The State’s best: Meet the 2023 all-area high school girls and boys soccer teams

A look at The State’s Midlands girls and boys soccer players of the year and all-area teams and for the 2023 season.

All-Area Girls Soccer Team

—The State’s Player of the Year—

Brianna Pinasco, Hammond

—Readers’ choice Player of the Year (Fan vote)—

Annie Andrews, Dreher

—The State’s All-Area Team—

Darcy Ahern, Chapin: Junior had 12 goals and 13 assists this season and was all-state selection.

Annie Andrews, Dreher: The Blue Devils forward scored 26 goals and had 10 assists this year. Andrews also was Region 5-3A Player of the Year and all-state selection.

Mary Blanks, Camden: Senior midfielder had 21 goals and 16 assists. Blanks was an all-state selection.

Za’Niya Boyles, Gray Collegiate: Senior had 10 goals and three assists and was Region 3-2A Player of Year.

Lila Bowers, Chapin: Freshman midfielder had 12 goals, 7 assists and was all-state selection.

Lucy Cartin, River Bluff: Senior midfielder was Clash of Carolinas selection and signed to play at Presbyterian.

Emery Christian, Blythewood: Senior had 17 goals and 13 assists this season. Christensen was an all-state selection and picked to play in the Clash of the Carolinas.

Alanna Colbert, River Bluff: Senior midfielder had 14 goals and 10 assists. Colbert also was an all-state selection, picked for the Clash of the Carolinas and signed with Cornell. She leaves River Bluff as the school’s all-time goals and assists leader.

Victoria Coleman, Airport: Freshman forward had 26 goals and 20 assists this season. Coleman also was all-state selection.

Krysa Gordon, White Knoll: Senior defender had four goals and two assists. Gordon was selected to play in Clash of Carolinas and signed with North Greenville.

Joyce Edwards, Camden: Junior forward was an all-state selection and led the team with 39 goals and 12 assists.

Briana Pinasco, Hammond: Senior had 38 goals, 21 assists this season and was SCISA all-state selection. Signed to play at South Carolina.

Maggie Heffernan, Lexington: Junior midfielder had 10 goals and four assists. Heffernan was an all-state selection and committed to play at College of Charleston.

Lily Jackson, Lugoff-Elgin: Senior midfielder had 14 goals and 18 assists. Jackson was a North-South All-Star game selection and signed with Columbia International.

Margaret Livingston, Mid-Carolina: Junior forward had 28 goals and 25 assists this season and was an all-state selection.

Harlan Lyons, AC Flora: Junior forward had 19 goals and 7 assists. Lyons was an all-state selection and committed to play at Presbyterian.

Lucy Mackie, Lexington: Senior defender had one assist and was all-state and Clash of Carolinas selection.

Hannah Miles, Gilbert: Junior goalkeeper had 10 shutouts, allowed 17 goals in 20 matches and was all-state selection.

Delaney Minor, AC Flora: Senior had 19 goals and 12 assists this season. Minor was an all-state selection and Region 4-4A Player of the Year. She signed to play at Wofford.

Kinlee Mozley, Gilbert: Junior forward had a team-high 38 goals and 18 assists this year. Mozley was an-all-state selection.

Kim Neely, Brookland-Cayce: Senior had a team-high 40 goals and 15 assists this season.

Logan Rivers, Hammond: Sophomore forward had 24 goals and 16 assists this season.

Sarah Speed, Blythewood: Senior defender had four goals and three assists. Speed was selected to play in the Clash of Carolinas.

Evelyn Wright, Blythewood: Junior midfielder had 12 goals and 8 assists this season. Wright was an all-state selection and committed to play at Western Carolina.

Honorable Mention

Sydney Artlip, Brookland-Cayce; Payton Berry, River Bluff; Ella Brewer, Hammond; Caroline Carter, Chapin; Olivia Cochran, Mid-Carolina; Vanessa Coleman, Airport; Brooke Davis, Airport; Chloe Davis, Ben Lippen; Alyssa Frazier, Lexington; Molly Donohue, Chapin; Regan Flynn, Cardinal Newman; Riley Flynn, Cardinal Newman; Evelyn Garcia, Irmo; Madeline Gerland, Hammond; Libby Hardin, Dreher; Ella Harman, Airport; Claire Kaminsk, Cardinal Newman; Lila Kaminski, Cardinal Newman; Rylee King, White Knoll; Taylor Laursen, Maya Leach, Dutch Fork; Lacey McArthur, Spring Valley; Caitlyn Miller, Airport; Gracie Morris, Dutch Fork; White Knoll; Maxine Palsin, Hammond; Scarlett Pegram, Blythewood; Bryce Powers, Lexington; Andrea Scurry-Estrada, Mid-Carolina; Mallory Truesdale, Lugoff-Elgin; Erika Violette, River Bluff

All-Area Boys Soccer Team

—The State’s Player of the Year—

Duncan Wilson, Cardinal Newman

—Readers’ choice Player of the Year (Fan vote)—

Franklin Spries, Lexington

—The State’s All-Area Team—

Dixon Acker, Dreher: Senior midfielder led the team with 13 goals and 14 assists. Acker was an all-state selection and Region 5-3A Player of the Year.

Connor Banchero, River Bluff: Senior forward had 18 goals and two assists. Of Banchero’s 18 goals, 10 were game-winners. Banchero was a North-South All-Star selection and will play at USC Aiken.

Owen Deer, River Bluff: Senior center-back had nine goals, two game-winners, this season. Deer was all-state, Clash of Carolinas selection and signed with Lander.

Christian Foster, Blythewood: Junior was all-state selection, had 24 goals and six assists.

Charlie Godwin, River Bluff: Senior goalkeeper had 11 shutouts, a 0.814 goals allowed against this season. Godwin was a North-South All-Star selection.

Carson Graves, Chapin: Senior had 12 goals and seven assists this season. Was all-state selection and picked to play in Clash of the Carolinas.

Foster Fralick, Dreher: Senior forward had 11 goals and 6 assists. Fralick was an all-state and North-South selection.

Alejandro Gonzales, Gilbert: Senior defender had a goal and an assist. Gonzales was an all-state and North-South selection.

Junior Gonzalez, Gray Collegiate: Sophomore defender had 5 goals and 7 assists. Gonzalez was all-state and North-South selection.

Gavin Hardwick, Gilbert: Junior was all-state selection and scored a team-high 31 goals and had seven assists.

Matthew Harrison, Cardinal Newman: Senior midfielder had 13 goals and 11 assists this season. Harrison was co-region player of the year.

Zachary Hart, Gray Collegiate: Senior midfielder/forward had 26 goals and 12 assists. Hart was all-state and North-South All-Star selection.

Thomas Holstein, Chapin: Senior defender had six goals and three assists. Holstein was all-state and Clash of Carolinas selection.

Kenny Kwizera, Lexington: Senior forward had 21 goals and 18 assists this season. Kwizera was all-state, Clash of Carolinas selection and signed with Tulsa.

Jackson Lohr, River Bluff: Senior center-midfielder had one assist and was a Clash of Carolinas selection.

Walker Miller, AC Flora: Junior center back had two assists and was part of Falcons’ 13 shutouts. Miller was an all-state selection.

John Allen Mower, Brookland-Cayce: Junior center-back had four goals (two game-winners) and an assist. Allen-Mower was an all-state selection.

Ben Richards, Gray Collegiate: The junior midfielder had 10 goals and 13 assists this season. Was all-state selection and Region 3-2A Player of Year.

Alex Rivera, Brookland-Cayce: Senior had 17 goals and five assists. Rivera was all-state, North-South game selection and signed with Francis Marion.

Eldin Sanchez, Lugoff-Elgin: Junior had team-high 29 goals and six assists this season.

Franklin Spires, Lexington: The senior had 32 goals and 18 assists this season for the Wildcats. Spires was Region 4-5A Player of the Year, all-state selection, selected to play in Clash of Carolinas and signed with Georgia Southern.

Rogers Thomas, AC Flora: Senior midfielder had 11 goals and four assists. Thomas was all-state and North-South All-Star selection.

Jalen Tucker, Chapin: Freshman had 14 goals and 9 assists this season. Tucker was an all-state selection.

Duncan Wilson, Cardinal Newman: Junior was SCISA all-state selection and Region 1-4A co-Player of the Year. Wilson had a team-high 38 goals and 13 assists and committed to play at Clemson.

Honorable Mention

Iker Alonzo Cruz, Brookland-Cayce; Daniel Augustin, Gilbert; Kyle Bacon, Lugoff-Elgin; Angel Cardenas, Newberry; Sammy Carmona, Mid-Carolina; Jon Coonce, Gray Collegiate; Garrick Eduoard, Spring Valley; Ab ElGeneidy, Hammond; David Flores, Newberry; Will Frick, Heathwood Hall; Alexander Garside, Hammond; Joseph Gherardi, Lexington; Vance Griswold, Richland Northeast; Max Hagood, Heathwood Hall; Ryan Hart, Blythewood; Luck Hilton, Chapin; Malik Kimble, Ridge View; Max Letchworth, Lugoff-Elgin; David Liboyi, Dutch Fork; Tillman McClure, Chapin; Ben Pickren, Cardinal Newman; Simon Quinatoa, Dreher; Adrian Rashley, AC Flora; Dominic Reiff, Dreher; Reed Smith, Dreher; Joey Sullivan, Gray Collegiate; Logan Watchinski, River Bluff: Grayson White, Cardinal Newman; Barrett Wilson, Lexington