Meet the 2021 All-Enquirer Boys Soccer Team
The 2021 Battle Creek Enquirer All-Enquirer Boys Soccer Team is made up of players from teams in the Enquirer coverage area and selected by the Enquirer sports staff.
MORE: Gull Lake's Matt Streitel leads 2021 All-Enquirer Boys Soccer Team
Mukhtar Abdulla
Coldwater
A four-year varsity player who came up big in his senior year, Mukhtar Abdulla showed a nose for the ball and showcased great ball-handling skills as he helped the team to a co-championship in the regular season in the Interstate 8 Conference and a 13-6-2 record, finishing as district finalist. The senior had 11 goals and 10 assists.
Mathew Bacik
Lakeview
A two-sport performer this fall, playing both football and soccer, Mathew Bacik helped Lakeview to a standout season in which the Spartans were All-City champs and won the 2021 Lakeview Invitational and held their own against a loaded schedule, including a 2-2 tie with No. 1-ranked Troy. Bacik had a breakout junior year with a team-high 14 goals and six assists and was named as a team captain, earning all-league and all-district honors.
AJ Boucher
Gull Lake
The top player and a Mr. Soccer candidate for a Gull Lake team that was ranked No. 1 in the state at the end of the regular season and advanced to the Final Four, AJ Boucher was an offensive force for the Blue Devils. The senior midfielder had 14 goals and 21 assists in the regular season as Gull Lake won district and regional championships. Boucher has committed to play at Western Michigan University.
Brayden Boyd
Coldwater
Playing key roles on two different teams in the fall, Brayden Boyd was also the kicker for the Coldwater football team. Boyd had a big senior year with nine goals and two assists as he helped the team to a co-championship in the regular season in the Interstate 8 Conference and a 13-6-2 record, finishing as district finalist.
Bryce Casselman
Harper Creek
Bryce Casselman was a standout for the Harper Creek soccer team and a kicker on the Beaver football squad. A senior captain, Casselman proved to be an excellent passer and showed good field vision for Harper Creek with five goals and seven assists, helping the Beavers to a 7-8-1 record overall and 4-2 in the Interstate 8 Conference as he earned all-league and all-district honors.
Alex Comai
Pennfield
A team leader and senior captain, Alex Comai was the Panthers' best defender as he proved to excel under pressure and was considered the "heart and soul" of the team. Comai earned all-conference honors as he finished with five goals and four assists from his defensive spot as he helped the Panthers to a 7-12-2 record and a 3-5-1 mark in the league as Pennfield won the Interstate 8 Conference Silver Bracket Tournament.
Ryker Corstange
Gull Lake
Ryker Corstange had a breakout sophomore season as a forward and helped Gull Lake to a No. 1 ranking in the state as well as getting the team to the Final Four in Division 2. Corstange had 10 goals and four assists, earning all-conference honors for a team that went 16-1-1 on the regular season.
Tyler Corstange
Gull Lake
A highly-productive offensive force, Tyler Corstange is a senior captain who was All-State a year ago and helped Gull Lake to a No. 1 ranking in the state as well as getting the team to the Final Four in Division 2. The forward had a team-high 22 goals in the regular season with 14 assists, earning all-league, all-district and all-region honors.
Alex Elliott
Lakeview
Coming on strong in his senior season, Alex Elliott was one of the most improved players on the Lakeview team from last year, growing both physically and tactically as he ends his career as a two-year varsity player and a captain for the All-City champs. The middle earned all-league honors in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference and finished with 10 goals and seven assists.
Jayson Janofski
Marshall
With tremendous dribbling ability and good ball striking, Jayson Janofski helped Marshall to a 18-2-1 record, a conference title in the Interstate 8 and a district crown. Named all-league, all-district and all-region, the senior forward had 19 goals and 20 assists on the season for the Redhawks.
Hector Jimenez
Delton Kellogg
Showing great offensive skill, Hector Jimenez had a big junior year as he earned all-league honors for a second season. A two-sport standout in the fall, Jimenez was also one of Delton Kellogg's top cross country runners. Jimenez led the team with 21 goals and eight assists and was all-league and all-district as Delton Kellogg went 9-7-2 overall in the regular season and advanced to the regional finals.
Griff Klein
Marshall
Although just a sophomore, Griff Klein proved to be a seasoned, rugged defender who commanded Mashall's defense all year. After giving up 11 goals in the first four games, Klein led a defense that gave up only seven goals in the next 16 games. Klein helped Marshall to a 18-2-1 record, a conference title in the Interstate 8 and a district crown.
Vaughn Klein
Marshall
Vaughn Klein had a breakout senior season as an early position change helped the team improve from a sluggish start to the year as he settled into the role as central midfielder for the Redhawks. Highly skilled and a good technician on the pitch, the senior helped Marshall to a 18-2-1 record, a conference title in the Interstate 8 and a district crown.
Thang Khup
Battle Creek Central
A senior leader for a young Battle Creek Central team and was the key offensive force for the Bearcats in one of the strongest leagues in the state for soccer - the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. Thang Khup led BCC with seven goals and 10 assists.
Isaac Lapekas
Gull Lake
The leader of a defense that was dominant all season, Isaac Lapekas had a standout senior season, earning all-league, all-district and all-region honors this year as he helped the Blue Devils earn a No. 1 ranking in the state and a spot in the Final Four. Lapekas led a defense that had nine shutouts in regular season and allowed just 14 goals.
Andy Neal
Lakeview
A team leader and the voice of the backfield, Andy Neal had a standout senior season as a two-year captain and a three-year starter for a Spartan squad that was All-City champs. Neal helped Lakeview to six shutouts and earned all-league and all-district honors.
Amine Mohammed
Coldwater
A senior captain, Amin Mohammed didn't play as a junior due to COVID concerns, but had a huge final season for the Cardinals as he helped the team to a co-championship in the regular season in the Interstate 8 Conference and a 13-6-2 record, finishing as district finalist. Mohammed had an impressive 34 goals, with 12 assists, and was an All-State selection during his sophomore season.
Zeman Norman
Coldwater
Not putting up big numbers, Zeman Norman was the heart and soul of the midfield for Coldwater. A standout defensive player, who could also get the offense started from his midfielder position. The senior captain helped the team to a co-championship in the regular season in the Interstate 8 Conference and a 13-6-2 record, finishing as district finalist.
Evan Poulopoulos
Olivet
Evan Poulopoulos was a four-year varsity player and a two-year starter and helped Olivet to a 7-9-3 record as an offensive force. The senior forward scored 10 goals and added an assist and earned all-league and all-district honors for the Eagles.
Josh Pugh
Marshall
Josh Pugh had a record-breaking season for a Marshall team that went 18-2-1, was Interstate 8 Conference champs and finished as district champs. An All-State player last year, Pugh had 33 goals and five assists in his junior season. He currently holds both the single-season and career goal records at Marshall. The forward has also been named all-league, all-district and all-region for the Redhawks.
DeWitt Renwick
Gull Lake
Playing the key role as defensive midfielder, DeWitt Renwick was a two-way player who was a fixture on a standout defense and a high-scoring offense. Renwick had seven goals and two assists as Gull Lake was ranked No. 1 in the state and advanced to the Final Four. As a part of the Blue Devil defense, he was a part of nine shutouts on a team that allowed just 14 goals during a 16-1-1 regular season.
Ethan Smith
Harper Creek
Ethan Smith had one of the most surprising games of the Beavers' season with a hat trick in the first 20 minutes of his first game as a striker and was a key part of Harper Creek's season as a senior captain. He played all positions as he helped the Beavers to a 7-8-1 record overall and 4-2 in the Interstate 8 Conference.
Hans Strenge
Calhoun Christian/St. Philip
A team captain that could play anywhere on the field for the Calhoun Christian/St. Philip co-op squad. Lining up mostly as goalkeeper, Hans Strenge helped keep his team in games as he was voted team MVP as the Cougars finished 6-8 overall.
Brady Tatrow
Mashall
Part of Marshall's multi-faceted offensive force, Brady Tatrow set the school's single-season record for assists with 28 as he helped Marshall to a 18-2-1 record, a conference title in the Interstate 8 and a district crown. The senior forward finished with 10 goals, to go along with those 28 assists, and he earned all-league honors in the Interstate 8 Conference and all-district accolades.
Abram Thang
Lakeview
A third-year varsity player as a junior, Abram Thang was a high-scoring forward for a Lakeview team that was All-City champion, won the 2021 Lakeview Invitational and held its own against a loaded schedule, including a 2-2 tie with No. 1-ranked Troy. Thang had 14 goals and nine assists, both team highs, and earned all-league and all-district honors.
Marshall Warner
Delton Kellogg
After getting hurt as a freshman and sitting out last year with rehab, Marshall Warner had a breakout junior year as the team's most skilled all-around player with the ability to control games from his forward position. Warner had 15 goals and 13 assists and was all-league and all-district as Delton Kellogg went 9-7-2 overall in the regular season and advanced to the regional finals.
Gabe Whitehead
Pennfield
A senior captain, Gabe Whitehead was one of Pennfield's best defensive players as his speed and hard-driving style started many attacks from the defensive side of the ball, helping to flip the field. Whitehead helped the Panthers to a 7-12-2 record and a 3-5-1 mark in the league as Pennfield won the Interstate 8 Conference Silver Bracket Tournament.
HONORABLE MENTION
Carson Tucker (Marshall), Carson Wheeler (Marshall), Travis Neal (Lakeview), Stephen JoPaul (Lakeview), Joseph Closson (Coldwater), Naj Norman (Coldwater), Johnny Ramos (Harper Creek), Cristo Castellanos (Harper Creek), Nick Behnke (Harper Creek), Lim Dzialo (Harper Creek), Justin Fourn (Pennfield), Javier Santibanez (Pennfield), Maximiliano Rosas (BCC), William Felton (CC/St. Philip), James Blackburn (Delton Kellogg), Dominic Roudabush (Gull Lake), Ethan Hess (Gull Lake), Jasek Zielaskowski (Gull Lake), Evan Kaiser (Gull Lake)
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Meet the 2021 All-Enquirer Boys Soccer Team
