Wisconsin Soccer Central

The Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association has long honored the state's top boys and girls soccer players each season with its all-state teams. Now the organization also will recognize players' academic and athletic achievements.

The WSCA is partnering with Stefans Soccer to present Academic All-State teams starting this fall. The teams will honor 22 senior student-athletes each year, 11 boys and 11 girls, based on the following criteria:

• Four years of high school soccer experience
• Minimum two years of varsity high school soccer experience
• Minimum 3.85 grade-point average
• Minimum 29 composite ACT score
• The Academic All-State Committee, which will be chaired by Beloit Memorial coach Brian Denu, also will consider academic awards and service to the community in making its selections.

Nominations for the inaugural boys awards are due Feb. 15, while the first girls nominations must be received by July 1. For more information, contact Denu at bdenu@sdb.k12.wi.us.

• Four state seniors are on Top Drawer Soccer's Fall High School Boys All-America watch list: Waukesha Catholic Memorial midfielder Connor Alba, Whitefish Bay forward Evan Conway, Pewaukee forward Griffin Jende and Milwaukee Marquette forward Alec Phillippe. Alba and Jende have verbally committed to Marquette for next season, while Conway has committed to UW-Milwaukee.
• Milwaukee Marquette remained sixth in the USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 rankings, while Whitefish Bay was among other teams receiving votes in the second poll of the season. The Hilltoppers also lead the Region VI rankings, which also include No. 4 Whitefish Bay, No. 7 Eau Claire Memorial, No. 9 Hartland Arrowhead and No. 10 Beloit Memorial.
• Marquette moved up one spot to 10th in the TDS Fab 50 rankings and to second in the website's Great Lakes Region rankings. The Hilltoppers top the TDS Wisconsin rankings ahead of Whitefish Bay and No. 3 Madison West.
• Nicholas Cheung scored five goals in a 11-minute span Tuesday night as Marquette scored all of its goals in the first half of an 11-0 rout of host Menomonee Falls in a rematch of last fall's WIAA Division 1 state final.
• Junior Tigrio Huerta, who had 33 goals and 32 assists for Division 3 state champion Delavan-Darien last fall, has played a key role as the Comets have hit the ground running this season. Huerta has 11 goals and five assists as Delavan-Darien has outscored opponents 30-4 in winning its first four matches.
• Junior forward Nick Urban netted his third hat trick in four games Tuesday, scoring all three goals as host Racine Park (3-1-1) blanked Kenosha Indian Trail 3-0.