Co-players of the year

Maria Sanchez, Sr., American Falls

Makenzie Van Sickle, Sr., Highland

First team

Kennedy Yost

Sophomore forward

Century

    Century lost its first two games of the season by a cumulative score of 7-2, but the Diamondbacks recovered to win 14 of their next 18 on the way to a third-place finish at the state tournament.

    Yost, who started for Century as a freshman, led the D-backs in scoring and it was her improvement as a finisher in the attacking third that stood out.

    “She can find those gaps, those little gaps in the defense,” said Highland head coach Korbie Vaughan. “She finishes really well. The kid gets better and better every year.”

Jacinta May

Senior forward

Marsh Valley

    Marsh Valley head coach Rachelle Gilbert describes May as tenacious. She must have been to play through the 3A 5th District tournament with a broken tailbone.

    “She’s a stud,” Gilbert said. “She’s a workhorse who never stops. ... Jacinta can play anywhere.”

    Gilbert deployed May’s talent as both a forward and a midfielder, but no matter where she played, the Eagles found success, advancing to the state tournament for the third straight year.

Jade Medina

Junior forward

Highland

    Whatever co-player of the year Makenzie Van Sickle didn’t finish, Medina did.

    Medina scored 15 goals for the Rams and formed a deadly one-two punch with Van Sickle that led the Rams to a 10-game unbeaten streak starting the 2013 season.

    And she was right there helping Highland win its fourth consecutive 5A 5-6 District title.

    “She’s a tough kid,” Vaughan said.

Macy Goodwin

Senior midfielder

Century

    Goodwin was part of a small senior class at Century that returned from 2012’s state runner-up squad. The Diamondbacks were loaded with underclassmen.

    But ever the consistent, solid presence in the middle of the field, Goodwin and Century claimed a 4A 5-6 District title on the way to another deep run into the state tournament.

    Before the season began, D-back head coach Jamshid Roomiany said, “Soccer’s her life. ... Macy’s pace is now a first-division player. She’s a little bit faster. She doesn’t waste that much time bringing the ball down to distribute. That’s really important. She’s a total player.”

    In 2014, Goodwin is headed to Idaho State to play for the Bengals and with former Century teammate Katherine Roberts.

Reece Bauer

Senior midfielder

Highland

    Bauer’s presence on the field for the Rams could always be felt. She had a calming influence and a new belief in her game Vaughan had not seen before.

    “She did a great job of taking people on and had a lot of confidence that she hadn’t had in the past,” Vaughan said.

    Bauer was especially deadly on corner kicks and throw ins from out of bounds to Van Sickle or Medina for quick offense and off set pieces.

    “Her corner kicks were pretty amazing,” Vaughan said. “We had a lot of opportunities for goals off of them.”

Madison Morgan

Senior midfielder

Highland

    She comes in a small package but Morgan arrives with a big game.

    The senior midfielder patrolled and controlled the middle of the field for Highland, ensuring opponents had a nasty time advancing the ball against the Rams’ defense.

    And Morgan stood out as a constant threat offensively with long runs deep into the opposition’s half of the pitch.

    “Madi is a player that I feel like I have to have on my field all the time,” Vaughan said. “She just goes out there, works her tail off and takes control of the middle. Anything in the middle she's going to take care of.

    “When I didn’t have her in the middle for us, the game took a turn.”

Tess Hobbs

Senior midfielder

Preston

    Preston head coach Brandon Lyon doesn’t hesitate answering who is the most talented player in Preston history.

    “I don’t think there’s a doubt about that,” he said. “I mean, it was a pretty comforting feeling as a coach to know that whenever your team stepped out on the field that you, more often than not, had the best, most dominating player on the field.”

    Hobbs, who will play soccer for Dixie State College, scored 15 goals and delivered 16 assists for the Indians in 15 matches this past season, leading Preston in both categories.

    “Her ability (to) just to take over a game was second to none, and you combine her physical abilities with the skill level that she has and you just don’t see many high school players with that combination of abilities,” Lyon said.

    — Courtesy of The Herald Journal

Angela Garza

Senior defender

Blackfoot

    Reaching the state tournament for the first time since 2004 wasn’t easy, not with powerhouses like Century and Preston in the same district, but with Garza patrolling the backline Blackfoot fought its way to a second-place finish in the 4A 5-6 District tournament.

Aliea Son

Junior defender

Century

    Roomiany knew Century had the ability to score with Yost up top and Goodwin in the middle. But did the D-backs have the defense to stop anybody, especially after losing their starting goalkeeper before the season began?

    As a short answer, yes. Son stepped into a starting role along the backline and with a booming right leg that could send long balls up the sideline and speed to keep up with any opposing team’s forward, Century had the defense needed to win the 4A 5-6 District.

Sage Sperl

Sophomore sweeper

Marsh Valley

    Marsh Valley could beat American Falls in the 3A 5th District Tournament one way and only one way — slow down the Beavers’ Maria Sanchez.

    Sperl provided the way.

    “She has really good reads on the field,” Gilbert said. “She doesn’t really take all the attention on herself. She makes the entire defense. It looks like everybody is good because of what she does.”

Danielle Jorgensen

Senior goalkeeper

Pocatello

    A four-year starter, Jorgensen has been a mainstay for the Indians. When team needs dictated, she could play in the field, but she did her best work in front of the net.

    “Dani Jorgensen at the goal is certainly a standout all year,” said Pocatello head coach Doug Merkley. “She's still the best goalie in Southeast Idaho in her group.”

Second team

F     Alma Rangel, Sr., American Falls

F     Chloe Hendrickson, Fr., Preston

F     McKenzie Gunter, Fr., Marsh Valley

F     Bailey Bates, Jr., Marsh Valley

F     Cassandra Clarke, Sr., Blackfoot

MF     Jaelyn Yizar, Jr., Highland

D     Shailyn Jenkins, Sr., Century

D     Mikayla McCrea, Jr., Century

D    Katie Denney, Sr., Highland

D     Darci Polatis, Sr., Snake River

GK     Madison Leslie, Jr., Blackfoot