Connor Poole has been playing soccer since he was four years old.  All the years of practice, games, and tournaments paid off when he was named 2023 Sun-Gazette Player of the Year.

Poole’s leadership on and off the field helped separate him from the rest of the competition. “Sometimes those awards are stat-based, but I think it was leadership that helped me win. And of course my teammates. I couldn’t have done it without my guys, either,” said Poole.  “We had some big wins, and we made it to district semi-finals,” he added.

Poole finished the season with 16 goals and eight assists. He also earned first team all-conference recognition as a midfielder this year.

Several of Poole’s teammates were also recognized: Parker Johnson (1st team), Quentin Mazzante (2nd team), Sam Radulski (2nd team), and Trevor Estes (honorable mention).

On the girls’ side, several players earned recognition as well. Nylah Ford and Liz Shultz were named first team. Ford had a team high 23 goals on the year, and Shultz finished with 15 goals and 11 assists.

Adisyn Zangara earned second team honors, while Ella Wilson, Abigail Mahon, Jaelynn Helmrich, and Adrianna Moyer earned honorable mention.