High school boys soccer preview: Top teams, players in South Sound in 2024
The high school boys soccer season is underway, and as usual, there’s plenty of talent in the South Sound this spring. Here’s what to watch for this season, some teams to keep an eye on before the postseason approaches and some of the area’s top players.
4A NPSL
We like Tahoma’s chances again this spring. The Bears advanced to the 4A state tournament semifinals last spring, losing to eventual state champion Skyline and taking fourth place overall. Tahoma graduated TNT All-Area midfield selection Ignacio “Nacho” Brandan but the Bears return eight starters from last year’s league and district championship squad, highlighted by senior GK Cohen Storch, senior D Dane Tschimperle, senior M Mark Isak, junior M Zeth Lucero and junior M Giles Neel. Lucero, a versatile midfielder who’s strong on the ball, is the key. Kentridge could be a factor, too. The Chargers are off to a 3-1-1 start. Mount Rainier is also in the picture, off to a 4-0 start.
4A SPSL
Puyallup, which advanced to the 4A state championship game last season after beating Wenatchee, Newport and Davis in the state tournament, looks strong again this spring. The Vikings are off to a 5-1 start with the lone loss coming on the road to Camas, 1-0. Forward Zack Robertson, who scored 16 goals and had six assists last season for the Vikings, is the team’s go-to player in the attack. Freshman Curran Caufield is already turning heads with five goals early in the season. Bellarmine Prep, which advanced to the 4A state tournament quarterfinals last spring, may be the team to beat, however. Senior F Jaggar Judkins, a TNT All-Area first-team selection last spring, is a matchup issue for opponents. He scored 18 goals last season. Bellarmine is 4-1 this spring. Curtis is also in the hunt after the Vikings appeared in the 4A state tournament last season. Curtis only has five returning starters but is disciplined on defense and in the net with returning GK Manny Zuniga and TNT All-Area defender Ethan Bell. Andrew George is a goal-scoring threat for the Vikings. Bethel, which hasn’t been a factor in soccer in the 4A SPSL as of late, certainly is this year. The Bison recently tied Olympia and beat Sumner, before dropping a 7-0 contest to Puyallup. Bethel senior left-footed F Zim Abell is as fast as anyone in the league and a highly-skilled goal scorer. Sumner, Bethel, Olympia and Emerald Ridge should duke it out for playoff positions. Sumner returns All-Area M Ty Brunner.
3A NPSL
Auburn Mountainview returns 10 starters and has wins over 4A league peers Kentridge and Federal Way. The Lions return sophomore F Benji Toscano, the team’s leading goal scorer last year as a freshman and first-team all-league M Davyd Fedina is an explosive player. Auburn Riverside returns a pair of junior center backs in Raef MacNeill and Daniel Hernandez, as well as promising M Tima Veremiy. Kent-Meridian, which made the state tournament field a season ago, could also factor in. The Royals have wins over Decatur and Kennedy Catholic this season.
3A SSC
Central Kitsap looks like the favorite early on in the 3A South Sound Conference, which lost a lot of talent across the board to graduation. Central Kitsap lost two-time league MVP and TNT All-Area selection Jake Mackenzie, who scored over 36 goals last season. But the Cougars are undefeated in league play, racking up wins over Capital and a red-hot Timberline squad last week. Senior captain Porter Herbig commands the back line, while junior midfielders Keegan Bailey and Silas Gholston are the top goal scoring threats. Right back Eduardo Ramos-Martinez has been a key part of CK’s early success and scored the game-winning goal against Timberline. Last year’s league champion Gig Harbor lost a ton of talent from last year’s state tournament team to graduation, including league co-MVP Derek Johnson. Senior M Tyler Dull commands the midfield for the Tides and is one of the league’s top players. Timberline remains in the league title hunt, too. The Blazers are 4-1 in league play with a loss to Central Kitsap, but have a win over Gig Harbor on their resume. Senior GK Landon Gordon is the best keeper in the league. Timberline coach Nick Boatright moved former striker Mike Navarette and midfielder Landen Diaz to to the back line and Timberline’s defense has been stingy. Sophomore F Noel Fernandez is a constant threat in front of the net.
3A PCL
It may come down to Tacoma schools Silas and Stadium this spring. Early advantage to three-time defending champion Silas, which defeated Stadium 1-0 in mid-March. The Rams return seven starters, but will be without reigning league MVP Joe Nichols (knee) this season. Senior CB Ethan Kelly, a first-team all-league selection last spring, has been a dominant presence on the back line since his freshman year. The Rams also return all-league M Cameron Mitchell. Stadium returns all-league F Nico Coope. Spanaway Lake is in the picture also. The Sentinels are 4-1 in league play with a win over Stadium and the only loss coming to Silas. Spanaway Lake features the league’s best GK in Giovannie Aguilar-Gutierrez, last year’s league defensive MVP, while senior M Alvaro Veloso is another player to watch.
2A SPSL
Reigning league champion Franklin Pierce, which advanced to the 2A state tournament quarterfinals last season, is the favorite again. Senior twins Preston and Marvin Soeum have been difference makers since stepping on campus as freshmen. Preston, last year’s league MVP, scored 13 goals and had 19 assists last season. Fife, White River and Clover Park are playoff contenders, too. Fife returns all 11 players from last year’s group, led by senior midfielders and all-league selections Mykah Harris and Josh Yinger. Harris is a player to watch, a talented midfielder who can score, assist, win balls in the air and win 50/50 balls. White River, which advanced to the 2A state tournament last spring, returns seven starters, highlighted by first-team all-league F Elijah Wagner, the team’s leading goal scorer. Clover Park is young but returns a few key contributors from last year’s group, led by M Gabriel Gonzalez-Valera.
2A EVCO
W.F. West looks like the team to beat after the Bearcats beat Tumwater 4-0 in mid-March. W.F. West is 7-1 overall and 6-0 in 2A EvCo play. Forward Uzi Lopez Cruz is a consistent goal-scoring threat for the Bearcats, while all-league selections M Adrian Jaimes and D Charles Comisky also return. Tumwater should be a playoff contender too, led by junior all-league M Gavin Cuoio. The T-Birds return just two starters from last year’s state tournament team and welcome a new coach this spring, John Hayes.
SMALL SCHOOLS
Cascade Christian is 6-0 in the 1A Nisqually. The Cougars return first-team all-league selections Kyle Hughes, Nick Jung and Josiah Gopaul. Vashon Island is 7-0 overall and has won all of its games comfortably. Vashon Island will meet Cascade Christian on Friday, April 19 at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner.
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
F Zim Abell, Bethel, sr.
GK Giovannie Aguilar-Gutierrez, Spanaway Lake, sr.
M Ty Brunner, Sumner, sr.
D Ethan Bell, Curtis, jr.
F Curran Caufield, Puyallup, fr.
F Nico Coope, Stadium, jr.
M Gavin Cuoio, Tumwater, jr.
M Landen Diaz, Timberline, jr.
M Tyler Dull, Gig Harbor, sr.
M Davyd Fedina, Auburn Mountainview, sr.
F Andrew George, Curtis, sr.
F Silas Gholston, Central Kitsap
GK Landon Gordon, Timberline, sr.
M Mykah Harris, Fife, sr.
D Porter Herbig, Central Kitsap, sr.
M Roby Hooper, Puyallup, sr.
M Mark Isak, Tahoma, sr.
F Jaggar Judkins, Bellarmine, sr.
D Ethan Kelly, Silas, sr.
D Landon Lee, Curtis, soph.
M Zeth Lucero, Tahoma, jr.
M Henry Marlow, Bellarmine, sr.
M Cameron Mitchell, Silas, sr.
F Zack Robertson, Puyallup, jr.
M Dane Price, Bellarmine, jr.
F Marvin Soeum, Franklin Pierce, sr.
D Preston Soeum, Franklin Pierce, sr.
M Alvaro Veloso, Spanaway Lake, sr.
M Tima Veremiy, Auburn Riverside, jr.
F Elijah Wagner, White River, sr.
F Micah Wilhelm, Olympia, sr.
This story was originally published April 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
