Five local players land on NCOSA first team

Five area players gained first-team honors when the North Central Ohio Soccer Association released its all-league boys and girls teams Thursday. Upper Sandusky senior midfielder Taylor Emerick and the Columbian duo of senior midfielder Kevin Miller and junior forward Fred Fabrizio were first-team picks on the boys side, while the girls area first-team players were Upper Sandusky junior midfielder Grace Miller and Mohawk goalkeeper Ally Weinandy. The boys second team also included the Upper Sandusky senior duo of midfielder Sam Duress and Austin Myers and Columbian senior defender Ben Arnold. Local honorable mention boys players were Columbian’s Lalo Ludwick, Jared Anderson and Jacob Craig, Old Fort’s Eric Bell and Jacob Webb, and Upper Sandusky’s Camilo Yela and Cameron Brady. Four area girls made the second-team list. They were Mohawk senior forward Cambria Kohlenberg, Upper Sandusky junior midfielder Abigail Gerber and sophomore midfielder Megan Hensel, and Columbian senior midfielder Makayla Walton. The local honorable mention girls players were Columbian’s Lydia Arnold and Madison Zimmerman, Mohawk’s Beth Dundore, and Upper Sandusky’s Makenna Searls and Sierra Carey. Van Buren swept the boys individual honors, with Jeff Swaisgood named the coach of the year and senior forward Trenton Boyette taking the player of the year award. The Black Knights (13-2-1) took the NCOSA title with a 6-0-1 mark. Girls champion Liberty-Benton (12-3-1, 8-0 NCOSA) also took both honors, with Mark Pagano tabbed as the top coach and junior midfielder Sophie Norden named the top player.