By Alex Frazier
Thanks to all the coaches, players and parents for another great season of soccer. Once again the Suburban One League was a major player in the state.
In my last notebook, I would like to honor the Player of the Year in each conference and name my Coach of the Year.
National Conference
Erhan Selvi, senior, Council Rock South
It’s not unusual to have one player who is an excellent defender and another who excels on offense.
But to combine those skills into one player is rare.
Erhan Selvi was that kind of player.
Early in the season when the Golden Hawks flew out of the blocks, Selvi was the catalyst.
“He had maybe four or five goals in the first eight games from the central midfield position,” said coach Alan Nicholl. “I was really surprised because you tend to lean on your forwards to get the goals. To see him get on the score sheet so much early on was great.”A year ago Selvi played forward for Council Rock South and admitted he wasn’t very effective.
“I wasn’t a productive forward,” he said. “I wasn’t scoring. We always struggled as a team to get goals. Over the summer I re-focused, realizing what time to be more selfish and shoot and other times when I should lay the ball off.”
This year Nicholl moved him back to center midfield and he led the team in points with seven goals and one assist.
“It was just taking advantage of opportunities,” Selvi said. “You have to realize the opportunity and take it.”
And when he wasn’t involved with scoring goals, he worked to prevent them.
“Erhan’s biggest strength is his defensive presence,” said Nichol. “He’s such a big body (6-0, 170), he’s a very physical player. There’s very little of his game that he doesn’t excel in—tackling, dribbling, shooting; he goes left, he goes right. His spatial awareness is outstanding. That’s the stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.”
As good as Selvi was on offense in the first nine games, he was just that good on defense in the second half of the season.
“To have a player that plays both sides of the ball as well as Erhan does, you rarely see it,” said Nicholl.
Bering selected Player of the Year surprised Selvi.
“Statistic-wise, I knew there were players better than me,” he said. “I guess it was because as a team we did so well and I was seen as an integral part of the team. I definitely couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”
In addition to being a four-year starter on the soccer team, Selvi also competes in both winter and spring track at South. He is a jumper and hurdler.
At first he just did it to stay in shape for soccer.
“As time passed I started getting better at it and was able to compete as well,” he said.
Selvi excels off the field as much as he does on it. He has been president of his class for four years.
“I enjoy student council and all the activities that go on for our class,” he said. “It’s always been something I’ve been interested in being a part of. I took advantage of the opportunity I was given.”
He carries a 4.0 average and is ranked sixth of 525 in his class.
Next year he hopes to continue playing soccer in college and major in biomedical engineering.
He has already been accepted at Penn State, but his No. 1 choice is Johns Hopkins. He is also considering Duke and Penn.
Continental Conference
Ken Haug, senior, Central Bucks East
Ken Haug was a multi-faceted player, as C.B. East coach Mike Gorni described him. Haug was dangerous on re-starts. He could toss the ball into the box from the touchline, and he was adept at serving the ball into the box on distant re-starts.
Haug’s throw-in led to the first and winning goal against Lower Merion in the state quarterfinals, and his throw led to the winning goal against Central Dauphin in the state semifinals.
“He had a lot of major moments especially at the most critical times of the season,” said Gorni.
Last year Haug observed how effective teammate Matt McPherson was on his throw-ins.“It seemed like a useful tool,” said Haug. “I asked him for a few pointers. I definitely worked on that. I used it over the club season a little bit.”
Besides finding targets, he was also a target, mostly for Chris Kneeshaw, the Patriots’ other potent thrower.
“On corner kicks and longer re-starts, I would generally be in the box getting head balls,” he said.
When he wasn’t defending, he was busy attacking; he ended up being the second leading scorer on the team with two goals and 10 assists. Most of his assists came off throw-ins, restarts or flicks in the box.
“He had a tremendous number of points this year,” said Gorni. “He had a terrific, all-around season. Both from the flow of play and from re-starts, he had a lot of different dimensions to his game.”
As an outside left defender, Haug was one of five defenders who allowed just 17 goals in 27 games this season.
Gorni said that Haug was a mirror of the team.
“He was good at the beginning and got better and better, then he started to contribute on both the offensive and defensive ends and he got better as the season went on,” said Gorni.
Haug, who plays stopper for his club team, wasn’t sure where he would play for East.
“Our team changed dramatically where kids were on the field,” said Haug. “There was a lot of learning as we went.”
He ended up at left back.
“Each week I kept getting better,” he said. “Coming into the season I obviously had the intention of playing well, but I didn’t think I would have reached this level. It was definitely a great experience.”
Haug is still in the college search process. He hopes to play soccer at the next level. An honor roll student with a 3.1 GPA, he should have no trouble finding a school.
“I don’t know exactly what I want to do or where I want to go, so the door is definitely open now,” he said.
This spring he may try out for baseball, along with teammate Kris Davis.
American Conference
Olu Amudipe, senior, Wissahickon
Coach Stuart Malcolm praises Olu Amudipe as “one of the best defenders that I have had the privilege to coach.”
Unlike many players who have bounced around in different positions throughout their careers, Amudipe started as a defender at the age of six and has been one ever since.
“I was put in that position and did well at it, and I kept playing there,” he said.Though he usually plays outside back for his Penn Fusion club team, Malcolm placed him at sweeper for the Trojans.
One main reason is his ability to head balls out of the box even though he is only 5 feet, 8 inches tall.
“I find it easy to head it away from pressure, rather than re-directing it toward the goal,” he said.
“As a reliable defender with great ability in the air, he is as well rounded a player as you are going to see play the game,” said Malcolm. “He is an unbelievable defender one on one and has tremendous technique and balance.”
It’s not surprising since Amudipe plays on a very high-level club team. Penn Fusion has won several state championships as well as a few regional titles. Last year the team placed third in the nation.
As well as Amudipe has done at the high school level, he isn’t convinced that he will continue soccer next year in college, unless he gets an offer he can’t turn down.
He does, however, expect to pursue his favorite subject, math, at the next level.
“I’m definitely most comfortable in math and I enjoy it also,” he said.
If he doesn’t play soccer, at least he will have gone out at the top of his game.
To be named to the all-state team is quite an honor. Defenders aren’t often measured on their stats, like offensive players.
“It was an honor to be recognized for my hard work,” he said. “It was exciting and shocking at the same time.”
Coach of the Year Mike Gorni, Central Bucks East
I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t hold Mike Gorni in the highest esteem. Without a doubt, he is one of the finest coaches in the state. Every year, he manages to squeeze the best out of each of his players, taking them where even they might not have expected.
In his 16 years at East, Gorni has produced state-qualifying teams seven times, four of those in the past four years.
This year’s team made the state final for the first time in school history, and it accomplished that feat without any individual “star” players. It was a team of stars.
Final league standings – The final league standings are in and as usual I’m red in the face.
I’m glad I have a good sense of humor; otherwise, I might be seeing my physician for some depression drugs after another stellar season of predictions. This year I went nine for 23 or 39 percent. Ugh!
Oh well, life isn’t always a bowl of cherries, but I do get tired of gnawing on the pits.
National Conference
Predicted standings Final standings
1. Pennsbury 1. Council Rock North
2. Council Rock South 2. Council Rock South
3. Neshaminy 3. Neshaminy
4. Council Rock North 4. Pennsbury
5. Abington 5. Abington
6. William Tennent 6. William Tennent
7. Harry S Truman 7. Bensalem
8. Bensalem 8. Harry S Truman
Continental Conference
Predicted standings Final standings
1. Pennridge 1. Central Bucks East
2. North Penn 2. Pennridge
3. Central Bucks East 3. North Penn
4. Souderton 4. Central Bucks South
5. Hatboro-Horsham 5. Hatboro-Horsham
6. Central Bucks South 6. Souderton
7. Central Bucks West 7. Central Bucks West
8. Quakertown 8. Quakertown
American Conference
Predicted standings Final standings
1. Wissahickon 1. Wissahickon
2. Cheltenham 2. Upper Moreland
3. Upper Dublin 3. Cheltenham
4. Plymouth Whitemarsh 4. Upper Dublin
5. Upper Moreland 5. Plymouth Whitemarsh
6. Upper Merion 6. Upper Merion
7. Norristown 7. Norristown
Final Top Five SOL
1. Central Bucks East
2. Pennsbury
3. Council Rock South
4. Wissahickon
5. Pennridge
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