Boys Soccer Watch List: Accomplished seniors lead 919 area in 2023
HighSchoolOT is previewing the upcoming boys soccer season with its annual watch list across the state's six area codes.
The 919 area code refers to the greater Triangle counties of Wake, Durham, and Orange as well as Johnston, Wayne, Franklin, Granville, Chatham, and Lee. In our preseason rankings, Cardinal Gibbons is the top-ranked boys soccer team in the 919. The Crusaders also start the year second in the overall state rankings.
Here's what you need to know about HSOT Watch Lists:
- Unlike previous years, there was no set number of athletes on each one.
- The Watch List organizes athletes by county and then lists them alphabetically.
- Being on the HSOT Watch List does NOT factor into future awards, like HSOT All-State and HSOT Honors.
- Last year's all-state team and final rankings are listed at the bottom of this story, as is this year's preseason rankings.
- Each player has a quick list of accomplishments from this past season. Accomplishments from previous seasons are noted by what year they occurred in.
- Sometimes transfers happen in the offseason and we are unaware. If that's the case with any athlete below, please notify us at jmbpreps@gmail.com
The 919 boys soccer HSOT Watch List features two returning first-team all-state selections in Gibbons' Joseph Abdenour, the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year, and Rosewood's Reece Gery, who broke the single-season record for assists.
Gibbons enters the year as the reigning NCHSAA 4A champ, while Rosewood is the returning 1A runner-up.
Granville and Franklin counties
Jeffrey Castro, Granville Central (senior)
- 2 goals, 16 assists
Egan Tyler, Oxford Prep (sophomore)
- 12 goals, 9 assists
Joan Vanegas, Granville Central (sophomore)
- 15 goals, 3 assists
Lee and Chatham counties
Rui Aguiar, Northwood (senior)
- 9 goals, 13 assists
Patrick Baquero, Northwood (senior)
- 15 goals, 1 assist
Irvin Gutierrez, Lee County (senior)
- 24 goals, 16 assists
Brandon Harding, Lee County (senior)
- Defender
- 7 goals, 1 assist
Jack Haste, Seaforth (junior)
- 81 saves (5.1/game)
Ryan Jones, Chatham Charter (junior)
- 12 goals, 2 assists
Ken Vazquez Alonzo, Northwood (senior)
- 21 goals, 8 assists
Anthony Woodard, Lee Christian (junior)
- 40 goals, 9 assists
Wayne and Johnston counties
Juan Arteaga, North Johnston (senior)
- 20 goals, 16 assists
Peyton Blalock, C.B. Aycock (senior)
- 0 goals, 18 assists
Josh Coley, Princeton (sophomore)
- 7 goals, 5 assists
Reece Gery, Rosewood (senior)
- 21 goals, 59 assists
- Set NCHSAA single-season assists record
David Jimenez Ayon, Princeton (junior)
- 5 goals, 2 assists
Ozias Miteu, Spring Creek (senior)
- 11 goals, 6 assists
Mateo Olmo-Ramirez, Princeton (senior)
- 7 goals, 9 assists
Connor Piwowarski, C.B. Aycock (senior)
- 11 goals, 4 assists
Derek Reyes, Smithfield-Selma (senior)
- Defender
Zane Sundstrom, Corinth Holders (senior)
- 2 goals
Jeheili Magdiel Velasquez Sanchez, Spring Creek (junior)
- Defender
Aaron Zamora, Rosewood (senior)
- 27 goals, 8 assists
Orange and Durham counties
Illiah Babchenko, Cedar Ridge (senior)
- 2 goals, 6 assists
Angel Bautista, Northern Durham (senior)
- 11 goals, 1 assist
Noah Bennett, Voyager Academy (junior)
- 0.812 GAA, 13 SO, 14 GA
- 141 saves (7.1/game)
Matthew Chenet, Carrboro (senior)
- 8 goals, 12 assists
Wade Clough, Eno River Academy (senior)
- 16 goals, 16 assists
Brandon Garcia Vasquez, Carrboro (senior)
- 9 goals, 4 assists
Aiden Jaeger, Voyager Academy (junior)
- 8 goals, 8 assists
Jean-Pierre Linares, East Chapel Hill (senior)
- 7 goals, 15 assists
Luke Jooste, East Chapel Hill (junior)
- Defender
- 2 goals
Andy Lee, Chapel Hill (senior)
- Defender
Ryan Rosales, Durham School of the Arts (senior)
- 12 goals, 4 assists
Alessio Tozzi, Research Triangle (senior)
- 0.787 GAA, 5 SO, 17 GA
- 88 saves (3.8/game0
- 2 PK stops
Adam Trusky, Chapel Hill (senior)
- Midfielder
Davis Wallace, Research Triangle (junior)
- 26 goals, 7 assists
Cade Wiggins, Research Triangle (senior)
- 17 goals, 4 assists
Rye Young, Carrboro (sophomore)
- 0 goals, 8 assists
Wake County
Joseph Abdenhour, Cardinal Gibbons (senior)
- NC Gatorade POTY
- HSOT 1st team all-state
- 16 goals, 8 assists
Cole Barish, Thales-Apex (senior)
- 13 goals, 12 assists
Emmett Broda, Heritage (senior)
- 8 goals, 0 assists
Julian Cabrera, Apex (senior)
- 8 goals, 8 assists
Sebastian Cortez, Sanderson (junior)
- 2.000 GAA, 1 SO, 28 GA
- 120 saves (7.5/game)
- 1 PK stop
Patrick Dion, Apex Friendship (senior)
- 9 goals, 5 assists
Carter Eckel, Apex Friendship (senior)
- 12 goals, 6 assists
Santiago Escobar, Cary (junior)
- 5 goals, 10 assists
Nick Fitzgerald, Franklin Academy (senior)
- 23 goals, 7 assists
Evan Harper, Heritage (junior)
- 4 goals, 3 assists
Holt Lane, Franklin Academy (senior)
- 35 goals, 15 assists
Cade Lexa, Cardinal Gibbons (senior)
- 8 goals, 1 assist
Axcel Martinez, Southeast Raleigh (senior)
- HSOT 2nd team all-state
- 58 goals, 2 assists
Andrew Mesnard, Leesville Road (senior)
- Defender
- 0 goals, 1 assist
Alex Miller, Apex Friendship (senior)
- Defender
Sean O'Laughlin, Holly Springs (junior)
- HSOT Honorable Mention all-state
- 23 goals, 7 assists
Ryan Palmeeter, Heritage (junior)
- 8 goals, 3 assists
Jackson Peters, Leesville Road (senior)
- Defender
- 0 goals, 1 assist
Rafael Quevedo-Antunez, Middle Creek (senior)
- HSOT Honorable Mention all-state
- 1.130 GAA, 9 SO, 26 GA
- 142 saves (6.2/game)
James Robb, Durham Academy (senior)
- 16 goals, 3 assists
Uriel Santos-Rojas, Garner (senior)
- 12 goals, 6 goals
Cole Trollip, North Raleigh Christian (senior)
- 15 goals, 11 assists
