Jarrad Saffren looks at the growth of soccer and also previews the top SOL teams and players from all three conferences.
Suburban One League Boys Soccer Preview: Why boys soccer may become the new American football. Plus the best teams and players in all three conferences.
By Jarrad Saffren
Almost every Suburban One League boys soccer coach repeated this line during tryouts: “This is the biggest freshmen class we’ve had. Last year’s freshmen class was the biggest we’ve had until this year.”
Thirty Central Bucks West freshmen came out for soccer.
“That’s the biggest class since I’ve been part of the program,” fourth-year coach Stefan Szygiel said.
Twenty North Penn freshmen tried out.
“Our numbers were in the 75-80 range this year, like it’s been for the last few years,” Knights coach Paul Duddy said. “But 20 freshmen is a lot.”
Hatboro-Horsham drew 24 freshmen.
“We had that number last year, too,” Hatters coach Kyle McGrath said. “It’s bigger than most years.”
Bensalem got 30.
“Our numbers for tryouts for soccer is one of the highest of any sport at Bensalem,” Owls coach Joe Leone said.
Council Rock South attracts 12-15 freshmen most years. Twenty-one tried out in 2016.
“They came out in droves,” Golden Hawks coach Alan Nicholl said. “It was great to see.”
Council Rock North attracted 26. “That’s bigger than most years,” Indians coach Joe Stackhouse said.
What’s going on here? Why is the world’s game so popular in the country that has always neglected it?
Three cultural trends explain the phenomenon.
1) Youth soccer has been growing for years. It fits the modern emphasis on year-round playing, training and specialization. Most high school programs now have three, four, five club programs feeding them. And the club programs are legit. Most hire professional coaches who played and coached the sport at a high level. The classic American model of parent-coaches is fading into history.
2) More boys are choosing soccer over football. Soccer is safer and you can play it year-round. You can’t play 11-on-11 tackle football in pads year-round.
3) Kids can now watch the English Premiere League, Major League Soccer and other professional soccer leagues on cable television and the Internet. That was not an option 15-20 years ago. Nicholl, also a science teacher at CR South, said it best:
“I used to see kids wearing Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Cowboys jerseys,” Nicholl said. “Now kids wear Arsenal and Real Madrid.”
Boys soccer is healthier than ever in America. It is no longer a niche sport.
As football programs continue to attract fewer players, season after season, soccer will only keep growing. Baseball is America’s Pastime. Football is America’s Game. Soccer may be America’s Future.
These trends are based on SOL information. But they can be extrapolated nationwide. In 2016, it is time to finally acknowledge the larger puzzle. We know football is dying a slow death. But we have not considered how much soccer is benefiting.
Like their sport, SOL boys soccer programs are healthier than ever. So is the quality of play. All three conferences have multiple title contenders and rosters of club-bred, college-caliber players.
SOL National
League champion: Neshaminy. The Redskins won the SOL National in 2013, ’14 and ’15, going 36-1-5 in conference play. They dropped to fourth last year, going 7-6-1.
“It was a down year,” coach Tom Foley said.
It was more of a transition year. The young Redskins needed half a season to get used to varsity soccer. They won seven of their last nine games and still made the District One Class AAA playoffs.
Eight starters are back, including All-SOL National selections Dylan McDonald and Dan Grindrod. Keeper Val Scarsellato went 5-1-1 after taking over the starting job midseason.
Other district playoff qualifiers: CR North, CR South, Pennsbury, Bensalem, Abington.
First Team
Forward: Jack McCourt, Neshaminy—McCourt made the All-SOL National Second Team as a sophomore. He should lead Neshaminy and possibly the conference in goals.
Forward: Juan Castillo, Abington—Abington lost 16 seniors from its 2015 conference title team, including leading scorer Matt Bachman (19 goals). Castillo netted 10 goals in 2015. Abington needs him to score even more to make it back to the district playoffs. He scored the only goal in the Ghosts’ season-opening win.
Forward: Zach LoBasso, Pennsbury—LoBasso is the only other 2015 First Team selection back in 2016. He has scored more than 20 goals in his career.
Midfielder: Mike Dawicki, Council Rock South—Nicholl expects Dawicki to be “a top five player in the league.” He missed the last five 2015 games with a torn ACL. The Hawks went 2-3.
Midfielder: Dan Grindrod, Neshaminy—Grindrod will play college soccer at West Chester University in 2017. Foley expects him to be “one of the top four players in the league” in 2016.
Midfielder: Josh Griffin, Pennsbury—The offensive midfielder was Pennsbury's second-leading goal-scorer last season. Griffin also made the All-SOL National Third Team.
Defender: Dylan McDonald, Neshaminy—McDonald, a 2015 All-SOL National First Team selection, will play soccer at Syracuse University in 2017. Syracuse made the 2015 Final Four.
Defender: Nick Santos, Council Rock South—The junior started every game as a freshman and sophomore. “That’s rare,” Nicholl said. “He’s very consistent and has a great soccer head. I hope he emerges as a more vocal leader and starts to show his experience.”
Defender: Eric Levine, Council Rock North—Levine, a 2015 all-league selection, is the ideal center back: Tall and physical.
Defender: Noah Ehlin, Council Rock North—Ehlin, also a 2015 all-league selection, is the ideal center back for the same reasons. Levine and Ehlin also play for CR North's basketball team.
Goalkeeper: Anthony Caruso, Council Rock North—Graduated North keeper Billy Storm was a three-time all-league selection. Caruso still started six games last year. Stackhouse called Caruso, “The most technically sound keeper in the league.”
SOL Continental
League champion: Five teams—Central Bucks East, Central Bucks South, CB West, North Penn and Pennridge—could win this league. It’s that good and deep.
But I have to pick CB East for one reason: It would be stupid not to. The Patriots have won three straight SOL Continental titles and 10 of the last 12. They are 39-3 in conference play the last three seasons. They have not lost a conference game since 2014. Trust me. There are a lot more facts. But those cover it.
CB East lost all but two starters—defenders Stephen Sheehan and Will Eisold—from its undefeated PIAA Class AAA champion. It also lost legendary coach Mike Gorni. But Gorni built a program for a season like this. And 92 kids tried out in August. CB East will be fine under new coach Jeremiah White. It already beat archrival North Penn to open conference play.
Other district playoff qualifiers: CB South, CB West, North Penn, Pennridge.
First Team
Forward: Matt Stevenson, Pennridge–Stevenson was one of two freshmen to make a 2015 all-league team. His emergence as an offensive threat lifted a middling Rams squad to the district playoffs. Rams coach Pete Valimont said, “He might be my next opportunity to put up a Player of the Year candidate, by his junior or senior year.”
Forward: Nate Baxter, North Penn–Baxter and Kohler combined for more than 20 goals in 2015. “A lot of assists too,” Duddy said.
Midfielder: Mike Kohler, North Penn–Kohler made the 2015 All-SOL Continental First Team. He had two assists and a goal in North Penn’s season-opening win.
Midfielder: Colin Fagan, Central Bucks South: The third-year starter and fourth-year varsity player is the other returner from the First Team.
Midfielder: Colin Green, Central Bucks South: Green made the 2015 All-SOL Continental Third Team. He and Fagan should be the Continental's best midfield duo.
Midfielder: Marcos Urffer, Central Bucks West: CB West’s senior captain played “almost every minute” as a junior. Urffer stands 6-foot-4 but has the technical ability of shorter, quicker players. “He’s versatile,” Szygiel said.
Defender: Kevin Bernsten, Central Bucks South: Fagan and Green will control the middle of the field for CB South. Bernsten will control the middle on defense. The third-year starter made the 2015 All-SOL Continental Third Team.
Defender: Stephen Sheehan, Central Bucks East: Evan Vare got most of the headlines for CB East last season. But the Patriots’ defense was as good as their offense. They shut out Seneca Valley in the state championship game. Sheehan was the defensive centerpiece.
Defender: Will Eisold, Central Bucks East: Think about this for a second. The 2015 Patriots were one of the best teams in Pennsylvania high school soccer history. Every starter was a senior or junior, besides Eisold. He started at center back as a sophomore.
Defender: Kenny Estep, Pennridge: Estep was an all-league player as a junior. He showed his offensive capabilities by scoring a goal in Pennridge’s season opener.
Goalkeeper: Dylan Smith, Central Bucks West: Smith shut out 11 opponents as a freshman. He almost single-handedly led the Bucks to an upset of Spring-Ford in the District One Class AAA second round. He started 2016 with another shutout.
SOL American
League champion: Three teams–Upper Dublin, Wissahickon and Plymouth Whitemarsh–have contended for SOL American titles in recent years.
Upper Dublin won in 2015 and may be the conference's nouveau riche. Third-year coach Derek Priest works closely with the revamped UD Soccer Club, which started hiring professional coaches five years ago.
The 2016 Flying Cardinals return two top scorers—Anthony Wisdo and Jose Palomeque—and a goalkeeper—Jason Stone—who went 4-0 in 2015.
Priest lost eight starters. But the club restocked his lineup. Seventy-five kids tried out in August. “That’s up 10-15% from 5-6 years ago,” Preist said. "It’s not just numbers. It’s the quality of players who are trying out.”
Other district playoff qualifiers: Wissahickon, Plymouth Whitemarsh.
First Team
Forward: Anthony Wisdo, Upper Dublin: Wisdo has five goals in four games so far this season.
Forward: Randy Meehl, Upper Moreland: Meehl led the Golden Bears in scoring and made the All-SOL American Second Team as a junior.
Forward: Joe LaRouche, Hatboro-Horsham: LaRouche, an All-SOL Continental Third Team selection, led the 2015 Hatters with eight goals.
Midfielder: Tom McHale, Wissahickon: McHale was a 2015 All-SOL American First Team selection.
Midfielder: Jose Palomeque, Upper Dublin: Palomeque scored two goals in UD's conference opener.
Midfielder: Gavin Hendrick, Plymouth Whitemarsh: Hendrick made the All-SOL American Third Team as a sophomore. He assisted on two goals in PW’s conference opener.
Midfielder: Colin Bateman, Hatboro-Horsham: Twenty-two players were named to the 2015 All-SOL Continental First and Second teams. Twenty-one were juniors or seniors. Bateman was the only sophomore.
Defender: Dillon Johnson, Plymouth Whitemarsh: Johnson was also a 2015 All-SOL American First Team selection.
Defender: Ryan Lowry, Upper Moreland: Lowry, like his teammate Meehl, made the Second Team. “We are looking to him to fortify our back line,” Upper Moreland coach Dan Mannella said.
Defender: Jake Chinn, Upper Dublin: One of three returning starters for the Cardinals, Chinn, a center back, will anchor the defense.
Defender: Ryan Leatherman, Quakertown: The fourth-year starter received the ultimate compliment after two games against CB East last season: “He was very well respected by Evan Vare. Vare had a lot of nice things to say about Ryan after he played him both times,” Quakertown coach Kevin Woulfe said. “He said, ‘He’s a handful and a very solid player.’ Ryan is a quiet leader. He’s fast, powerful, good in the air and comfortable with the ball at his feet.”
Goalkeeper: Jason Stone, Upper Dublin: Stone shut out Cheltenham to open the 2016 season. He is 7-0 as a varsity starter.
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