Boys’ soccer 2021: Lexington’s top teams, best players and biggest games this season
The margins are so narrow in 11th Region boys’ soccer that last year, a first-round tournament game, a semifinal and the region finals were each determined by a penalty kick shootout.
And how about the 43rd District championship? That result swung on a 45-yard free kick just under the crossbar and out of reach of the defending goalie as the final horn sounded, giving the Bulldogs an unbelievable 3-2 walk-off win.
But what do last year’s results have to do with this year’s teams?
Nothing. And everything.
Tradition matters — whether it’s ingrained for decades or honed in the last few years.
Dunbar returns only four starters from last year’s squad, but one of them is leading scorer Issac Cano, who netted 13 goals and had four assists in 2020.
“Issac looks poised to be a top player in our region and state this year,” Coach James Wray said. “He’s coming off all-district and all-region honors and a second-team all-state selection.”
Wray believes Dunbar has enough quality to make another deep postseason run, but it won’t be easy, especially in talent-rich Lexington.
While there are many 11th Region teams beyond the Lexington city limits, there have been no 11th Region champs outside of Fayette County since the region’s last realignment in 2012. Dunbar has five titles, Henry Clay, three, and Lexington Catholic, one.
Henry Clay went to back-to-back state championships in 2018-19, winning it all on the second go. The Blue Devils were Dunbar’s region finals victim last year. Henry Clay has Markieus Hill back, its top goal scorer (11) and assist man (7), who is a senior and three-year starter.
“I don’t know how good we will be to start the season, but we have unlimited upside,” Blue Devils Coach Jason Behler said.
Frederick Douglass has grown from new kid on the block to serious threat and forced one of the other PK shootouts with Dunbar in the region semis after holding the Bulldogs to a 0-0 draw in regulation and extra time. And the Broncos are one of the more experienced teams with seven starters returning, including junior Tanner Catrine, who had three goals and four assists in 2020.
Lafayette, victimized last year by Dunbar’s district finals wonder-goal, looks to have another contender in 2021 with five starters back and players like junior Emmany Bandamuna and sophomore Sawyer Trowel, a pair of young lockdown defenders of the type that have been key to the Generals’ success over the years.
Here’s a look at Lexington boys’ soccer, with teams ordered according to their approximate finish last season. Player honors and stats are from the 2020 season.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Coach: James Wray (second season).
Last season: 14-1-1. 43rd District and 11th Region champs. Lost 1-0 to Ryle at state tournament.
Early 2021 results: 3-0. Beat Madison Southern 7-1, Woodford County 4-2 and Lexington Christian 3-0.
Standing out: Issac Cano, sr., first team all-city; Adali Diaz, sr., second team all-city; Kobe Valdivia, sr. (5 goals/2 assists); Kasen Johnston, so.; Reece Calhoun, sr. (1 goal/3 assists).
Coach Wray says: “We have some talented young guys coming up through the ranks … There is a lot of work ahead of us, and we will need some of the younger guys to step up and show that they’re ready.”
Notes: Last year marked Dunbar’s first undefeated regular season since 2004. That team lost in the region semis to eventual state champion Lexington Catholic.
Henry Clay
Coach: Jason Behler (sixth season).
Last season: 13-2. 42nd District champion and 11th Region runner-up. Lost in PKs to Dunbar.
Early 2021 results: 2-2. Beat McCracken County 2-0 and Scott County 10-0. Lost to Lafayette 2-0 and Ryle 5-0.
Standing out: Markieus Hill, sr. all-city honorable mention (HM); Zakaria Shendera, sr. (5 goals/3 assists); Andrew Hoten, jr. (2 goals/1 assists); Diego Sanchez so. (1 goal)
Coach Behler says: This team “reminds me of our 2018 squad that had to win region to finish over .500. But we were one of the strongest teams in the state by season’s end.”
Notes: Behler has won with overdogs (his 25-1-3 state title team in 2019) and underdogs (his 2018 team was 6-7-3 going into the postseason, yet still won the region and made the state finals).
Frederick Douglass
Coach: Omar Shalash (fifth season).
Last season: 8-7-3. 42nd District runner-up. Lost to Dunbar in PKs in region semis.
Early 2021 results: 1-1. Lost to North Oldham 2-1. Beat Mercer County 4-0.
Standing out: Josh Carr, jr. all-city HM (1 assist), Mason Dunn, sr. all-city HM (2 goals); Tanner Catrine, jr.; Will Major, sr. (2 goals); Luke Barrow, jr. (1 goal/1assist).
Coach Shalash says: “We have a lot of potential. Lots of talent at each position … (We’ll be) ignoring the standings all year and ready to battle for a district, regional and state championship.”
Notes: Douglass was the only team on Dunbar’s regular-season schedule to get a result other than a loss, reaching a 3-3 tie in their first matchup last season. The Broncos proved it was no fluke in the playoffs, too, holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the region semifinals until penalty kicks had to decide it.
Lafayette
Coach: Chris Grimm (14th season).
Last season: 6-8-1. 43rd District runner-up. Lost 1-0 to Henry Clay in 11th Region quarterfinals.
Early 2021 results: 3-0. Beat Henry Clay 2-0, McCracken County 3-0 and Trinity Christian 8-0.
Standing out: Emmany Bandamuna, jr. all-city HM (2 goals); Angel Montiel, so. (2 assists); Sawyer Trowel, so. (1 goal); Josiah McKinney, sr. (2 goals/1 assist) .
Coach Grimm says: “We believe we can be strong defensively and in the midfield, but we do have questions about our offensive production. We will really need to rely on new and different players to step up into these offensive roles. But we definitely believe we can be in the thick of things.”
Notes: Though the Generals had a losing record last year, they came up with a key victory in the district semis, avenging a regular-season loss to Tates Creek.
Tates Creek
Coach: Albert Gross (eighth season).
Last season: 5-4-1. Lost to Lafayette in PKs in 43rd District semis.
Early 2021 results: 1-0-1. Beat Dixie Heights 2-0. Tied South Warren 0-0.
Standing out: Jair Leal-Gutierrez, so. (1 goal); Connor Bates, jr. (1 goal); Johnathan Romero, sr.; Alimasi Mangala, jr.
Coach Gross says: “We have a solid group of players who enjoy playing with each other and have shown an eagerness to improve their soccer ability. Overall, I think this team wants to compete and is showing the characteristics of a team that can.”
Notes: Leal-Gutierrez, a defensive center midfielder, just won the U16 national championship with his club team, Kings Hammer Academy, a spectacular achievement in the super-competitive national club scene. Romero will be “given a much more intensive role this year,” in central midfield, Gross said.
Bryan Station
Coach: Manes Preptit (ninth season).
Last season: 4-4-3. Lost 3-2 in overtime of the 42nd District semis to Frederick Douglass.
Early 2021 results: 0-2-1. Lost to Madison Central 4-1 and Corbin 3-2. Tied Frankfort 3-3.
Standing out: Evan Amend, sr. all-city HM (4 goals/2 assists); Daniel Mufanzala sr. (5 goals/2 assists); Kendrick Rhodes jr.; Juan Mina so.; Kennedy Knowles (GK) sr. (30 saves).
Coach Preptit says: “We have a very young team, but don’t overlook us. Although we are young, this is one of the most technical teams that Station has had. … We just have to prove to everyone that we are the team to beat this year.”
Notes: Preptit calls his midfielder Amend the “leader that holds the team together.” Since winning the 42nd District title in 2019, the Defenders have been knocked out of the postseason by Frederick Douglass twice — both in dramatic fashion. In 2019, the knockout game went to PKs. Last year, Station lost 3-2 in overtime.
Lexington Christian
Coach: Steve Fugmann (fourth season).
Last season: 7-6-1. Lost 3-0 to Dunbar in 43rd District semis.
Early 2021 results: 1-1. Beat Trinity Christian 5-0. Lost to Dunbar 3-0.
Standing out: Andrew Dobbs, sr. first team all-city (6 goals, 1 assist); Zach Workman, sr. (6 goals); Aaron White, sr. (1 goal/2 assists); Patrick Duff, sr.; Grayson Collins, sr. (1 assist).
Coach Fugmann says: “We have a lot of talent in this senior class but other than that we are very inexperienced and young so we will probably get off to a slow start. We have a lot of learning to do. Also waiting to see who will step up to lead this team.”
Notes: Fugmann looks to Workman to “run the offense and be a scorer for us.” Dobbs doubles up with the Eagles’ American football team as a kicker and punter and rates as a five-star prospect as such by ProKicker.com. He earned a Ray Guy Top Prospect Award at a camp this summer.
Lexington Catholic
Coach: Jonathan Kincheloe (10th season).
Last season: 5-8-0. Lost 3-2 in overtime to LCA in the 43rd District playoffs.
Early 2021 results: 3-0. Beat Great Crossing 4-1, Trinity (Louisville) 1-0 and Madison Southern 3-1.
Standing out: Wells Durham, sr., second team all-city (6 goals/6 assists); Bennett Kirn, sr., second team all-city (5 goals/2 assists); Catesby Clay, sr. (2 assists); Brandon Seabaugh sr. (1 goal); Joseph “JoJo” Lancho, fr.
Coach Kincheloe says: “We are still trying to blend the young talent (which we are pleased about) and the older kids to find the right mix on the field. … “(Kirn) has been a starter for three years and moved around some last year to help us secure some scoring. He is normally a defender, but he may have to play in multiple positions this year to help us succeed.”
Notes: Kirn rates as a two-star prospect, according to TopDrawerSoccer.com and has committed to join his brother Jackson at Bellarmine, now a Division I program. Lancho, a freshman, had two goals in the opener and the lone goal against Trinity (Louisville) with a Clay assist. LexCath will play in the 2A Classic this year, a new thing for soccer.
Sayre
Coach: Todd Bretz (second season).
Last season: 2-5-2. Lost in PKs to Scott County in the 42nd District playoffs..
Early 2021 results: 1-1. Lost 1-0 to Western Hills. Beat Villa Madonna 5-0.
Standing out: Colin Miedler, sr. all-city HM (4 goals); Mason Dunn, sr. (1 goal); Dylan Lynch, sr. (1 goal); Witt Wood, jr. (4 goals/2 assists); Daniel Hunt, sr. (6 goals/3 assists in 2019).
Coach Bretz says: “We hope to build on last year and be competitive in every game we play.”
Notes: Bretz looks to Lynch, Henry Jett and Henry Deckard to hold the back line. Hunt, a midfielder, missed all of the 2020 season with an injury and was the team’s second-leading scorer as a sophomore.
The biggest games
Aug. 19: Bryan Station at Lafayette.
Aug. 21: Frederick Douglass at Bryan Station.
Aug. 24: Tates Creek at Lexington Christian.
Aug. 31: Lafayette at Paul Laurence Dunbar; Sayre vs. Trinity Christian in All “A” Classic
Sept. 2: Henry Clay at Bryan Station; Lexington Catholic at Tates Creek.
Sept. 7: Frederick Douglass at Henry Clay; Lexington Christian at Lexington Catholic.
Sept. 18: Scott County at Sayre; Tates Creek at Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Sept. 21: Paul Laurence Dunbar at Henry Clay; Lafayette at Lexington Christian.
Sept. 25: Paul Laurence Dunbar at St. Xavier; Frederick Douglass at Lafayette; Bryan Station vs. Trinity (Louisville) in Bruin Classic.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 12:01 PM.
