SPORTSINK.COM PHOTO
Ohio Division II Player of the Year Colin Romisher led the Revere Minutemen to Columbus Crew Stadium for a second straight state finals appearance.
Surprisingly, choosing the SportsInk.com ‘Terrific 22’ soccer players for the 2011 season from our 46 high schools was not as difficult as I had anticipated.
The boys team was straight forward. Eleven players from our footprint were named to the All-Ohio team and I was in complete agreement with the roster of stars selected by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association (OSSCA). Revere senior striker Colin Romisher (23 goals, 8 assists) for the state runner-up Minutemen (18-1-4) is the OSSCA Division II Player of the Year.
Romisher and teammate Max Palazzo, a senior defender, are among five Suburban League all-stars on our SportsInk.com premier squad.
Senior midfielder Tanner Manfull and junior striker Riley Grant represent Copley (15-3-4), which advanced to a Division I state semifinal.
These Elite 11 players are selected without regard to position:
Eric ASHLEY, Coventry (second team Div. II)
Alec CULBERTSON, Field (second team Div. II)
Luis ESCUDERO, Wadsworth (second team Div. I)
Gareth EVISON, Medina (second team Div. I)
Riley GRANT, Copley (second team Div. I)
Tanner MANFULL, Copley (first team Div. I)
Antonio MANFUT, St. Vincent-St. Mary (second team Div. II)
Ronnie MOSS, Rootstown (second team Div. III)
Max PALAZZO, Revere (second team Div. II)
Colin ROMISHER, Revere (first team Div. II)
Sachem WILSON, CVCA (first team Div. II)
However, if I followed the same approach for the girls Elite 11, then Wadsworth would not be represented. The Grizzlies had advanced to a Division I regional final and I believe should be included on our decorated unit.
Walsh Jesuit senior captain and premier defender Katie George is the OSSCA Division II Player of the Year. The Warriors (19-1-2) yielded just five goals on the season and none during the playoffs, but were scuttled in the state semifinal by Toledo St. Ursula following a PK shootout.
Four standouts (George, Haverchak, Jankowski, Westphal) are first-team All-Ohioans. Five (Feher, Haines, Milazzo, Petek and Wensinger) are second-team All-Ohio selections. Wadsworth’s defensive leader Grace Campbell and sophomore striker Leah Runkle (32 goals) are first-team all-district picks and present on our first Terrific 22 listing. Like Walsh, the Grizzlies (16-3-0) were knocked out in a PK shootout, falling to Sylvania Northview in the Division I regional finals.
This Elite 11 is chosen without regard for position:
Grace CAMPBELL, Wadsworth (first team all-district Div. I)
Amy FEHER, Revere (second team Div. II)
Katie GEORGE, Walsh Jesuit (first team Div. II)
Kolbie HAINES, Hudson (second team Div. I)
Sasha HAVERCHAK, Copley (first team Div. I)
Jen JANKOWSKI, Medina (first team Div. I)
Marissa MILAZZO, Revere (second team Div. II)
Olivia PETEK, Highland (second team Div. I)
Leah RUNKLE, Wadsworth (first team all-district Div. I)
Katee WENSINGER, Stow-Munroe Falls (second team Div. I)
Christen WESTPHAL, Walsh Jesuit (first team Div. II)
Three additional Division II standouts Katie Cook (CVCA), Taylor Mattioli (Manchester) and Miranda Yeaton (St. Vincent-St. Mary) are second-team All-Ohio honorees as chosen by the OSSCA.
Copley girls assistant coach Karen Ransum is the Co-Assistant Coach of the Year.
In other soccer news:
STVM to have new boys soccer coach for 2012
AKRON, Ohio -- John Stavros, who has coached the St. Vincent-St. Mary boys soccer team for the last five seasons, will not return for the 2012 campaign.
The St. V-M administration chose not to renew Stavros for the coming year despite three district championship game appearances from 2007 through 2011. His five teams were a composite 47-34-15. The Irish won a district crown in 2008 and fell to state runner-up Revere each of the last two seasons in the district final.
Stavros guided the Irish to a 12-3-4 record this year and a No. 6 ranking in the final Division II state poll. Stavros was named Greater Akron District Div. II Private School Coach of the Year.