knights all season. He was voted first team all-state in Class 4-1A for his standout season at center back.
Trinity coach Casey Casamento: “He had to be one of the best defenders in our city with his size and his ability. When you look at our record and our results, it’s a credit to our senior leadership and Trenton was a senior captain for us. He deserves a lot of the credit.”
Ethan Young, Derby senior
Since taking over the job in net, Young has consistently been one of the top goalkeepers in the area. He helped Derby to a 15-win season and was crucial in handing Maize South its only loss of the last two seasons. Young was voted first team goalkeeper in AV-CTL Division I and received honorable mention all-state in Class 6A.
Derby coach Paul Burke: “Ethan is a lot more vocal than you usually see from high school goalies. He’s in control at all times. There were games where he didn’t have to do anything for 70 minutes and then he would come up and make an incredible save. He was very consistent. Never made any dumb mistakes. He was good with his feet and just very consistent and very vocal and important to our success this year.”
Casey Casamento, Trinity Academy coach
Playing one of the most difficult schedules in Class 4-1A, Casamento’s positivity and tactics helped guide Trinity through adversity and reach another state semifinals. The Knights notched a third-place finish at state to cap off a 14-win season led by players such as Cooper Mathews, Trenton Womack, Elliot Casamento, Karson Stinson, Brice Willis, Grayson Payne and Joel Allenbach.
Trinity coach Casey Casamento: “It was just an absolute joy and honor to coach this group. They were a great group of young men who bought into our philosophy and locked arms with one another and persevered through a long season. They displayed great maturity and they stepped up and listened and learned and then went out there and played with grit and heart. In the end, I’m really proud of our overall season and how we came out with some signature wins.”
All-Metro second team
Chris Abrego, Newton senior defender
Cristian Aguilar, Valley Center junior defender
Hussain Al-Amood, Andover sophomore midfielder
Henry Algya, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior defender
Sawyer Alouise, Andover Central junior midfielder
Trey Bias, Rose Hill junior forward
Scotty Carr, Rose Hill senior midfielder
Elliot Casamento, Trinity Academy senior forward
Danny Derath, Maize South junior midfielder
Miles Edwards, Maize South senior forward
Nick Emes, Maize South senior midfielder
Leo Fernandez, Derby junior forward
Kamar Hewitt, Southeast senior defender
Raef Lehmann, Bishop Carroll junior defender
Tyler Manske, Valley Center junior forward
Victor Medina, Newton senior forward
Gilbert Parga-Rodriguez, North junior defender
Logan Ruddle, Augusta senior forward
Cesar Saludes, East senior defender
Yadid Velazquez-Fernandez, North junior forward
Sam Wilkey, Classical senior goalkeeper
Spencer Zachgo, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior forward
Rey Ramirez, Maize South coach
All-Metro third team
Luke Anderson, Rose Hill junior forward
Elijah Benning, Northwest junior midfielder
Reece Blankenship, Andover Central senior goalkeeper
Miguel Busungu, North senior midfielder
Isaac Carpenter, Maize South senior midfielder
Peyton Carselowey, Augusta senior goalkeeper
Landen Collinsworth, Andover Central senior forward
Bo Day, Derby senior defender
Jadan Denesongkham, Derby senior defender
Charlie Graham, Classical senior midfielder
Josh Grelinger, Rose Hill junior defender
Ty Harris, Eisenhower junior midfielder
Brady Jackson, Bishop Carroll senior midfielder
Jacob Lacio, Southeast junior forward
Trey Lacy, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior midfielder
Isaac Lager, Bishop Carroll junior defender
Colbin Luallen, Andover Central senior defender
Angel Lumbreras-Picasso, North junior defender
Ashton McClellan, East senior forward
Enrique Mercado, Newton junior midfielder
Jackson Peck, Andover senior forward
Holden Schaefer, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior midfielder
Roman Schmidt, Maize senior defender
Kenda Shalingi, Southeast senior forward
Karson Stinson, Trinity Academy senior midfielder
Brice Wills, Trinity Academy junior midfielder
Drake Winzer, Berean Academy senior midfielder
Cody Fitch, Southeast coach
