High School Sports |

Capital Gazette 2024 high boys soccer preview: As club participation rises, parity may as well

Some high school athletics suffer when club teams rise. In Anne Arundel County boys soccer, it’s having the opposite effect.

“It used to be that schools had a few club players with mostly athletes otherwise,” Chesapeake coach Ryan Keeter said. “Now it seems like every high school team has 11.”

Because of it, parity theoretically could level out nicely in the county this fall, even though on the public school side, South River and Broadneck are still anticipated as the county favorites by most coaches. Severna Park is in there as well. A few coaches expect Crofton to rattle the top rungs, too.

“Chesapeake is the sleeper,” Severn Run coach Matt Reed added. “Watch out.”

The shift isn’t random. Schools are actually investing in soccer, per coach Mike McCarthy, whose 15 years at Severn certainly have given him a large enough sample size to judge.

“[It’s] leading to more evenly-matched games,” he said, “and a higher standard of play across the board.”

Down the road, there might be a leveling out of skill level not only borne of club experience, too, as soccer may soon be introduced to Anne Arundel middle schools.

But at the current moment, Annapolis coach Jake Shinn is excited for another change. A few teams reclassing to different 3A regions — Severn Run and 4A mainstay Old Mill to 3A South, for instance — could also mean more Anne Arundel teams still kicking further in the postseason, rather than knocking each other out in a handful of rounds.

The northern county schools are adjusting to a period of change with the opening of Severn Run, though not quite as heavily as the girls sports seem to be.

“As a result, students and staff alike are working to adapt to their new environments, establishing routines and building new communities within these redefined boundaries,” Glen Burnie coach Donald Gibson said.

The changing tides seems to move through those wearing neon shirts as well, so says Key coach Jake Rainey.

“I think the biggest trend I hear is the frustration with the lack of refs, and quality refs at that. We respect and value them so much more than they know and we recognize how difficult of a job it is,” he said. “It’s just sad to see the pool get smaller and smaller. This affects coaches, players and parents in ways we wouldn’t even expect.”

Here’s more on each county team:

AACS

Coach: Vaughn Ridings, 11th season

Last season: 8-5-5, conference semifinalist

Region/Conference: MIAA B

Top returners: Seniors Caleb Terry (F), Javi Flores (F), Maks Taishoff (M) and CJ Griffin (M); junior Jack Beall (D).

Newcomers to watch: Junior Nathaniel Jackson (D); sophomore Seth Vander Wall (M).

Outlook: The pineapples may be no more, but AACS is otherwise picking up where it left off. With a seasoned attack and midfield, the Eagles’ chemistry is bubbling, even though they graduated the bulk of their backline and goalkeeper.

Coach’s comment: “That unit is absolutely ready, especially with the addition of Nathaniel Jackson, to lock it down and let the attack shine. From a technical level, this is the best group I have coached at AACS so far, but we are purely approaching this season game-by-game. The only match that matters to us is the next one.”

Annapolis

Coach: Jake Shinn, seventh season

Last season: 5-8

Region/Conference: 4A East Region II

Top returners: Seniors Oskar Pietrowski (GK), Gabe Cantarero (D), Carlos Montoya (D) and Luis Rodriguez (M); juniors Oliwier Pietrowski (D) and Alejandro Pena (F); sophomore Kevin Amaya (M).

Newcomers to watch: Junior Jorge Tejada (M); sophomores Max Maldonado (M) and Ryan Fisher (M).

Outlook: Annapolis is now a few years separated from its extremely promising run, but Shinn – who was somewhat new then – is hoping for a season that’ll be competitive.

Coach’s comment: “We are fortunate to have our back line returning this season, including our keeper. We also have a solid core of midfielders and forwards returning. Combined with a solid group of younger student-athletes, we should have a great mix of veteran leadership and determination to leave a mark.”

Archbishop Spalding

Coach: Fred Sporrer, third season

Last season: 13-8-2, conference semifinalist

Region/Conference: MIAA A

Top returners: Seniors Kyle Crawford (M), Marco Mazzola (M), Hayden Marsh (D) and Sammy Botero (D); junior Eli Knight (F).

Newcomers to watch: Juniors Sebastian White (M) and Matt Kin (M); sophomores Christian Sporrer (M) and Niall Porter (F).

Outlook: A highly competitive group within themselves Spalding looks to compete again despite its youth. Spalding’s biggest threats will be defending champion Loyola Blakefield – who edged Spalding 2-0 to reach the final – McDonogh and Calvert Hall, but Sporrer expects his team’s balance will serve to counteract.

Coach’s comment: “We have solid leadership with our upperclassmen, and our younger players have tons of quality, determined to positively contribute on the pitch.”

Arundel

Coach: Marlowe Guy, first season

Last season: 3-6-2

Region/Conference: 3A East Region I

Top returners: Seniors Samson Anjorin (F), Sawyer Custodio (F/M), Mattew Maldini (F), Cayden Devers (D) and Nate Montagne (M); juniors Samson Garrett (D) and Christian Chesla (F).

Newcomers to watch: Juniors Mason Guy (M), Cole Dunham (M) and Andrew Fox (D).

Outlook: The Wildcats may have suffered a brutal blow in Sawyer Custodio, whose projected breakout senior season could’ve ended in the preseason to an injury. Injuries keep cropping up among the rest of the roster too, something Arundel obviously hopes leaves soon so that it can compete with the county and region.

Coach’s comment: “The biggest strength for the team this year is that we will be playing a style of soccer that suits the players. Tactically, our emphasis will be on keeping possession and playing a positive, attack-minded style, which suits the players in the team. The team is now older and more experienced, and there are several players who feel they did not get the opportunities last year and are ready to prove themselves this season.”

Broadneck

Coach: Sean Tettemer, 23rd season

Last season: 11-5

Region/Conference: 4A East Region II

Top returners: Senior Jed Meehan (M); junior TJ Remson (M); sophomore Wilson Banwell (F).

Newcomers to watch: Junior Joe Brenner (GK); sophomore Erik Akhtar (M).

Outlook: After a 2023 season spent in the No. 3 slot in the county and after graduating three All-County and All-State selections from the attack, midfield and in goal,  the Bruins labor away at improving each day to play at their best in October and November.

Coach’s comment: “We prepare in detail for each game – nothing further than one game out. No mention of future opponents.”

Chesapeake

Coach: Ryan Keeter, second season

Last season: 12-3

Region/Conference: 3A South Region I

Top returners: Seniors Ethan Kiniry (GK), Aydan Simms (M) and Caleb Ritter (F); juniors Connor Weaver (M), Paul Michael (D), Byron Klohr (F) and Cade Shannon (F); sophomore Colton Keeter (M).

Newcomers to watch: Juniors CJ August (D) and Adam Diffendall (D).

Outlook: Chesapeake’s season begins with deep misfortune, as its best player – the “heart and soul” of the team – Connor Seabrease suffered an ACL tear in July. Keeter hopes chemistry guides his Cougars through it, many of whom he’s coached on the youth level since he himself was a high schooler.

Coach’s comment: “We will need to have someone step up and lead this team through the ups and downs.”

Chesapeake Science Point

Coach: Arif Albayrak, 10th season

Last season: 3-1-10

Region/Conference: 1A South Region I

Top returners: Seniors Liam Thomas (M) Bernard Wood; juniors Jayden Antwi (F), Salamon Mgbaja and Erick Balestieri (DM);

Newcomers to watch: Sophomores Ben Benshoushan, Darnell Witten, Cameron Shamberger and Brayent Crespo; freshmen David Gaba, Nathan Waters and Ian Giangreco.

Outlook: The Tigers are often overlooked by the county due to past records and the nature of being a 1A team among 4A and 3A giants. Albayrak looks to one key figure to note progress: the program netted 25 goals last fall.

Coach’s comment: “It’s worth noting that our team is not only reliant on our top players; we have a strong bench that is poised to elevate the team’s performance to new heights. We are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season and extend our best wishes to all the teams in our county. Our ultimate goal is to consistently compete at a high level within our county, with the aspiration of advancing to the state finals.”

Crofton

Coach: Michael Kozlowski, second season

Last season: 9-5, state quarterfinalist

Region/Conference: 4A East Region I

Top returners: Seniors Nathan Fisher (D), Steve Liberati (M), Kyle Burden (GK) and Jon Greene (M); junior Greg Frey (F).

Newcomers to watch: Junior Ryan Parks (F); freshman Ben Dugan (D).

Outlook: The Cardinals are fortunate to have experienced Burden in the cage, given their defense graduated three starters. Otherwise, Crofton returns six starters and two All-County players.

Glen Burnie

Coach: Donald Gibson, sixth season

Last season: 8-5-2

Region/Conference: 4A East Region I

Top returners: Seniors Nick Bezek (D) and Dylan Cunningham (GK); junior Oscar Silva (M).

Outlook: The Gophers put up a respectable mark last season before the Severn Run restructuring. Despite the shifts, though, Gibson’s aspirations are high.

Coach’s comment: “This year, Glen Burnie High School’s team is a force to be reckoned with. With a wealth of experience and a perfectly balanced squad, our true power lies in our relentless, high-octane attack.”

Indian Creek

Coach: Isaiah Noreiga, third season

Last season: 5-8-2

Region/Conference: MIAA B

Top returners: Seniors James Stubbs (F) and Brayden Marcus (GK).

Newcomer to watch: Sophomore Sebastian Coons (F).

Outlook: The B Conference is cruel to young teams, but there’s some true attention that needs to be paid to Indian Creek this fall, especially with the arrival of Sebastian Coons from Costa Rica.

Coach’s comment: “We’re a young squad entering a new identity. Mostly juniors and freshmen, which means we’ll experience some growing pains as we progress. Our players will have to quickly adapt to the demands of the teams we face. … Overall, the key to our team’s success will be ensuring that everyone puts the team first and that we bring an unmatched level of physicality. We aim to be a team that asserts itself and imposes a style of play that is both entertaining and enjoyable.”

Key

Coach: Jake Rainey, second season

Last season: 9-6, conference semifinalist

Region/Conference: MIAA C

Top returners: Senior Angus Lunt-Woodward (GK); juniors Wyatt Christrup (D/M) and Alex Bubnov (F).

Newcomers to watch: Senior Theo Levering (M); junior Davis Chapman (A); freshman Anthony Aguilar (D/M)

Outlook: Key sent 11 seniors across the graduation stage after the 2023 season, a fact that Rainey knows his competition uses to overlook the Obezags. Five seniors remain to anchor the young squad, a quintet with “a totally different leadership style” that their coach said has already set clear standards.

Coach’s comment: “While we are taking a slight step back in talent, we are taking a clear step forward in overall athleticism, coachability and depth. This group has already shown elements of collectivism and I believe that the inter-squad competition will elevate our overall level of play.”

North County

Coach: Shawn Behegan, ninth season

Last season: 8-6

Region/Conference: 4A East Region I

Top returners: Seniors Nick Chinchilla (M), Chris Chicas (M), Mikai Butler (D) and Kemoi Jones (F); juniors Mitchell Nathan (D), Ryan Lyordson-Fonjock (F), Tyler Ray (D) and Jony Gregorio-Colanto (F).

Outlook: The Knights carry an advantage in their number of veterans, with most of its ranks composed of two-to-three year varsity members, as well as the figure most coaches consider one of the county’s best in Nick Chinchilla. Behegan hopes by scheduling difficult preseason scrimmages and non-conference games against “high-level state competition” like Blair and Westminster, he’ll forge his squad in fire.

Coach’s comment: “We look to stay competitive in the county and build on the success from last season.”

Northeast

Coach: Cliff Buck, eighth season

Last season: 4-8

Region/Conference: 3A South Region I

Top returners: Seniors Ethan Johnson (M), Evan Geho (M), Kevin Carter (M), Connor Bateman (M), Wyatt King (D) and Gabe Wittkopf (GK); juniors Kaiden Janiak (F), Tyler Bodine (M), Shane Shriver (M), Joey Lawrence (D) and Zach Trombly (D).

Newcomers to watch: Sophomores Joey Kazmierski (M) and Finn Koch (D).

Outlook: For the last couple years, the Eagles were the young team in the county. But now, those young players have grown.

Coach’s comment: “This group is experienced and ready to win games this year with a lineup filled with three- and four-year varsity players. This team believes in each other and our chemistry is the best it’s ever been.”

Old Mill

Coach: Jayson David, first season

Last season: 3-8-2

Region/Conference: 3A South Region I

Top returners: Seniors Jack Bell (F), Wyatt Fry (F), Breccan Liddy (D), Coby Thompson (D) and Luis Flores (M); junior Matthew Drapulski (GK).

Newcomer to watch: Sophomore Angelo Ayala (F).

Outlook: Severn Run swept a chunk of the Patriots’ juniors away, but what remains to tackle a new classification are a core of upperclassmen – including a dozen seniors – “with a lot of technical quality and camaraderie,” per former JV coach David.

Coach’s comment: “We’re looking forward to unlocking the attacking talent that this team has with possession build-up, and taking advantage of counter-attacking opportunities to outscore our opponents. We’re looking to progress through regionals and have an opportunity to compete for states.”

Severn

Coach: Mike McCarthy, 15th season

Last season: 12-2-4, conference finalist

Region/Conference: MIAA B

Top returners: Seniors Will Cawlfield (F), Alex Tarallo (M), Nick Melfi (M) and John Caswell (F); juniors Sam Long (D), Ezra Rojas (M) and Mike Burns (M).

Newcomers to watch: Freshmen Kiernan Davids (F) and Zac Waugh (GK).

Outlook: There’s only two major goals for the Admirals: get back to the MIAA B championship and win it this time. On paper, they have the pieces to do it, though all of their All-County selections graduated. An iron defense is paramount to Severn’s success, as is figuring out how to make its attack a bit more consistent.

Coach’s comment: “The ability to adapt to different opponents, stay mentally tough in close games, and capitalize on scoring opportunities will be essential. The team knows what it takes to win, and with the right blend of experience and rising talent, we have the potential to be right in the hunt come November.”

Severna Park

Coach: Ryan Parisi, 13th season

Last season: 14-1, county champions

Region/Conference: 3A East Region I

Top returners: Matt Schisler (GK), Jason Blain (M), Enecko Allen (M), Sam Blake (F) and Chris von Diezelski (D).

Outlook: The Falcons always compete well on the state level and on the county level, as proven by their nine county titles since 2000. Therefore, restocking has rarely been an issue for them, even after losing multiple All-State players like Andrew Campbell, who fired the game-winner against South River in the double overtime county championship game.

Coach’s comment: “There’s great balance between the grades. [We have] a well-rounded roster.”

Severn Run

Coach: Matt Reed, first season

Region/Conference: 3A South Region I

Top players: Senior Dillon O’Brien (M); juniors Brady Hampson (M) and Phil Adamah (M); sophomores Christian Ferensic (F), Will Turner (D), Adam Sexton (D) and Orlando Salmeron (M); freshmen Leo Mojica (D), Lionel Reaves (F), Cole Rosendale (GK) and Zachary San Juan (M).

Outlook: This a tough time to step in as a young, new program with so many experienced and competent teams around. But Reed is excited.

Coach’s comment: “The Wolves are a young, talented, and competitive pack of players that will rely on their upper-class for leadership to help guide their youth movement into their inaugural season. The future shows promise as the boys are learning their own unique style of play to compete in a county rich with soccer tradition.”

South River

Coach: Marlyn Argueta, sixth season

Last season: 18-3, state champions

Region/Conference: 3A East Region I

Top returners: Seniors Lucas Gardeniers (D), Donovan Green (M), Jeffrey Serrano (M) and  Tillman Johnson (D); junior Patrick Mitchell (D).

Newcomers to watch: Seniors Carlos Santos-Uria (M) and Alec Ehrenfried (D); junior Jay Hughes (F).

Outlook: It’s the Seahawks’ 3A title to lose, a thought that’ll be especially top of mind every time they encounter Severna Park again. But South River, which netted 62 goals in 21 games last fall, did graduate most of its main scoring arsenal, including 2023 Player of the Year Hunter Marsden, first team All-County picks Jack Brusse and Cole Mastal among others. It’s little wonder then that Argueta foresees defense to provide the backbone to this year’s squad.

Coach’s comment: “We have five returning starters from the state championship and a lot of other returning players. As always, staying healthy will be an important factor in the success of the season.”

Southern

Coach: Gil Carranza, second season

Last season: 0-13

Region/Conference: 2A West Region II

Top returners: Seniors Luke Parks (D) and Wes Oliff (F); juniors Ezra Leach (D/M) and Jake St. Amant (M).

Newcomers to watch: Freshmen Justin Rivas (M) and Bradie Jackson (F).

Outlook: Southern did not like leaving 2023 without a win, but it wasn’t hapless. The 2A school took bigger programs to overtime, just without a positive result. The upperclassmen-led group is hoping it doesn’t happen again regardless.

Coach’s comment: “This season we are hoping to win those close games. The upperclassmen have been working diligently to assure that we do not go winless again.”

St. Mary’s

Coach: Corey Childs, eighth season

Last season: 6-6-3, conference quarterfinalist

Region/Conference: MIAA B

Top returners: Seniors Charlie Roy (M), Jack Difrancesca (D), JD Licameli (M), Cole Counts (D) and Landon Ross (M); junior Graham Williams (GK).

Newcomers to watch: Junior Jack Pfund (D); freshman Patrick Roy (M).

Outlook: The Saints’ upperclassmen have been to the MIAA B title game before, though they’ve never won it (thanks to rival Severn). After missing the boat last fall, hope rests in the experience that might edge other B Conference teams out.

Coach’s comment: “This group recognizes that the conference continues to get stronger so it will be imperative to stay the course, pick up results, and build confidence over a very competitive fall game schedule. Consistency will be key.”