Girls
Player of the Year
PAM SEILER
SCHOOL Rogers Heritage
HEIGHT 5-6
CLASS Junior
THE SCOOP Seiler battled through an injury-plagued basketball season and still earned all-conference honors despite dealing with an ankle injury and then a broken nose. ... As a sophomore, Seiler posted a 6A-West Conference-leading 19 goals to go with seven assists to help the Lady War Eagles advance to the state quarterfinals. ... She was named 6A-West Conference Player of the Year this season, after putting up even better stats as a junior with 22 goals and 11 assists.
DID YOU KNOW Seiler recently verbally committed to play soccer at John Brown University.
QUOTABLE "I was proud of how I played and got over the hump of all my injuries and not thinking about them. I felt like I gained confidence this year. I wasn't as hesitant playing. I knew what I wanted to do and how to do it.
I was so proud of my team and how we did this year. We did two things that we as a group had never done before this year. We had never beaten Rogers, and we had never won at state. We were so happy. I'm looking forward to my last year of high school soccer. I know college will be a lot different. I have to take it all in and appreciate it."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
Coach of the Year
CHRIS PRATT
SCHOOL Harrison
THE SCOOP Pratt guided the Lady Goblins to their seventh state soccer title and third in four seasons. ... Harrison finished the season 25-3-1, outscoring four state tournament opponents by a combined total of 17-3 and finished off an impressive run, which saw the team win 24 out of its last 25 matches and 13 in a row to close the season. ... The lone blemish was a 1-1 tie against Ozark, Mo., in the Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo tournament. That's also 13 total state soccer titles for Pratt (seven coaching girls and six coaching boys).
DID YOU KNOW Pratt coached soccer at the collegiate level before coming to Harrison. He served as the head women's coach at Arkansas-Little Rock for five years and the assistant for two years from 1994-2000. He has also served as Harrison's athletic director for the past five years, as well as boys' and girls' soccer coach for 19 years.
QUOTABLE "We had 10 seniors in basketball; that's our 1-3 start. They were still competing in the state basketball tournament.
"We got everybody and got them jelled together pretty quickly. That senior class has been together probably the last eight to 10 years. I think they're just good people. We had some quality leadership. The mix of the seniors we had and the underclassmen, they liked to win and embraced the competition inside of practice."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
Newcomer of the Year
OLIVIA PALL
SCHOOL Harrison
HEIGHT 5-7
CLASS Freshman
THE SCOOP Pall provided a spark off the bench most of the season for the Class 4A state champions. ... She finished with 18 goals and seven assists, including a goal in the state finals. ... The freshman started playing soccer at age 3 in Kansas, but she and her family moved to Harrison eight years ago and she began playing for a team her father coached.
DID YOU KNOW Pall was also part of the Lady Goblins' Class 4A state championship cross country team. She was the fourth Lady Goblin to cross the finish line but finished ninth overall with a time of 22 minutes, 10 seconds.
QUOTABLE "The beginning of the season started off kinda bumpy for me. The seniors just helped me get confidence in myself. I feel like our connection as a team helped. Coach (Chris) Pratt was really helpful to let me know what I needed to do. If I made a mistake, he helped me through it.
"I didn't know where I fit in at the beginning of the year, but it all worked out. It was a little rough because I really wanted to play, but he (Pratt) told me I needed to be the sub to come in with fresh legs and turn things around for us. It showed me I don't have to start to make a difference playing."
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
THE TEAM
Mackenzie Brace| Rogers | Junior
Finished with 75 saves and six shutouts for the 6A-West co-champions.
Brylie Parker | Harrison | Senior
Scored 24 goals to go with 16 assists for the Lady Goblins.
Kenzie Parker | Harrison| Junior
Scored 25 goals along with five assists for the Class 4A champions.
Laura Morales | Siloam Springs | Senior
Scored 16 goals and added eight assists for Class 5A state quarterfinalist.
Georgia Templeton | Fayetteville | Junior
Scored 12 goals to go with eight assists and spent time on defense.
Angelina Diaz | Bentonville| Junior
Scored 16 goals and added nine assists and earned 6A-West Offensive Player of the Year
Gisselle Estrada | Springdale Har-Ber| Senior
Scored 14 goals and added five assists for the Lady Wildcats.
Lanee Knight | Rogers Heritage | Junior
Scored 10 goals along with 11 assists to help team get back to the state tournament.
Carrie Kotoucek | Bentonville | Senior
Anchored defense for 6A-West co-champs title and earned Defensive Player of the Year.
Maggie Folger | Rogers | Junior
Key part of defense to help Rogers claim a share of the 6A-West title.
Regan Resz | Fayetteville | Senior
Scored 12 goals to go with 13 assists for the Lady Purple'Dogs.
Boys
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JOSE VEGA
SCHOOL Springdale High
HEIGHT 5-6
CLASS Senior
THE SCOOP Scored 24 goals and added six assists for Class 6A state champions and MaxPreps top 15-ranked team nationally. ... scored two goals in matches this season against Rogers Heritage, Springdale Har-Ber, Bentonville, Bentonville West, Fayetteville and Van Buren. .... Signed with Neosho County (Kan.) Community College. ... Will play for Arkansas Comets this summer. ... Came to the United States from El Salvador when he was 13 years old.
DID YOU KNOW Vega played four years of varsity soccer at Springdale and participated in the state championship game as a freshman against Bentonville.
QUOTABLE "We came in very focused to get the job done after losing to (Fort Smith) Northside in the semifinals last year. It feels amazing to win a state championship my senior year, especially after getting so close when I was a freshman."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
COACH OF THE YEAR
DJ Beeler
SCHOOL Springdale High
THE SCOOP Led Springdale to Class 6A state championship with an 18-2 record, including 14-0 in 6A-West Conference play. ... Ranked as high as No. 13 in national high school soccer polls. ... Second state championship for Beeler, who has coached soccer for 12 years at Springdale. ... Has led Springdale to state finals four times since 2012.
DID YOU KNOW Springdale has finished no less than the top two in conference play in 10 of the 12 years Beeler has coached the Bulldogs.
QUOTABLE "I was really looking forward to this season just because of the personalities on the team. Coaching high school kids, there are other things sometimes you have to deal with. But I knew the focus with these kids was going to be on soccer and getting better every day. They were such a joy to coach."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
Newcomer of the Year
ABRAM CORDERO
SCHOOL Springdale
HEIGHT 5-foot-8
CLASS Sophomore
THE SCOOP Posted nine shutouts for a Springdale team that allowed only 14 goals all season. ... Earned the starting job for a Springdale team that began with six goalkeepers on the roster. ... Did not play as a freshman for the Bulldogs. ... Posted a shutout in goal in Springdale's 3-0 win against Bryant in the Class 6A state championship match.
DID YOU KNOW Cordero hopes to travel to Europe to watch premier league soccer matches.
QUOTABLE "I was so excited, and it was a relief when I was named (starting) goalie. I just gave it my all. I wanted to do well for my family, friends and supporters."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
THE TEAM
Estaban Chavez | Rogers | Senior
Former keeper had nine goals and five assists as a first-year forward.
Christian Chavez | Fort Smith Northside | Junior
Had 26 goals and two assists for a team that finished 15-6 on the season.
Luis Paredes | Fort Smith Northside |
The senior captain had 15 goals and two assists for a team that finished 15-6 on the season.
Eli Jackson | Siloam Springs | Senior
Had 24 goals and 17 assists for a team that finished 16-8 on the season. Scored 54 career goals.
Christian Marroquin | Siloam Springs | Senior
Had 16 goals and 15 assists. Signed with Crowder College (Mo.) after scoring 44 career goals.
Tom Schultz | Bentonville West | Junior
Scored nine goals for the Wolverines.
Nelson Barroso | Springdale | Senior
Had seven goals and two assists for Class 6A state champions.
Irvin Sotero | Springdale | Junior
MVP of Class 6A state title game. Had six goals and five assists on the season.
Elliott Nimrod | Bentonville | junior
Had four goals and 15 assists for Bentonville, which finished 14-7 overall and third in the 6A-West.
Wyeth McKean | Bentonville | junior
Scored five goals and added 13 assists for the Tigers.
Isaac Delafuente | Van Buren | Junior
Had 40 goals and two assists for a team that finished 12-10 overall.
Danny Maldonado | Springdale | Senior
Had 11 goals and one assist for Class 6A state champions.
Sports on 06/09/2019