It’s never easy picking the best of the best, but that’s what we attempt to do with our annual All-O-Zone teams. Soccer is no different, as the Ozarks has a number of talented players who deserve recognition.
With that said, here are my selections for the 2016 All-O-Zone Boys’ Soccer Team. I have a first team and an honorable mention team, with an added utility/reserve spot for each. Plenty of tough cuts to make among the 24 available spots!
Selections were based on a few criteria: my own observations during games, season stats and postseason accolades and feedback from area coaches.
Following in the steps of last year’s team, we’ll go with the offensive-minded but rarely seen in high school 3-4-3 formation to let our top guys do their thing.
First Team Forward
Jason Puente, sophomore, Monett (Player of the Year) – So much for the narrative of a “sophomore slump.” You don’t see many rookie seasons like the one Puente had in 2015. Amazingly, Puente went up and hit a new level this fall and made his presence felt as one of the premier players in the state. Make no mistake, Puente was one of the best players on the field in Fenton during the Class 2 final four. He scored against larger local competition (Nixa, Carthage, Republic) and the best competition Class 2 had to offer (four goals against Fatima in sectionals, two against Boonville in quarterfinals). He delivered a beautiful goal in the semifinal win over O’Hara and managed to be a consistent threat against a superior John Burroughs team in the finals. Puente’s two-year numbers are staggering. He’s going to be one of the Ozarks’ most decorated players by the time he graduates (*knocks on wood for two more healthy seasons*). Puente has the speed and technique to create his own chances, the power and accuracy to deliver lethal strikes and the willingness to set up teammates.
2016 stats: 48 goals, 12 assists; Class 2 Co-Offensive Player of the Year… Two-year totals: 89 goals, 35 assists
Josh Call, senior, Glendale – As one opposing coach said, it was pick your poison with Glendale. Call was the most lethal dose for the Falcons. He’s a tough matchup in the air and a sound finisher in the box. Teaming with passing whiz Sean Perryman, Glendale had the best tandem for set pieces in the area. Call battled through a rib injury this season to lead Glendale to another district title and a spot in the Class 3 state playoffs. Said another opposing coach who has seen plenty of Call over the past few years: “He’s a very tough kid who was capable of making big plays. You can’t give him space in the box because he will likely put it away.”
2016 stats: 18 goals, 12 assists; Class 3 First Team All-State; Class 3 Southwest-Central Region Offensive Player of the Year
Brody Johnson, senior, Parkview – For me, Johnson had the most impressive stat/accolade of anyone on this list: He was first team all-state in Class 3. To do that on a sub-.500 team from SWMO is incredibly hard to achieve. It shows the type of respect Johnson had from opposing coaches and the talent he possesses. He was the first, second and third priority for opposing defenses but still found ways to be an elite scorer. The speedy Johnson accounted for 75 percent of Parkview’s total goals over the last two seasons.
2016 stats: 31 goals, 11 assists, Class 3 First Team All-State
First Team Midfield
Keaton Amstutz, senior, Ozark – He captained the best season in Ozark soccer history and put the Tigers one half of soccer away from making it to the Class 4 final four. Ozark rose from the ashes of a mid-season slump and a lot of it had to do with the leadership and talent of Amstutz. He was the lynchpin of Ozark’s attacks and put teammates in positions where they could have success. Amstutz is your ideal midfielder: strong with the ball and a factor both offensively and defensively. Said one opposing coach: “Keaton was the difference both times we played Ozark. We could not match his size and strength. When we planned for Ozark, he was the first and last person we talked about.”
2016 stats: 10 goals, 12 assists; Class 4 Central/Southwest Region Offensive Player of the Year; Class 4 First Team All-State
Elder Reyes, junior, Carthage – He was technically a forward this season, but we have a logjam of guys there and since Reyes deserves a spot on the first team, we’ll slide him back to midfield, a position he’s played in the past. Reyes established himself as a premier player in the area this season, helping ease the loss of Hector Marin and helping Carthage continue its amazing streak of nine straight district titles – the longest such in Missouri. What he may lack in size, Reyes more than makes up for with his savvy and skill level. He came up big in Carthage’s toughest games, scoring hat tricks against Monett, Kickapoo and the state semifinals win over Grain Valley.
2016 stats: 30 goals, 12 assists; Class 3 Southwest-Central Region Player of the Year; Class 3 First Team All-State
Ian Hansen, senior, Kickapoo – The Chiefs have enjoyed a wealth of quality midfielders lately and Hansen was the latest to come through the pipeline. Hansen warranted a lot of attention from opposing defenses, but often still found ways to burn defenses. As one opposing coach said: “He’s a dangerous player. If you made mistakes while defending him, he would likely make you pay for it. He required a lot of attention from our defense.” Hansen delivered a district title for Kickapoo as he scored the game-winning goal for Kickapoo in a 2-1 victory over Central in the Class 4 District 9 finals.
2016 stats: 19 goals, 6 assists; Class 4 Second Team All-State
Julio Quezada, senior, Republic: Described by one opposing coach as the team’s “workhorse,” Quezada was the engine that ran Republic’s soccer machine in 2016. While his single-season scoring record was eclipsed by Dylan Brown this year, Quezada exits as Republic’s all-time leading scorer. Quezada was a dominating and controlling presence in the midfield and scored game-tying goals against the likes of Carthage and Nixa. When Quezada missed a couple of games due to injury this year, Republic wasn’t at the same level. With a second team all-state designation this year, and sitting atop the program’s scoring list, Quezada’s most likely the best player Republic soccer has ever produced.
2016 stats: 17 goals, 14 assists; Class 3 Second Team All-State
First Team Backs
Jon Dasal, senior, Nixa – Blessed with speed and great awareness, Dasal’s been SWMO’s premier defender for a while now. Unfortunately, Nixa didn’t have the team success it enjoyed it 2015, which cost Dasal a second straight all-state season. Still, he’s one of the top athletes you’ll find in the area and he’s been the lynchpin for Nixa’s defense. The two-time all-region selection and four-year starter added one goal and four assists this season.
Nick Janke, junior, Rolla – We’ll complement Dasal’s speed in the back with some size and strength, and Janke certainly has both. The 6’5” junior was Class 3’s Defensive Player of the Year while captaining one of the stingiest defenses in the area. He’s obviously a factor in the air with his height, but coach Mike Howard loves the leadership qualities Janke (6 goals, 1 assist) brings on and off the field.
John Navarrete, junior, Carthage – Possessing soccer IQ and versatility, the Carthage junior rounds out our defending unit. Navarrete won his fair share of head balls while also routinely thwarting counter attacks with his superior anticipation skills. Offensively, he was key for Carthage’s possession game. He kept the ball moving and set the tempo Carthage wanted. Navarrete (3 goals, 5 assists) shared Class 3 Southwest-Central Region Defensive Player of the Year honors with Rolla’s Nick Janke.
Utility/reserve
Sean Perryman, senior, Glendale – When you’re setting records at Glendale, you’re in elite territory. Perryman, a midfielder, goes out as Glendale’s all-time leader in single-season assists. By my count, he has to be close to – if not leading – Glendale’s all-time assists record as well. Perryman’s sophomore (20), junior (20) and senior (25) season assist totals rank in the top five of Glendale’s single-season assists list. He’s so crafty and so good with the ball at his feet – and so dangerous taking set pieces – that he doesn’t need to be scoring goals to be a major factor on the field.
2016 stats: 8 goals, 25 assists; Class 3 Second Team All-State
Goalkeeper
Will vanHoornbeek, junior, Bolivar
This one may raise some eyebrows, and honestly I had some other guys in mind for this spot when I initially started compiling nominations. But as I received feedback from area coaches, no goalkeeper’s name came up more than vanHoornbeek. He was no doubt Bolivar’s MVP and definitely deserved an all-state nomination, or at least all-region. The 6’2” junior kept the Liberators competitive in most games, and a few other games from getting completely out of hand. He recorded seven shutouts and helped Bolivar win three penalty kick shootouts, including one where he made a save then scored on Bolivar’s next kick to win the game for the Liberators. vanHoornbeek is the rare player that can take over a game and have a heavy impact without venturing to the attacking side of the field.
Honorable Mention Forward
Dylan Brown, junior, Republic – A true goal scorer blessed with speed and quickness. By my count, only Monett’s Jason Puente (48 goals) and Laquey’s Tristan Gan (46 goals) had more goals than Brown.
2016 stats: 41 goals, 14 assists; Class 3 Southwest-Central All-Region
Julius Walker, senior, Greenwood – A TON of love for Walker from opposing Class 1 and 2 area coaches. I mean a TON. As in, only Puente got more mentions when I asked, “Who was the best/most dominant player you faced this season?” Walker’s size and athleticism posed a huge mismatch for opposing defenses.
2016 stats: 18 goals, 6 assists; Class 1 First Team All-State; Class 1 Southwest-Central Region Player of the Year
Keagan Peters, senior, Carl Junction – The captained led Carl Junction to a district title and gave eventual state runner-up Carthage a scare in districts.
2016 stats: 13 goals, 9 assists; Class 3 Honorable Mention All-State
Jamie Villegas, senior, Central – We’re bending the rules a bit here and just taking the best players regardless of position for this honorable mention group, so we’ve got four forwards. Villegas was a quiet leader and let his play do the talking for a Bulldogs team that won 16 games and played Kickapoo to a 2-1 loss in the district finals.
2016 stats: 27 goals, 3 assists, 64 shots on goal…. 57 career goals, 13 career assists; Class 4 Southwest-Central All-Region
Honorable Mention Midfield
James Pottberg, senior, Ozark – Like with the forwards, we’re cheating a bit here because we’ve got four midfielders and only two defenders, so we’d have to make some adjustments. Pottberg is a defensive midfielder, but like Villegas he’s too good to leave off this list. He was Ozark’s playmaker, emotional leader and always seemed to come through in big moments. He scored two of Ozark’s biggest goals of the season with the game-winner against Kickapoo in sectionals and the third, win-clinching goal in the district finals versus Joplin.
2016 stats: 9 goals, 15 assists; Southwest-Central All-Region
Cole Johnson, senior, Kickapoo – He teamed with Ian Hansen to lead one of the top midfield units in the area and was recognized as the top player in his conference.
2016 stats: 16 goals, 8 assists; Class 4 Southwest-Central All-Region; Ozark Conference MVP
Kevin King, senior, Nixa – Stats don’t always tell the story for a player and that’s the case with King. But just look at the scoreboard to know his impact. King, a center mid, was injured in practice before Nixa’s district opener against Joplin, a team Nixa beat earlier in the season, and Nixa ended up losing that rematch. King’s strong on the ball and greatly aided Nixa’s possession scheme, which the Eagles struggled with at times in 2015. King’s a big reason why the Eagles kept rolling this year despite the loss of the great Parker Crawford, who would’ve easily been a First Team All-O-Zone selection.
2016 stats: 5 goals, 4 assists; Class 4 Southwest-Central All-Region
Kaueh Huttenlocher, junior, Catholic – Tough call for this last midfielder spot between Huttenlocher and Willard’s Brody Patillo, who was the heart and soul of the Tigers and an all-region selection in Class 3. Huttenlocher, who boasts great technical skills and awareness, was formerly a defensive center mid for the Irish. He shifted up to attacking mid late in the season and thrived, finishing with seven goals and seven assists in the final 10 games of the season.
2016 stats: 8 goals, 9 assists; Class 2 Second Team All-State
Honorable Mention Backs
Josh Neidig, senior, Ozark – Smarts, athleticism and an unmatched work ethic. Neidig (5 goals, 3 assists) set the tone for the best season in Ozark soccer history in practices and games with his leadership and determination.
Mitch Stephens, sophomore, Glendale – This is a senior-dominated list with a handful of juniors. But Stephens offers an influx of youth and talent and emerged as one of the area’s top young players this season. He provides quite an offensive punch at center back, tallying 16 goals and 7 assists in 2016. Stephens shared Ozark Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors with Rolla’s Nick Janke, who was named Defensive Player of the Year for all of Class 3. Stephens was the only sophomore named First Team All-Ozark Conference and one of only two sophomores named to the Southwest-Central All-Region Team.
Utility/Reserve:
Carlos Izaguirre, senior, Monett – He teamed with Jason Puente and Adrian Moncivaiz to form one of the area’s most lethal attacks. He’s a striker but stands out with his willingness to share the ball – he’s had the most assists on the team since 2015. Izaguirre’s had several big games and memorable moments in his four-year career, including the game-winner against Catholic in sectionals in 2015 and the second goal in this year’s 2-0 state semifinal win over Kansas City O’Hara.
2016 stats: 16 goals, 11 assists; Class 2 Second Team All-State
Goalkeeper
Drew Blair, junior, Rolla – Having one of the area’s top backlines playing in front of you helps, but Blair certainly does his part between the posts for the Bulldogs. Now a three-year starter, the second-team all-state selection set a school record with a 0.52 goals against average this season and brings mental and physical toughness to the field. Blair and the Bulldogs defense registered 15 clean sheets, including a 1-0 victory over Glendale in the Class 3 sectional round and a 1-0 win against Helias Catholic for a district championship.
