Last year’s Handley High School boys’ soccer team featured three of the area’s top four scorers and a senior class that accounted for 60 of the team’s 81 total goals.
While there will be different names leading Handley’s attack this year — last year’s seniors accounted for the team’s top five individual scoring totals and top three assist totals — the good news for the Judges is that they bring back most of the key figures who helped them record 13 shutouts and allow only 12 goals in 18 games.
After a 17-0 start, Handley’s season ended at home in the Region 4D semifinals with a 2-1 loss to eventual state champion Charlottesville. The Judges scored first, had an 11-7 shot advantage and an 8-1 corner kick edge, but the Black Knights scored on two opportunities that the Judges didn’t think Charlottesville should have had a chance to finish — they thought infractions should have been called well before the ball came near their goal.
Handley’s defense features four players with starting experience in seniors Jackson Justice (Class 4 First Team All-State, two goals, four assists), Axel Grimaldo (Second Team All-Region, four goals, committed to NCAA Division III Methodist) and Javier Sanchez (Second Team All-District), and junior Skip Dickson. Justice (committed to NCAA Division I George Washington) played at the top of a Judges defense that lost center back Henry Fowler (10 goals) and goalkeeper Owen Turnbull (12 shutouts) to graduation. Turnbull’s backup, junior Aidan King-Miller, will step into the starting role.
The graduation losses from Handley’s prolific attack include Jag Fitzsimmons (16 goals, 19 assists), The Winchester Star and Class 4 Northwestern District Player of Year and All-State Second Team selection; his twin brother Dash (six goals, 17 assists) and Ramon Diaz-Guzman (20 goals).
Junior midfielder Finn Slaughter — who had a hat trick against Loudoun Valley in the Judges’ first scrimmage — is Handley’s top returning scorer with five goals. Sophomore Micah Combs’ five assists last year leads the returning Judges.
Handley coach Cosmo Balio notes that Charlottesville will be difficult to dethrone with 16 returning players. Second Team All-State forward Thimson Duolo, who scored the first goal against the Judges last year, is one of those returners.
Millbrook (9-6-2) was also hit hard by graduation, losing 14 seniors from a team that saw its season end against Charlottesville in the Region 4D quarterfinals. Will Demus, who led the Pioneers in goals with nine last year as a junior, is also no longer playing soccer for Millbrook.
The Pioneers do bring back three Second Team All-District selections in senior midfielder Joel Vazquez, senior defender Kyle Arthur and junior goalkeeper Brandt Upson (four shutouts, 1.06 goals against average, 4.73 saves per game). Sophomore forward Ian Melnikoff is back after scoring four goals last year.
James Wood (9-7-1) brings back much of the talent that was responsible for nearly half of Handley’s goals allowed in a 6-5 overtime loss at Kelican Stadium to end the regular season, but the Colonels also lost by a combined 19-0 (10-0 in the Region 4D quarterfinals) in two games at Handley.
This year’s Colonels feature sophomore forward Daylin Paige (Second Team All-Region, seven goals, five assists), senior defender Seth Rakowski (Second Team All-Region), senior midfielder Owen Swiger (First Team All-District, tied for the team lead with six assists last year); and junior forward Brayden Pineda (Second Team All-District, tied for for the team lead with eight goals, also had four assists). James Wood also brings back its starting goalkeeper in senior Zach Myers (area-best 8.0 saves per game to go with five shutouts and a 1.63 GAA).
Sherando (7-7-2) struggled in district play last year, posting a mark of 1-5-2. The Warriors will look to improve with a team led by senior midfielder Timmy Hill (First Team All-District, team-high seven goals, also had three assists) and senior midfielder Jack Weisbrod (Second Team All-District, five goals, four assists).
In Class 2, Clarke County (19-3-1 last year) has advanced to the state semifinals or better four straight years, winning it all in 2022. The Eagles nearly played in their third straight title game last year. In the semifinals, Radford tied the game with less than three minutes remaining to force overtime, then eventually won in a penalty-kick shootout.
Clarke County lost First Team All-State center back and Region 2B Player of the Year Joe Ziercher (now at NCAA Division III Wilson College), but it brings back six players who earned All-Bull Run District honors.
That group includes junior midfielder Brody Murphy (First Team All-State), junior forward Burns Beckett (Second Team All-State, team-high 10 goals to go with five assists), junior midfielder John Mercer (First Team All-Region, six goals, seven assists), junior midfielder Wilson Travers (Second Team All-Region, six goals, five assists), senior defender Jose Ramirez (seven goals, five assists) and sophomore defender Carter Frame (Second Team All-District, area-best 20 assists).
Clarke County also brings back two other big parts of its defense in senior defender Emmet Morris and sophomore goalkeeper Drake Barton, (six shutouts, 1.5 GAA in 14 games). Senior All-Region forward Jackson Ellis (nine goals) will not play this year in order to focus on track & field.
The following is a breakdown provided by the area coaches:
Handley
Coach: Cosmo Balio, 15th season
Last year: 17-1 (8-0 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Charlottesville in Region 4D semifinals.
Key losses: Ramon Diaz-Guzman, Jag Fitzsimmons, Dash Fitzsimmons, James Fowler, Owen Turnbull, Sebastian Moore.
Key returnees: Jackson Justice, Sr., D; Axel Grimaldo, Sr., D; Javier Chavez, Sr., D; Micah Combs, So., M; Isaac Carter, Jr., F; Finn Slaughter, Jr., M; Frankie Gomez, Jr., M; Aidan King-Miller, Jr., GK; Skip Dickson, Jr., D; Juan Jimenez Ramirez, Jr., M; Moustafa Hassan, Sr., D.
Key newcomers: Brian Escobar, Fr., D; Hudson Slaughter, Fr., M; Josias Ramirez-Bonitto, So., F; Evan Creamer, Jr., F; Frank Hernandez-Diaz, Sr., D; Christian Cedillo, Jr., M; Abdul Hafiz Safari, Sr., F; Christian Olivo, Sr., GK; Axel Ayala Santos, Jr., M; Brendan Campbell, Sr., D; Noah Cutrona, Jr., D; Jefferson Pineda, So., D; Saul Acosta Leyva, So., M.
Balio’s outlook: “Our coaching staff believes this year’s team will have a different identity from last season’s district championship squad. While we’ll be younger, we have experience in several key areas on the field. Our biggest strength will once again be our back line. The success of our season will largely depend on the development of our midfielders and strikers. For us, the key will be staying healthy and continuing to develop throughout the season. If we can do that, we feel confident we’ll be in contention when it matters most. But time will tell.
“Jackson, Axel and Javier represent the standard for high school soccer in the Winchester area. They exemplify what it means to be true student-athletes, consistently putting their teammates and coaches first. Their leadership on and off the field is invaluable, and having them out there is like having three additional coaches on the pitch — something you simply can’t replace. Their work ethic, attitude and commitment to the team set a tone for everyone else to follow.
“Finn Slaughter made a strong impression by scoring a hat trick against Loudoun Valley, and we’re hopeful that his goal-scoring production will continue throughout the season. Offensively, we’re looking for a collective effort, with a rotation of strikers and midfielders including Isaac Carter, Micah Combs, Frankie Gomez and Evan Creamer. Our plan is to score by committee, and we’re confident that group has the potential to make a big impact.”
Next game: Thursday vs. Millbrook
Clarke County
Coach: Patrick Casey, eighth season
Last year: 19-3-1 (11-1 Bull Run District); district regular-season and tournament champions; Region 2B champions; lost to Radford in Class 2 semifinals.
Key losses: Joe Ziercher, Wesley Beiler, Caden Mercer, Ronny Martin, Rohan Solanki, Jackson Ellis.
Key returnees: Brody Murphy, Sr., M; Burns Beckett, Jr., M; Drake Barton, So., GK; Johnny Mercer, Jr., M; Wilson Travers, Jr., M; Emmet Morris, Sr., D; Jose Ramirez, Sr., D; Carter Frame, So., D.
Key newcomers: Edward Irwin, Fr., D; Bryce Jacobson, So., F; Seti Ajyeman, So., F.
Casey’s outlook: “We are excited about this group of players. They have started well and are working hard during the first week. We expect to be competitive at the state level again this year. Our aim is to retain the district and Region 2B titles and then see where we go from there. We are very fortunate to have a great group of players again this year. We have many returning players in key areas that are supported by a young group of talented players that are ready to contribute from the first day. We can improve on our goal scoring this year. We have the talent to do so and feel confident that this year we will be back to our best. Brody Murphy and Emmet Morris have come back in great shape and are setting the example for how to compete every day in practice.”
First game: Tuesday at Sherando
Millbrook
Coach: Rhonda Cottino, fourth season
Last year: 9-6-2 (5-2-1 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Charlottesville in Region 4D quarterfinals.
Key losses: Brad Fameni, CJ Zeller-Bender, Angel Magana, Duvan Herrera Acevedo, Hamilton Lopez, Christian Nixon, Carter Luden, David Benavides, Brayan Lopez-Romero, Eduardo Guevara Mejia, Nicolas Diaz-Bedregal, Garrett Johnson, Chase Hepner, German Escobar Sebastian, Will Demus.
Key returnees: Brandt Upson, Jr., GK; Kyle Arthur, Sr., D; Joel Vazquez, Sr., M; Jhonatan Arevalo-Argueta, Sr., M; Yael Saavedra-Hernandez, Sr., M; Alex Calixto-Cruz, Sr., D/M; Colton Barr, Sr., D; Ian Melnikoff, So., F; Shawn Fameni, Jr., F.
Key newcomers: David Avila-Moreno, Jr., F; Christopher Bonilla Garcia, Sr., D; Martin Diaz Bedregal, Jr., M; Nigel Foster, Jr., D; John Lopez-Rojas, Jr., M, Steve Luna Pleitez, Jr., F; Ronald Rojas Cabrera, Jr., F; Bryan Velasquez-Castillo, Jr., M.
Cottino’s outlook: “As it goes for each year, our expectations are to strive to go as far in the postseason as possible. We hope to be competitive with each team in the district and region, and work to give everyone a challenge. So far, the team has done well with fitness testing, and personalities have meshed together well. We will be working to rebuild and improve our defense, as we graduated many of our defenders last year. I’m looking forward to seeing our former JV players take on the varsity challenge. We take pride in our JV program and how well it prepares developing players for varsity. We’ve got some newcomers from other places as well, but I’ll let them introduce themselves on the field.”
First game: Wednesday vs. Warren County
James Wood
Coach: Ronald Velasquez, third season
Last year: 9-7-1 (4-4 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Handley in Region 4D quarterfinals.
Key losses: Colin Craig, Tyler DeWarf, Colby Fields, Sam Frigaard, Chris Viera, Ian Longo.
Key returnees: Zach Myers, Sr., GK; Seth Rakowski, Sr., M; Daylin Paige, So., F; Logan Bittner, Jr., D; Jesus Hernandez-Portillo, Sr., M; Tristan Escalona, Sr., M; Owen Swiger, Sr., M; Cody Woodson, Sr., D; Brayden Pineda, Jr., F; Aidan Bell, Jr., D.
Key newcomers: Jesse Rojas-Lamprea, Sr., D; Osvaldo Garcia Lemus, Jr., D; Jaden Clyburn, Sr., D; Noah Nieman, Fr., D; Santiago Rojas, Jr., F; Triston Debela, So., M.
Velasquez’s outlook: “Our attack will be a strength. Daylin, you can tell with having that first year as a freshman that his confidence has grown a lot. Brayden Pineda had a good year for us last year, and this year looks a lot better. He’s able to go at guys, and his finishing has been impressive so far in practice. We want to utilize it as much as we can in games. Noah Nieman plays on NVA’s ECNL team (Northern Virginia Alliance of the Elite Clubs National League). He’s a great, great player who’s going to be in our starting 11 as a defender. He’s a great one v. one defender and understands the game. Being as young as he is and the size that he’s got on him (5 feet, 11 inches), that will help him a lot, just because of how physical the game is in this area.
“Last year we were considered the underdog for sure. I don’t think people expected us to make it to region. We ended up knocking out Sherando from the top four. This year, we kind of have a different perspective going into the season. Obviously, we know we have a team we can compete with if we’re all willing to do the work. it’s just a matter of being gritty. I think this is definitely, in the last few years, our most technical team. But in this area, it’s not the most technical teams that find success. It’s the ones that are going to compete and win those set pieces, those balls in the air.”
First game: Tuesday vs. Strasburg
Sherando
Coach: Seth Wade, second season
Last year: 7-7-2 (1-5-2 Class 4 Northwestern District).
Key losses: Evan Burrell, Nick Danielson, Wesley Pendzich, Connor Sanders, Adam Shobaki, Noah Smith, Owen Wade.
Key returnees: Jared Flores, Sr., M; Jackson Hepner, Sr., D; Timmy Hill, Sr., M.; Landon Rust, Sr., M; Jack Weisbrod, Sr., M.
Key newcomers: Yahir Marquez-Campos, Sr., M; Carmelo Copeland, Jr., D; Matthew Fernandez, Jr., M; Johan Garcia Cruz, Jr., D; Blakely Lawrence, Jr., M; Treyvonne Washington, Jr., D.
Wade’s outlook: “Soccer in the area is going to be competitive again, like always. It’s continuing to get better year after year. Last year we struggled to get results against our local competition and that was disappointing. Hopefully, we can turn that around and see some progress this year. I have a lot of respect for all of the local coaches and what they are doing with their teams on the field.
“Last year we only had seven wins and missed out on the regional tournament. This year we have to find a way to improve and make the tournament. We conceded 21 goals, which is unacceptable for a team hoping to make the playoffs. We want to tighten some things up defensively and give up less cheap goals; that is on the whole team, front to back. We started the season poorly last year and were fighting all season to get back on track. We need to have a positive start this year and not make the same mistake again.
“We have a great group of seniors. Many of them have been with us for two or three years already. There is a lot of experience there that now needs to be translated into leadership. That leadership is important on and off the field as we incorporate new guys into what we are trying to build. A lot of guys will need to step up and play in positions that they may not be used to in order to help the team.”
First game: Tuesday vs. Clarke County
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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