The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain County soccer players, coaches hailed
On Nov. 15 at Elyria High School, Lorain County’s top soccer players and coaches were honored for their stellar seasons in 2017.
Girls
In Division I, Avon senior goalkeeper Maggie Beatty and Midview
senior midfielder/forward Colleen Benton were Co-Players of the Year. Beatty led the Eagles to a regional semifinal and a 16-1-3 record. Benton helped guide a young Middies team to a sectional final appearance and a 13-4-1 record.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Beatty said, who is also first-team All-Ohio. “I’ve never heard of another goalie winning it in previous years and I’m real happy. We played as a family this year and I’ve never been on such a close-knit team. We were all friends and no one was left out.”
Firelands swept all three categories in Division II. Junior defender Isabel Solowiej won Player of the Year, while Kevin Ziegler and Kassie Davis earned Coach and Assistant Coaches of the Year. The Falcons went 9-6-2 this season.
“I owe all the credit to my coaches and teammates. They all helped me improve,” Solowiej said. “As a defensive player, we don’t really have stats, so it’s really cool to get recognized.”
Elyria Catholic senior forward Ryan Kunkle led the Panthers to a Division III regional final appearance, scoring 40 goals and earned Player of the Year.
“I’m real happy about it — and I know it’s a bigger deal to my mom than it is to me,” Kunkle said, a firstteam All-Ohio athlete. “My career’s been so fun, even through the bad and good moments, it’s been great because I’ve had my friends with me the whole time.”
Wellington’s David Leigh was named Coach of the year after leading the Dukes to a district final appearance and Columbia’s Blaze Pratt was Assistant Coach of the Year.
Boys
In Division I, Avon goalkeeper Dylan Morris earned Player of the Year honors, while George Panagiotou (North Ridgeville) and Pete Klepek (Avon Lake) won Co-Coaches of the Year awards. Avon Lake assistant Carl Segura was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
Morris, a first-team All-Ohioan, was the top goalkeeper in the area, and broke every Avon school record for an Eagles team that made it to a district final.
“I kind of felt that I deserved it,” Morris said. “But I had bigger goals than Lorain County Player of the Year because I felt like I had to set my bar high. When I found out that I was AllOhio first team, that was when I was satisfied. That’s what I worked for. My last four years of my career was the best time of my life.”
In Division II, Vermilion senior Zack Kelly and Brookside senior Owen Rozanc were Co-Players of the Year.
Kelly led The Morning Journal area with 95 points and led the Sailors to a district semifinal, and Rozanc was second with 72 points, leading the Cardinals to a district semifinal, too.
“We have a lot of good players in Lorain County and I appreciate all the coaches that voted for me,” Rozanc said. “It means a lot knowing you’re going to look at the record books and see my name. So many great players come through Lorain County and winning MVP is a great feeling.”
It’s Kelly’s second straight season winning the award.
“It shows I’m one of the best around here,” Kelly said. “I couldn’t have done it without my team just like any other award I’ve won.”
Keystone’s Kevin Graham earned Coach of the Year honors, and Firelands assistants Will Leatherberry and Brett Thompson were Co-Assistant Coaches of the Year.
Wellington was wellrepresented in D-III. Cole McLean earned Players of the Year honors, and Andrew Lara was named Coach of the Year.
McLean had 18 goals and 14 assists.
“It shows that the hard work from my freshman year to now has paid off,” McLean said. “I had to transfer from Black River to here to play soccer, and now that I’ve won the award, it paid off.”