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2012 WSCA All-State boys team

11/08/2012, 10:35pm CST
By ERIC ANDERSON

For the first time in seven years, the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association named a defender the top boys soccer player in the state.

Whitefish Bay's Jake Taylor was named Player of the Year by the WSCA All-State committee at its annual meeting Wednesday night. He's the first defender to earn the award since Milwaukee Marquette's Billy Von Rueden was honored in 2005.

Taylor is one of eight seniors on the 11-player All-State first team, which features three players from WIAA Division 1 state champion Marquette and two each from state runner-up Kettle Moraine and Middleton.

The all-state teams have a different look than last season, when the group selected 14-player squads split into Large Schools and Small Schools.

Taylor, who has committed to play at Marquette University next year, had four goals and one assist for the Blue Dukes this fall. The left back had some unique experiences during his high school career, as he spent a few weeks training with German club Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2011 and has appeared in matches for the Bavarian SC Major and National Premier Soccer League adult amateur teams.

Middleton junior defender Jack Hagstrom (6 goals-2 assists), the only non-senior to make an all-state team in 2011, was a first-team selection this season.

Hagstrom's teammate, senior midfielder Derek Ott (23-22), joined Neenah junior midfielder Adam Pohlman (25-17) and Muskego junior forward Andrija Novakovich (40-11) joined Taylor in moving up to the first team after being Best of the Rest picks a year ago. Pohlman has committed to play at UW-Milwaukee in 2014.

Midfielders Alex McBride (19-15) and Jacob Grindel (11-3) and forward Joe Kennedy(10-6), all seniors who helped Marquette win its third consecutive state title, earned spots on the top squad. McBride will join Taylor with the Golden Eagles next fall.

Kettle Moraine, which dropped a 2-1 decision to the Hilltoppers in the Division 1 final to finish state runner-up for the second straight year, had first-teamers in senior goalkeeper Kyle Ihn (13 shutouts) and senior defender Kevin Winter – both UW-Green Bay recruits. Green Bay Preble senior forward Edgar Landeros (26-13) rounded out the first team.

As the WSCA Player of the Year, Taylor also will earn a spot on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American team. Ihn, McBride, Pohlman and Novakovich – a Marquette recruit for 2014 – will join Taylor on the NSCAA All-Region VI team.

One player not on the honor teams was Preble senior midfielder Audi Jepson.

The UW-Green Bay recruit, a Best of the Rest selection last fall, was one of the state's top performers this year with 22 goals and 25 assists and was the Fox River Classic Conference Player of the Year. However, Jepson was not eligible for all-state consideration because he a received a red card during the season.

The WSCA also announced its coaches of the year.

Fort Atkinson's Kent Lovejoy was the Large Schools Coach of the Year after the Blackhawks (16-4-0) set a program record for victories – three of their four losses came in overtime. Steve Herzog, who led Oostburg (24-4-1) to just its second WIAA state berth and first since 1994, was the Small Schools honoree. The Private Schools Coach of the Year was Kasey Smith of Division 2 state champion Appleton Xavier (22-4-1), which won its final 17 games of the season.

First team

Goalkeeper: Kyle Ihn, sr., Kettle Moraine.

Defenders: Jake Taylor, sr., Whitefish Bay; Jack Hagstrom, jr., Middleton; Kevin Winter, sr., Kettle Moraine.

Midfielders: Alex McBride, sr., Milwaukee Marquette; Adam Pohlman, jr., Neenah; Derek Ott, sr., Middleton; Jacob Grindel, sr., Milwaukee Marquette.

Forwards: Andrija Novakovich, jr., Muskego; Joe Kennedy, sr., Milwaukee Marquette; Edgar Landeros, sr., Green Bay Preble.

Player of the Year: Jake Taylor, Whitefish Bay.

Coaches of the Year: Large Schools – Kent Lovejoy, Fort Atkinson. Small Schools –Steve Herzog, Oostburg. Private Schools – Kasey Smith, Appleton Xavier.

Second Team

Goalkeeper: Daniel Geanon, sr., Middleton.

Defenders: Casey Grosshauser, sr., Waunakee; Owen Thompson, sr., Menomonee Falls; Derek Brehm, sr., Milwaukee Marquette.

Midfielders: Ryan Toy, sr., Brookfield East; Ben Kosmider, sr., Brookfield East; Paul Ciszewski, jr., Germantown.

Forwards: Steven Harris, sr., Middleton; Robert Holschuh, sr., Milwaukee Pius; Jonathan Stone, sr., Brookfield East; Austin Weigman, sr., Appleton Xavier.

Best of the Rest

Goalkeepers: Tyler Moore, jr., Brookfield Central; Cody Hallam, sr., Green Bay Preble.

Defenders: Gus DeMeulenaere, sr., Milwaukee Marquette; Josh Brieder, sr., Brookfield East; Tony Covelli, sr., Kettle Moraine; Trevor Bednarek, jr., Muskego; Colin McReavy, sr., Oregon; Jake Nevermann, jr., Pewaukee; Sam D’Amato, sr., Milwaukee Pius

Midfielders: Sam Lamers, sr., Kimberly; Zach Seff, sr., Hartland Arrowhead; Adam Nelson, sr., Mequon Homestead; Jack Comiskey, sr., Whitefish Bay; Zach Reget, sr., Kenosha Bradford; Eric Frank, sr., Racine Prairie School; Michael Hawes, sr., Racine St. Catherine's; Austin Rosenberger, sr., Pewaukee; Greg Borsari, sr., Milwaukee Pius; Henry Cummins, sr., Shorewood; Michael McKernan, sr., Madison Edgewood; Jacob Hernandez, sr., Appleton Xavier; Connor DeHaven, sr., Mount Horeb; Kyle McNeese, sr., DeForest; Patrick O’Connell, sr., Waunakee; Jon Bucklew, jr., Somerset.

Forwards: Brad Jakober, sr., Brookfield Central; Ben Carpenter, sr., Wauwatosa East; John Orgavon, sr., Brookfield East; Henry Pohlman, sr., Madison West; Taylor Hoffman, sr., Neenah; Sam Fredman, sr., Hartland Arrowhead; Brody Kravssel, jr., Muskego; Jamie Colin, so., Kenosha Tremper; Johnny Rimkus, jr., Kenosha Bradford; Dan Hougard, sr., Germantown; Kevin Mark, sr., New Berlin West; Bobby Kohl, sr., Shorewood; Scott Odorico, sr., Oregon; Michael Latorre, sr., Green Bay Notre Dame; Evan Garcia, jr., Green Bay Preble; Eddie Gutierrez, sr., Milwaukee St. Anthony; Cameron Greene, sr., Two Rivers.

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