Boys’ soccer 2020: This season’s top teams, best players and biggest games in Lexington
How do boys’ soccer teams in a region with the defending state champion and preseason No. 1 Henry Clay feel like they have as good a chance as any to supplant the Blue Devils in 2020?
If you don’t know the answer to that question, you don’t know Lexington high school soccer, which has four teams in the MaherRankings.com preseason top 25 and several others with a right to feel slighted by where they stand.
“I think it’s wide-open,” Lafayette Coach Chris Grimm said. “I think you’re going to have several teams, maybe five or six teams, that could beat anybody else on a given night. And so I think it’s going to make it exciting. It will make it very competitive. It also means you better come to play every single time you play.”
It’s fierce. And it has been made more so by a shortened season because of the pandemic. That means district matchups that some teams work their whole seasons building to are coming ridiculously early in the schedule, like last Tuesday’s match between Lafayette and Paul Laurence Dunbar in the 43rd District. Dunbar won 2-0, but the Bulldogs came out of the game thinking they could have played better and Lafayette left feeling like it played well and just needed to score.
First-year Dunbar coach James Wray recognizes the task he has in taking over one of the state’s elite programs.
“Being my first game, it’s just nice to get a W. I don’t really feel the pressure as much,” Wray said. Dunbar has four state titles, the last coming in 2013. “I think the boys kind of put a little more pressure on themselves tonight, just because it was Lafayette starting off in the district. But no, you know, once you get out in the field and the ball starts rolling, it’s all the same. We’re just excited to play.”
Since the last regional realignment in 2012, Dunbar has won four 11th Region titles. Henry Clay has three, including the last two, and Lexington Catholic has one, in 2017.
Saturday, Dunbar served notice it intends to reclaim its glory with a 3-1 win over the Blue Devils.
Here’s a look at Lexington boys’ soccer, with teams ordered according to the preseason ratings by MaherRankings.com, the most commonly referenced high school ratings system over the past several years. Player honors and stats are from the 2019 season.
Henry Clay
Coach: Jason Behler (fifth season).
Preseason rank: 1.
Last season: 25-1-3. State, 11th Region, 42 District champion. Defeated Daviess County 2-0 in state finals.
Week 1 results: 2-1. Defeated West Jessamine, Lafayette. Lost to Dunbar.
Standing out: Tahj Jairam, sr., HM all-state, second-team all-city, nine goals, 14 assists; Drew Grider, sr.; Keenan Wilson, sr.; Chris Sanders, sr., 12 goals, six assists; Angel Velasco-Urbina, jr., goalkeeper, starter on 2018 state semifinalist team.
Coach says: On Grider: “Dependable as they come. Hard-working, intelligent, solid passer.” On Wilson: “Wins most aerial challenges, scrappy CDM.” On Sanders: “Great hold-up player who is smooth on the ball.” On Velasco-Urbina: “Has plenty of varsity and big game experience.”
Notes: Blue Devils have four returning starters, including Wilson, who broke his collarbone in the state semis; Velasco-Urbina started much of his sophomore year.
Tates Creek
Coach: Albert Gross (seventh season).
Rank: 10.
Last season: 14-4-2. 43rd District champs. Lost 3-1 to Henry Clay in the 11th Region semis.
Week 1: 2-0. Defeated Great Crossing, Lexington Christian.
Standing out: Jona Juarez, Tates Creek, jr., second-team all-state; first-team all-city, six goals, four assists; Alexis Petatan, sr., three-year starter. Patrick Lobbo, sr.; Beni Ntagaramba, sr.
Coach says: On Juarez: “Extremely crafty with the ball. He has excellent vision of the field and will be the ignition to our offense. On Petatan: “He is comfortable in pressure situations.” On Lobo: “Possesses great athleticism, speed, and natural dribbling capabilities.” On Ntagaramba: “Does a great job of playing both sides of the ball.”
Notes: Tates Creek won its first district title since it was in the 26th District in 2009. Four starters return.
Lexington Catholic
Coach: Jonathan Kincheloe (ninth season).
Rank: 11.
Last season: 13-7-0. Lost in a PK shootout to Tates Creek in the 43rd District semis.
Week 1: 1-2. Defeated Madison Southern. Lost to Ryle, Tates Creek.
Standing out: Catesby Clay, jr., second-team all-city, eight goals, seven assists; Bennett Kirn, jr., HM all-city; Bigabo Jackson, jr., eight goals, four assists; Brandon Seabaugh, jr.; Connor Otte, sr.
Coach says: On Clay and Kirn: “Those guys in the junior class, they have to show their leadership. … That’s going to be the biggest challenge: Can they step into that leadership role where everybody’s looking at them? … I think they’ll both rise to the occasion. No question.”
Notes: LexCath started tryouts a week later than other teams because of a COVID quarantine within the school. Six starters are back.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Coach: James Wray (first season).
Rank: 14.
Last season: 11-7-2. Lost 2-1 to Great Crossing in the 11th Region semis.
Week 1: 3-0. Defeated Lafayette, Lexington Christian, Henry Clay.
Standing out: Drew Doza, jr., second-team all-city; Issac Cano, jr., HM-all-city; Jackson Gabbard, sr.; Derek Burgess, sr.; Bennett Jacobs, sr.; Adali Diaz, jr.
Coach says: On Doza: “A smart, technical player that can create a lot of chances for us this year.” On Cano: “Lightning quick and creative with the ball.” On Gabbard: He’ll give us some stability in the back.”
Notes: Gabbard comes off two ACL surgeries on the same knee. Since 2000, no Lexington team has been to more state tournaments than Dunbar (12). Four starters are back.
Lafayette
Coach: Chris Grimm (13th season).
Rank: 26.
Last season: 9-11-2. Lost 1-0 to Dunbar in the 43 District semis.
Week 1: 0-3. Lost to Dunbar, Henry Clay, Warren Central.
Standing out: Gabe Gatsos, sr., HM all-state, second-team all-city, 10 goals, seven assists; Sonny Martin, sr.
Coach says: On Gatsos: “Should be one of the top attacking players in the city.” On Martin: “Will need Sonny to fill a bigger role in 2020 and take on many more responsibilities.”
Notes: The Generals have had seven winning seasons and one district title under Grimm in one of the state’s toughest districts. Six starters are back.
Bryan Station
Coach: Manes Preptit (eighth season).
Rank: 33.
Last season: 10-6-3. Lost in a PK shootout to Douglass in the 42nd District semis.
Week 1: 1-0. Defeated Douglass 3-0.
Standing out: Chadrack Kenda, sr., second-team all-city, nine goals, five assists; Mario Fuentes, jr., HM all-city; Steven Mahirwe, jr., HM all-city; Fernando Borjas, jr.; Noah Haynes, sr.
Coach says: Haynes tore his ACL over the winter, but he should be available by end of the season. Preptit praises Haynes for his work ethic and made him a team captain despite the fact he’ll miss much of the season. On Borjas: “He’s just a big, sturdy guy.” Preptit plans on “having him be the lone striker out there, … to hold the ball and distribute to our wingers.”
Notes: For the second year in a row, one of Bryan Station’s top players has been scooped up by FC Cincinnati’s academy and will be forgoing his high school career. Ivan Nkinzo, a senior forward who led the Defenders in scoring last year, follows Max Miller into the national club soccer scene. Ten starters are back.
Lexington Christian
Coach: Steve Fugmann (third season).
Rank: 45.
Last season: 11-8-2. Lost 2-0 to Lafayette in the 43rd District’s first round.
Week 1: 0-1. Lost to Dunbar.
Standing out: Andrew Dobbs, jr., second-team all-city,;Gavin Howard, sr., HM all-city; Will Morehead, so., HM all-city; Josh Lytle, sr.; Erik Burroughs, sr.
Coach says: On Dobbs: “Brings a wealth of experience.” On Howard: “One of the grittiest players on the team.” On Morehead: Expect “another breakout season as a forward.” On Lytle: “Great understanding of the game.”
Notes: Dobbs has “an incredibly strong leg” and is also the place-kicker for LCA’s football team and has aspirations to continue that in college. Nine starters are back.
Frederick Douglass
Coach: Omar Shalash (fourth season).
Rank: 55.
Last season: 13-7-2. Lost 2-1 to Great Crossing in the 11th Region’s first round.
Week 1: 2-1. Defeated South Laurel, Estill County. Lost to Bryan Station.
Standing out: Kingsley Nuro, jr., first-team all-city; Max Hasler, sr., HM all-city; Chase Long, sr., HM-all-city; Rohan Patel, sr.
Coach says: On Nuro: Will serve as student-coach after knee injury. “Not many high school seniors could handle this devastating injury like Kings — he is leading by example.” On Hasler: “Very strong and commands his box well.” On Long: “Very fast and high soccer IQ.” On Patel: “Vocal leader … joined the soccer world at the age of 14 and hasn’t looked back.”
Notes: In addition to keeping, Hasler is a threat to score on free kicks in the right situations. He scored the game-tying goal to send Douglass into overtime in the district semis last year. Seven starters are back.
Sayre
Coach: Todd Bretz (first season).
Rank: 94.
Last season: 6-12-1. Lost 10-0 to Henry Clay in the 42nd District semis.
Week 1: 1-0-1. Defeated Trinity Christian. Tied Marion County.
Standing out: Colin Miedler, jr., HM all-city; Goran Stephan, sr., HM all-city; Henry Jett, jr., HM all-city; Levy Deckard, sr.; Alex Cofield, sr.
Coach says: Deckard and Cofield “will play significant roles in the midfield and goal. The team is young and should improve throughout the season.”
Notes: Bretz, Kentucky boys’ high school soccer’s career wins leader among coaches, takes over a Spartans program that has had two winning seasons in 10 years. It has had some district playoff success, advancing to the semis four times over that span, including last season. Four starters are back.
The biggest games
Sept. 15: Lexington Catholic at Lafayette; Bryan Station at Dunbar.
Sept. 17: Dunbar at Tates Creek; Lexington Catholic at LCA; Bryan Station at Great Crossing.
Sept. 19: No. 4 Trinity at Henry Clay.
Sept. 22: Dunbar at Lexington Catholic; Douglass at Scott County; Lexington Christian at Lafayette.
Sept. 23: Henry Clay at No. 3 Collegiate; Sayre at Douglass.
Sept. 24: Lafayette at Tates Creek.
Sept. 26: No. 7 Oldham County at Henry Clay.
Sept. 29: Henry Clay at Douglass; LCA at Tates Creek.
Oct. 1: Bryan Station at Henry Clay.
Oct. 3: Henry Clay at Lexington Catholic; Sayre at Bryan Station.
Oct. 6: Tates Creek at Henry Clay; Sayre at Scott County.
Oct. 8: Dunbar at Douglass.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 11:35 AM.
