Zamarron named second team All-American
■ Carballo earns honorable mention honors.
For the first time in 18 seasons, the John Brown University men’s soccer program has an NAIA All-America selection as freshman striker Jacob Zamarron was selected to the second team, the national office announced on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Freshman counterpart and Sooner Athletic Player of the Year Oscar Carballo was extended honorable mention honors as the duo led the Golden Eagles to its most successful campaign since 1993 by tying a program single-season record of 17 wins. John Brown returned to the NAIA National Championships for the first time since 2016 and for the sixth time in program history.
Zamarron took the NAIA by storm this season, finishing among the nation’s best strikers in his first collegiate season by racking up 26 goals (1st), nine assists, 61 points (2nd), 6.1 shots per game (1st), 3.1 shots on goal per game (2nd) and 3.1 points per game (2nd). The Rogers, Ark., native posted five game-winners, most notably in back-to-back contests versus Southwestern A.G. (Texas) in the regular season finale and the following Sooner Athletic tournament quarterfinals.
The SAC’s leading scorer, and subsequent Offensive Player of the Year pick, posted at least one goal in 16 of 20 contests he appeared in and notched multi-goal efforts on nine occasions, including hat tricks against Tabor (Kan.) and the latter matchup with SAGU, tallying all three goals in John Brown’s 3-2 win en route to its second-ever conference tournament crown.
Zamarron’s plaudit places him in elite company as the fifth individual in program history to earn All-America honors, joining JBU greats Terry Brown, Virgil Cannon, Glenroy Corbin and most recently, Leo Peirano. Peirano was the last Golden Eagles to earn All-America status, back in 2001.
Carballo, also the SAC’s Freshman of the Year, ended the campaign that saw John Brown capture the program’s first-ever SAC regular season title with 20 goals, nine assists and 49 points. The native Costa Rican fired 5.1 shots per game, finishing fifth in the nation as his final goal tally placed him at 12th overall among NAIA scorers. He also finished 12th nationwide in total points. The 5-foot-11 midfielder posted three game-winners in 2019, none more dramatic than his double-overtime strike versus Wayland Baptist (Texas) to send the Golden Eagles to its first Sooner Athletic tournament title game since 2012.
Carballo posted four multigoal outings, including a fivematch span that saw him tally up 11 goals - highlighted by a pair of hat tricks against Ecclesia (Ark.) and Science & Arts (Okla.). Carballo started all 22 contests and logged over 1,800 minutes controlling the midfield for John Brown.