By BUTCH HARMON
DIVISION 2
The Mason boys soccer team has been one of the area’s top soccer programs over the past decade, and this year the Bulldogs turned in another solid season. They were ranked near the top of the Division 2 polls for most of the year and ended the season in dramatic fashion when they fell to Mattawan 1-0 in overtime of the Division 2 regional title match at Harper Creek.
Mason reached the finals after edging Plainwell 1-0 in the regional semifinal.
Mason was led this season by a number of talented seniors. Senior midfielder Josh Rudd earned first-team all-state honors, while senior defender Peter Brandenburg earned second-team all-state honors. Senior defender Nick McNeilly was named honorable mention all-state. The future also looks bright for the Bulldogs, as sophomore goalkeeper Josh Flamme was named to the all-state second team.
The DeWitt soccer team also enjoyed a solid season. The Panthers won a district title before falling to eventual state runner-up Spring Lake 2-0 in the regional semifinal at Grand Rapids Christian. Defense was key to DeWitt’s success this season. Senior goalkeeper Nick Iacobellis earned first-team all-state honors as did senior defender Joe Kaltenthaler. Senior defender Robert Perry was a second-team all-state selection.
Mt. Pleasant also captured a Division 2 district title. The Oilers fell to Avondale 1-0 in the regional semifinals at Fenton. The Oilers had a pair of players earn all-state honors, as senior defender Jeremy Hyames was named third-team all-state, and senior midfielder Ryan Odykirk was an honorable mention selection.
The Lowell soccer team turned in a strong season before coming up short in one of the toughest Division 2 districts in the state. The Red Arrows had a pair of players earn all-state honors, as senior forward Matt Kyllonen was a second-team selection and senior forward Joe Sweet earned honorable-mention honors.
The mid-Michigan area had a number of soccer players earn all-state honors in Division 2. Bryce Richards of Eaton Rapids earned third-team honors while Greyhound senior Conner McCreery was an honorable mention pick. Cedar Springs had a pair of honorable mention all-state picks in junior forwards Robert Klein and Kyle Szirovecz. East Lansing also had a pair of juniors who earned honorable mention all-state honors in forward Daniel Coulter and midfielder Grant Uecker. St. Johns senior forward Dane Bergstrom was a third-team pick, while Greenville senior midfielder Nolan Berry earned honorable mention honors.
DIVISION 1
Grand Blanc again had one of the premier soccer teams in Division 1 this fall. The Bobcats captured a district title before falling to Walled Lake Northern 1-0 in the regional final at Lake Orion. The Bobcats had a number of young players step up big this season along with a senior class led by defenseman Zach Carroll. Carroll earned first-team all-state honors for his play on the back row. Junior forward Yamann Sahlool was a second-team all-state selection. A pair of Bobcat juniors, forward Chris Sullivant and midfielder Brian Winterfield, were named honorable mention all-state.
H.H. Dow also captured a Division 1 district title this season. Dow played in the Division 1 regional at Lake Orion, where it dropped a 1-0 decision to Troy in the semifinals. Dow finished the season with a pair of seniors earning all-state honors. Forward Connor Baak was named to the first team and defenseman Brooks Royster was selected honorable mention.
The Rockford soccer team had a memorable season. While the Rams were knocked out of one of the toughest district tournaments in the state, they enjoyed a season filled with big wins and efforts against some of the top soccer teams in the state. Senior Cam Jensen, who is headed to Western Michigan University next season, capped his career by being selected second-team all-state. He scored 15 goals and added 15 assists. Junior Dewey Lewis, who earned third-team all-state honors, also had a huge season, scoring 20 goals and adding 14 assists. He is one of the top juniors in the state and is being recruited by the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
The Davison soccer team enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in years, winning its first-ever conference title. It was a senior-laden squad led by Brennan Simerau, an honorable mention all-state selection. The Cardinals were 5-0-1 in the Big Nine and finished the regular season at 9-3-4. Goalkeeper Brandon Gonzalez and his defensive teammates recorded nine shutouts during the regular season.
Lansing Everett wrapped up a strong season with a pair of players earning all-state honors. Senior goalkeeper Brett Dawsey and senior forward Jackson Ntigahera were named honorable mention.
DIVISION 3
The Williamston soccer team was one of the premier Division 3 teams in the area this fall. The Hornets captured a district title before falling to Otsego 3-2 in the regional semifinals at Olivet. Senior Matt Sovis was one of the team leaders for the Hornets, earning first-team all-state honors for his play in the midfield. Senior midfielder Connor Pace was named all-state second team, while junior goalkeeper Charlie Coon was a third-team all-state pick. Senior defender Austin Syrek was an honorable mention pick.
Alma enjoyed a big season on the soccer field this fall. The Panthers not only won a district title but also reached the regional finals at Freeland. Alma defeated Tawas 2-0 in the regional semifinals before dropping a 1-0 decision to Elk Rapids in the title match. Individually, senior midfielder Nicolas Camargo was named second-team all-state. Junior forward Trevor Rice earned honorable mention all-state.
Defending Division 3 state champion Lansing Catholic was stopped short of repeating in the district tournament. A trio of Cougars earned all-state honors, as Tyler Stuner was named to the third team and Josh Nowak and Nathan Riley earned honorable mention honors.
Frankenmuth had a trio of players earn all-state honors this season. Senior defenseman Ben Carter was a first-team all-state pick. Senior forward Nick Veitengruber and sophomore forward Matt Hinds both earned honorable mention.
Bullock Creek also had three players named all-state. Senior forward Jaic Drendall was a first-team all-state selection, while senior midfielder Spencer Delzer and senior goalkeeper Timothy Tripp were both honorable mention.
Clare had a pair of players named to the honorable mention all-state team in senior goalkeeper Bryce Anderson and senior midfielder Taylor Ardis. Freeland also had a pair of all-staters, as junior midfielder Robert Trahan was named to the first team and senior midfielder Pedro Baccarin was honorable mention. The Division 3 honorable mention all-state list also included senior midfielder Caleb Slavik of Birch Run, senior forward Alec Cherny of Durand, junior forward Josh Kukulies of Hopkins, and senior forward Nicolas Noesen of Ovid-Elsie.
DIVISION 4
Lansing Christian carried the banner for Division 4 soccer teams in the area this season. Christian finished in the elite eight in the state as the Pilgrims defeated Valley Lutheran 1-0 in overtime in the regional semifinal and then dropped a 2-0 decision to Oakland Christian in the regional final. The Pilgrims were a young and talented team led by junior defender Jay Noyola, who was named first-team all-state. Junior goalkeeper Josh Lyon and junior midfielder Jacob Helder were both named honorable mention all-state.
Valley Lutheran had a total of four players earn all-state honors. Junior midfielder Nathan Spencer was named to the second team while freshman forward Ricky Butler was named to the third team. Senior defenseman Denny Doyle and senior goalkeeper Austin Swiercz were both named honorable mention.