Local high school boys soccer star named Gatorade National Player of the Year

Keller midfielder Bryce Boneau was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year for 2020-21 for high school boys soccer on Thursday in a surprise ceremony held at Keller High School.

Boneau, who graduated in May and is heading to Notre Dame in the fall, had been tabbed the Gatorade Texas POY less than a week ago, but never imagined that he would be honored with the national award.

“I said to the interviewer that it would be amazing to win the national player of the year and then my coach walked around the corner with the trophy,” said Boneau who was lured to the Keller Media Center under the ruse of photos and interviews for the Texas POY award. “It took me a couple of seconds to process what he was holding and when I realized that it was the national player of the year I was kind of in shock.

“I didn’t know what to feel or what to do, but after a couple of seconds I got up and hugged all my friends and family and thanked them for everything that they’ve done for me.”

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Boneau as the nation’s best boys high school soccer player.

A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Boneau out of nearly a million other student-athletes who play soccer nationwide.

This is the 36th year that Gatorade has honored the nation’s most elite high school athletes. Previous winners include a distinguished list of athletes such as Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Derek Jeter, Elena Delle Donne and many other sports icons.

“This is really exciting,” said Ian Wiechers who has known Boneau since the fifth grade and played with him since seventh grade. “To see him progress as a player and person, I’m really excited for him and proud of him. It’s great to see that he’s getting the recognition that he deserves. He’s going to Notre Dame, he won a national championship a couple of years ago with Solar Soccer Club, and now to come back to high school and get this, wow.”

Boneau finished off his senior season with 18 goals and a team-high 19 assists. He was voted District 4-6A MVP and first-team all-state after helping the Indians to the district championship, a 17-3 overall record and a trip to the Class 6A Region 1 semifinal.

Boneau scored multiple goals in five games, including a season-high three against Lewisville in January. He finishes as a three-time all-district selection, despite missing significant time during both his freshman and junior years because of injuries, while keeping a 4.04 GPA in the classroom.

“It’s incredible,” said Keller coach Jason Bates. “He deserves all the recognition to be honest. He’s the full package. Not just a great player, but a great team mate, easy to coach, he listens, wants to learn and wants to get better. It’s been an honor to be a part of his life and to coach him for the last six years and I just wish him the best.”

Boneau has volunteered on behalf of the St. Barnabas Anglican Church in multiple capacities, including the Children’s Ministry. He’s the president of his school’s Play it Forward chapter, through which he collects and distributes refurbished and reconditioned sports equipment to under served youth.

Boneau has also donated his time to the City of Keller, the local Daddy/Daughter Dance and the Community Storehouse Food Pantry in Fort Worth.

“For me, Bryce would be in the top echelon of the kids who played high school this year,” said Adrian Solca, executive director of Solar Soccer Club and the United Soccer Coaches Association 2019 National Youth Coach of the Year, in a press release. “His technical ability is at a high level. His first touch with both feet is very good, he’s very agile, he always knows how to advance the play, he controls the tempo and he’s the kind of guy that makes the team tick. Either through consistency, or a brilliant pass or an extra run in front, he adds that surprise element in the offensive third from the midfield.”

“By four or five years old you could just tell that he had an aptitude for it, “said Trent Boneau, Bryce’s father. “He doesn’t panic, he sees the game and his brain is just wired for soccer, plus he’s just a good kid. I’m his father, I’m biased, I always think that he’s better than everyone else and for once in my life I get to be right.”