The 2009 All-Area Boys Soccer Team

Coach of the year

Jedd Zaring

SCHOOL: Jefferson Forest

YEAR: 17th

RECORD: 22-1 (274-46-13 career)

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Zaring, a former professional player with the Pittsburgh Spirit and Denver Avalanche of the MISL who has previous coaching stops at Sweet Briar College, Brookville and Heritage, has found a home at Forest along with his sons Scott, a goalkeeper who graduated last year, and Bryan a sophomore defender. He credits the Forest Youth Athletic Association and area club teams for providing feeder programs. “I’m blessed to be in a place where I have good talent to work with,” he said. “That makes the job a lot easier.” However, losing the way the Cavaliers did, to eventual 10th-time Group AA state champion Blacksburg in the semifinals on penalty kicks, was hard. “At my age (52), I’m not sure how much more of those I can take, to be honest with you,” Zaring said. “It hurts. It was a bitter pill to swallow. We still have a little bit of a sting because it was a great year that could have been greater. I honestly believe our program has gotten to the point where we have a legitimate chance of winning a state championship. (But) it’s kind of a double-edged sword. You’re really setting yourself up for failure because it’s a very difficult thing to do, unless you’re Blacksburg. It comes down to a lot of luck and a lot of factors.” The Cavaliers had the depth and, with David Rochow and David Jackson, the quality of talent that made them favorites to reach the final. “It was a great team this year,” Zaring said. “We all got along together and had fun. The fact we didn’t win the state championship doesn’t take away from that. It’s all about the journey. But to have a lead with one minute to go and to lose in overtime ...” He calls Blacksburg coach Shelley Blumenthal, his mentor, the “master of the fourth dimension” for his ability to instill into his players a will to win. “What Shelley has done at Blacksburg is something that is truly special in American high school sports,” Zaring said. “To win 10 state titles in anything, that is very unusual. We’re 3-3 against them over the past four years (but) one of these times, I want to say we beat them in a game that truly matters. It’s just a testament to how good they are that they keep coming out on top.”

First team

Jon Ascencio

SCHOOL:  Amherst

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Forward

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Ascencio, who plans to play at Randolph College starting this fall, was a first-team all-Seminole District and second-team all-Region III player after scoring 11 goals and dishing off six assists. “That kid is going places,” coach Tom McBride said.  “The things he does with the ball at the high school level at his age …  he’s got good speed and real good technical skill. Randolph College’s coach said he was one of the best offensive players he had seen all year. He’s a tremendously skilled player.”

Abass Ayembillah

SCHOOL:  Liberty Christian Academy

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Forward

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Ayembillah, from Ghana, was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs for the second season in a row and sparked them to the Virginia Independent Schools Division I state final four with his dazzling technical skills and phenomenal speed.

Tyler Gilchrist

SCHOOL:  Liberty

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Forward

ALL-STAR STUFF:  An attacking midfielder, Gilchrist was an excellent athlete with good size and coordination. He could play anywhere on the field, starting in goal from time to time as a freshman before finding his best fit at forward.  Gilchrist was a first-team all-Seminole District and highly ranked second-team all-Region III player who could take his game to the next level.

David Jackson

SCHOOL:  Jefferson Forest

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Midfielder

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Jackson was slowed by an ankle injury late in the season, but he still stepped up and played remarkably well at crucial times, assisting Rochow on a critical goal in a Group AA state quarterfinal victory over Martinsville after making a 40-yard dribbling run up the right sideline. Though his dad went to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Jackson accepted an appointment to go to the Naval Academy in Annapolis to play for Dave Brandt, the six-time NCAA Division III champion at Messiah College. Jackson, a first-team all-Seminole and first-team all-Region III pick, scored 17 goals and distributed 13 assists in 20 games for JF, moving into the all-time lead for career points scored at JF with 175.

Patrick Hamilton

SCHOOL:  E.C. Glass

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Midfielder

ALL-STAR STUFF:  A first- team all-Western Valley District, first-team all-Northwest Region and honorable mention all-Group AAA state selection, Hamilton scored three goals and distributed eight assists for the Hilltoppers this season. “He was our playmaker,” said Turille, who coached him at Holy Cross as an eighth grader. “He played the quarterback of the team and always looked for the assist more than the goal. We looked to play him in the middle and he picked defenses apart. Technically, he’s sound and strong and he defended very well. He was very good in the air and at winning head balls for us..” After representing the West squad at the July 8 VHSCA all-star game at Christopher Newport University, Hamilton is thinking about walking on to play at Richmond.

Ian Case

SCHOOL:  Jefferson Forest

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Midfielder

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Case scored the only goal in regulation, a header assisted by Andrew Dempsey and the only shootout goal in the Group AA state semifinal loss to Blacksburg,. Shifting to center midfield, he used his height and his size to his advantage to win more than his share of 50-50 balls. When he was around the goal, the natural forward used his striker instincts to finish with 11 goals and six assists.

Clarke Goodling

SCHOOL:  Nelson County

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Midfielder

ALL-STAR STUFF:  A repeat selection on the all-Dogwood District first team, Goodling also received second-team status on the Region B team this spring after leading the Governors in scoring. He helped them advance to the Region B semifinals against George Mason, Nelson County’s nemesis which eliminated it for a fourth time in seven seasons en route to winning its fourth Group A state title this decade.

Dylan Tordoff

SCHOOL:  Brookville

YEAR: Senior

POSITION: Defender

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Tordoff often moved up to take corner kicks and free kicks and finished with six goals and 10 assists, astronomical numbers for a defender. “Every goal was coming through Dylan,” coach Ricky Theodore said. “When he first came into the area, he was just a good athlete, but he really developed into a very good soccer player. He’s smart and tough and had the ability to go forward and score goals.” Theodore said Dylan was a much better soccer player than his older brother Dustin was. “Dustin was a stud athlete,” he said. “He wasn’t a great soccer player. Dylan started earlier and he has that same athletic ability, but also developed a solid technical base.” Tordoff will try to walk on as a placekicker on Old Dominion University’s first-year football team this fall.

Jake Hobson

SCHOOL:  E.C. Glass

YEAR: Junior

POSITION: Defender

ALL-STAR STUFF:  A first-team all-Western Valley District, second-team all-Northwest Region sweeper, Hobson is solid in the back and a very smart player. “We’re hoping to move him up to center midfield next year (because) he’s a very creative kid,” coach Randy Turille said. “But he’s so good in the back, it’s hard to move him out of ther. He was the anchor of our backs.” Hobson was hobbled by a hip injury in the game against Gar-Field, but he played through it. “He had a fractured hip in the regional quarterfinals and he came out for a minute and went back in and played through it,” Turille said. “He’s a tough kid who loves the game more than anyone I’ve known in a long time. He’s got great speed and he’s very exciting to watch. The best thing is his knowledge of the game.”

Austin Walker

SCHOOL:  Heritage

YEAR: Junior

POSITION: Goalkeeper

ALL-STAR STUFF:  Walker earned all-Seminole District first-team status in goal and second-team ranking in Region III after a breakout junior season in which he made the spectacular save appear simple and kept the routine save routine. “His reflexes are very good,” coach Guillermo Sarlo said. “He’s very talented and dedicated. He’s a natural talent. (By) his senior year, he’ll be an excellent keeper.”

Second team:

F Justin Henry, E.C. Glass Sr. — A wide receiver recruit at Christopher Newport University, Henry played as big a role on the soccer field for the Hilltoppers, scoring 15 goals and setting up four others to earn first-team all-Western Valley District honors.

F Stefan Phelps, Heritage Sr.  — The Pioneers’ leading scorer finished with more than 15 goals and five assists, earning first-team all-Seminole District and honorable mention all-Region III accolades.

F Jake Link, E.C. Glass Sr. — Scored 15 goals and distributed six assists, joining Henry to account for 30 of the Hilltoppers’ 54 goals.

F Clifton Ray, Appomattox Sr. — First-team all-Dogwood District and team MVP for the second year in a row, Ray collected nine goals and six assists, playing everywhere from forward back to defense. A Duke-bound graduate who carried a 4.3 GPA at the Governor’s School, he also played football and was named the VHSL all-Group A male athlete of the year. 

F Stephen Perkins, Altavista Sr. — Perkins, a first team All-Dogwood District and second-team all-Region B selection, scored 37 goals in his final two seasons with the Colonels.

MF Richard Nyarko, LCA Sr. — A facilitator in the midfield and technical wizard with the ball, Nyarko, who like Ayembillah is from Ghana, played a quarterback role in leading the Bulldogs to the VIS Division I Final Four at Richmond’s Sports Backer Stadium in the fall. 

MF Andrew Dempsey, Jefferson Forest Sr. — An energizer on the field, Dempsey rarely stops running. “He’s deceptively tricky and deceptively fast and really was a threat out wide,” Zaring said. “He was,  in my opinion, the epitome of what you want a high school athlete to be — he had fun, gave 100 percent all of the time and motivated his teammates.” He finished with eight goals and 12 assists.

MF Kyle Renfro, Brookville Jr. — An extremely versatile player whose best position is goalkeeper, Renfro hasn’t played in the cage since his sophomore year because he is such an effective scorer. He scored six goals and distributed eight assists despite playing most of the season with a bungy cord contraption on his injured shoulder.

MF Michael Bodine, Jefferson Forest Sr. —  A defensive midfielder and team captain, Bodine loved the game and played it harder than anyone on his team. “He was not a big guy, but that kid was the glue that held us together,” Zaring said. “He was the guy that made our team go, the constant link between the defense and the offense. Of all the players I’m going to have to replace next year, Michael Bodine is going to be the toughet.”

D Benton Riordon, Jefferson Forest Jr. — Blessed with a remarkable ability to read the game, Riordon anticipates well and always gets himself in the right position, as he did against Martinsville in the Group AA state quarterfinal, making a save at the right post. He was the leader of a four-man defense that surrendered only nine goals in 23 games this season. “I don’t remember Benton getting beat one-on-one,” Zaring said. “Renfro got around him once.”

D Nicky Whisler, Jefferson Forest Sr. — Whisler was JF’s most improved player and did a very good job shutting down opponents in the big games. “Hit the weights at the YMCA and he was one of the strongest players on our team,” Zaring said. “He was a brick wall. Blacksburg could not get around him.”

D Bryan Zaring, Jefferson Forest So. — When Riordon was sick, Zaring stepped up and took command of the defense, helping the Cavs shut out Heritage in the Seminole District final. “As the year went on, as the games got bigger, he was solid for us,” Jedd Zaring said. Besides being very technical with the ability to put the ball on the feet of his teammates 40 yards away, he developed his physical build and held his own in the middle of the defense. “He hit the weights and went from being a skinny little ninth grader to a tough 10th grader,” Zaring added. “He’s tall and anything in the air, it was Bryan’s responsibility to go out and get it.”

GK Blake Hubbard, Jefferson Forest Sr. — In 1,847 minutes of action, Hubbard allowed nine goals, 0.39 per game, and made 68 saves, posting 15.5 shutouts. “He stepped up this year and did a great job for us,” Zaring said, noting his son Scott is still JF’s all-time leader in shutouts.