Gilmer High School soccer players received plenty of attention when it came to season-ending honor rolls.
GHS senior Bobcat defender Noah Turner and junior Lady Cat forward Yenifer Lopez were both selected to the All-Region 7-3A first team.
Bobcat sophomore Brayner Ortiz and Lady Cat sophomore Gimena Domingo-Tercero were named to the second team, respectively.
Receiving an all-region honorable mention were Bobcats Liam Engel, Sebastian Lucas, Eduardo Gonzalez and Keby Puac, while Lady Cats Calli Wise, Amayah Jones, Salma Gonzalez-Santos and Sophia Lykins received an honorable mention on the girls side.
Lopez’s 27 goals established a new GHS Lady Cat record and were tops in the region. Wise scored the second most on the team with nine, and Lykins added four more while battling injuries.
Defenders Domingo-Tercero and Gonzales-Santos and goalkeeper Jones were a formidable trio that frustrated opponents all season.
“Calli played every position but goalie and is very tough, committed and eager to play,” said head coach Adam Palmer. “Gimena and Salma held down the defense and worked tirelessly all season to lead our team in defense of opponents’ counter attacks. They have great touch on the ball and vision to anticipate the next best pass.
“Amayah was our green (colored jersey) monster in goal. She made some absolutely incredible saves at West Hall in penalty kicks along with many other amazing saves throughout the season. Her fearless commitment to protect our goal helped the team play with confidence. Sophia was a captain and worked through injury. She speaks positivity into her teammates and stands for unity within the team.”
Turner was a defensive stalwart for the Bobcats, and he was particularly dangerous taking free kicks from range. Ortiz led the Bobcats with nine goals, and he scored in four-of-six region matches.
“I am very proud of these young men, and they all represented Gilmer very well this season. I am especially proud of the two who were selected for the first and second all-region teams,” said head coach Taylor Johnstone.
“Noah had a break out year in defense and was a crucial part of our defense. He locked down the middle of the field, and there weren’t many balls he didn’t get a head on this year. He played under control on the ball and was extremely valuable to the team on set pieces as well. He even got to chip in on the offensive side of things by scoring a goal in his final game.”
Johnstone added, “Brayner was a big part of our offense this year. He scored nine goals on the season, and he also had several assists on the year.”