Sun staff
The Amelia Barons exceptional boys’ soccer season gave way to a honor-filled postseason that included the high school snatching up individual awards for both Player and Coach of the Year in the Southern Buckeye Conference’s American Division.
The Barons went a perfect 10-0 in the SBC and 16-0 overall en route to a sectional tournament appearance that saw the team suffer its first loss in a 1-0 barnburner against perennial soccer power Lakota East.
While the season’s only loss was sure to leave a sting, the accolades which remembered the Barons’ season may have helped soften the blow.
Senior Anthony Clark, a highly-touted senior striker, was named as the Player of the Year in the league and rightly so. The senior helped lead his team to the most wins in a season by a boys’ team in school history. The 16 wins in 2012 is two better than Amelia’s mark two years ago.
Clark is reportedly being wooed by Division I schools Louisville, Marshall, Wake Forest and Akron along with some other Division II schools. Clark is still undecided when it comes to where he will continue his playing career, allowing for his decision to trickle into the club season.
Along with Clark, Amelia head coach Eric Burger also received individual recognition as Coach of the Year in the American Division.
The experience-laden Barons roster featured 13 seniors, nine of which were named as SBC All-Stars.
The Barons named to the First Team aside from Clark were Taylor Cunningham, Josh Drennan, Jake Morris and Cody Sprague. Four more were named to the Second Team; Jimmy Lindsey, Matt Mazzaro, Aaron Waldmann and Alec Zurlinden.
Bethel-Tate’s Jacob Fischer and Nick Taggert were also named to the First Team All-SBC American Division with Goshen’s Brandon Bucksath and Ryan Williamson and New Richmonds Nathan Dixon, Michael Huber, Tyler Klein and Sam Leffler.
On the Second Team in the American Division were Bethel’s Jason Altmayer and Adam Shinkle, Goshen’s Conner Rahm and Travis Scheadler and New Richmond’s Noah Chaney, Jessie Feiler and Kevin Reid.
In the National Division of the SBC, Georgetown swept the individual awards, but Batavia was well represented with nine All-Stars.
On the First Team were the Bulldogs’ Matt Canter, Jordan Davis, Kyle Schmitgen, Zac Sickles and Neil Wilson along with CNE’s Robbie Erickson, Joe Ortiz and Kyle Reed and Felicity’s Bradlee Prather and Shane Reese.
On the Second Team in the National Division were Batavia’s Chris Bourque, Blake Burke, Pete Gallegos, Jake Greiner and Kyle Speakman, Clermont Northeastern’s Cody Barrett and Trent Barrett and Felicity’s Aaron Housh and Chris Smith.
In the Eastern Cincinnati League, Milford and Glen Este had a handful of All-Stars. The Trojans’ Kevin Carroll and RJ Mancini were First Team selections, Austin Blair and Garrett Kandell were Second Team picks and Brandon Line was an Honorable Mention.
The Eagles’ Thomas Moore and Josh Roof were named to the First Team All-ECC, while Logan Bartsch, Grant Galvin and Andrew Giltmier were named to the Second Team and Mitchell Galvin was named an Honorable Mention.