Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year

[d2asoccer]

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal:

 

 

Gatorade honors ECS star Chandler Gagnon

Junior named Tenn. soccer Player of Year

By Jason Smith

 

Friday, May 7, 2010

 

It had been nine years since a Memphis-area boys soccer player was named Gatorade Tennessee Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

 

That drought ended Thursday when Evangelical Christian School junior midfielder Chandler Gagnon, one of the nation's top prospects in the Class of 2011, was named Tennessee's best player.

 

"My dad, all throughout my soccer career, has told me not to expect things," Gagnon said. "He was like, 'You're probably not going to get this (award) because you're only a junior. They'll probably give it to a senior.'

 

"So I wasn't thinking about it too much, and I was surprised when I got it. I mean, I was happy. I knew that I was capable of getting it, but I didn't know if I'd be able to or not."

 

Gagnon, whom TopDrawerSoccer.com rates the No. 20 overall recruit in 2011, is the first Memphis-area player to win the award since Houston's Michael Vogel in 2001.

 

Only five local players have earned the honor since its start in 1986-87. Gagnon is the first area junior to win the award.

 

This season, the 6-2, 175-pound Gagnon has registered 16 goals and 17 assists in leading ECS to an 11-0-3 record and the No. 2 ranking in The Commercial Appeal's Dandy Dozen.

 

"(Gagnon) is one of the most skilled and experienced players I've seen in many years," ECS soccer coach Ryan Lutz said. "His school, his teammates, my coaching assistants and I are very glad for him to have received this honor from Gatorade."

 

Gagnon, who has a 3.06 GPA, is a member of the U.S. Youth Soccer 1993 Region III Olympic Development Program team. He's considering attending either SMU, Indiana, South Carolina, Tulsa or the University of Memphis.

 

"You can put Chandler wherever," Tennessee Olympic Development Program coach Jon Baker said.

 

"He's good in the air, a very confident player. As a center back, he can carry the ball forward. He's not just a guy who wins the ball and drives it forward. He's looking to carry it forward into play."

 

Gatorade Winners

 

Boys soccer players from Memphis-area schools who have been named Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year.

 

2009-10: Chandler Gagnon, ECS

 

2000-01: Michael Vogel, Houston

 

1998-99: Daryl Sattler, Houston

 

1993-94: Carey Talley, Houston

 

1991-92: Carter Fairley, CBHS

 

Note: The first Gatorade soccer award was given in the 1986-87 season.

[chelsea100]

Congratulations to Chandler ---been watching him a long time , well deserved ---a very smooth player and a good kid ----Good luck to ECS in state ---bring it home to Memphis

[gchunn]

Congratulations to Chandler ---been watching him a long time , well deserved ---a very smooth player and a good kid ----Good luck to ECS in state ---bring it home to Memphis

 

Congratulations to Chandler. Truly a great honor!

[chelsea100]

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[chelsea100]

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[intimer]

CONGRATULATIONS! WELL DESERVED!!!!

[peanut713]

I've had the pleasure of playing with Chandler, and also against him. Not only is he a great player on the field, he is also a great guy off the field. He has taken multiple trips with the ODP Region III team, and has attended some elite camps. Chandler has earned this award, and will be a great fit wherever he chooses to go for college. Keep up the good work.

[tnsoccerreporter]

I was at a CBHS vs. ECS game this season. I saw a player chase the ball out of bounds. While he was out of bounds he flipped the CBHS water table over and said my bad. That player is Chandler Gagnon. ECS hasn't played a good schedule.

When they play well coached teams like St. Georges. they don't fair as well.

[liverpool1000]

i was on the cbhs side during that game --good sportsmanship on both sides --cbhs has a track that goes around it and when a ball goes out of bounds a player could be hurt real bad--good thing the cooler was there to stop the fall-i know coach raj checked on him to see he was good when it happened

not sure about the comment on ecs though

ecs 3-2 over St Georges this year

ecs 3-0 over Kingsbury this year

ecs 2-1 over cbhs this year

three top teams from memphis

[tnsoccerreporter]

How many times do you hear of players getting hurt on a track while playing soccer? He wasn't falling, he paused for a second then he flipped the cooler table over. The CBHS coach just looked at him.That doesn't matter but he has built stats with a weak schedule.He is a good player but CBHS team is rebuilding after losing 13 seniors. Plus CBHS didn't have its best player available for the game. St Georges beat ECS 1-0 in the regional tournament.

OPPONENT'S SCHEDULE AS OF MAY 11

Jackson Christian 12-1-2 Division II, Class A, West Region

Kingsbury 10-2-3 Division I, Class A-AA, Region 8, District 16

White Station 9-2-3 Division I, Class AAA, Region 8, District 16

St. George's 9-4-3 Division II, Class A, West Region

Christian Brothers 8-5-4 Division II, Class AA, West Region

Collierville 6-3-4 Division I, Class AAA, Region 8, District 15

FAC 6-7-1 Division II, Class A, West Region

Memphis Central 5-3-1 Division I, Class AAA, Region 8, District 16

Raleigh Egypt 5-5-1 Division I, Class AAA, Region 7, District 14

Harding Academy 4-4-0 Division II, Class A, West Region

Lausanne 2-4-3 Division II, Class A, West Region

Munford 2-6-1 Division I, Class AAA, Region 7, District 13

St. Benedict 2-12-1 Division II, Class AA, West Region

Memphis Catholic 0-0-0 Division II, Class A, West Region

Memphis Overton 0-4-0 Division I, Class AAA, Region 8, District 15

Bishop Byrne 0-6-0 Division II, Class A, West Region

[loveusasoccer]

Listen, ECS is strong this year. I think they might have done well even had they played a decent schedule, but we will never know. CBHS was without it's best player and the ECS schedule has had them face many of their other tough teams at home. It has been difficult to look at their box scores this year because I feel they have run the score up repeatedly on terrible teams. Why would starters be scoring when the game is 11-1 or 10-0. Most teams have JV players littering the field when the score is 3 or 4 to 0. I have lived in Memphis for a long time and have never heard of some of the teams they are playing this year. Of course, they may just be ignorance on my part. That being said, Chandler didn't win this award because of his high school soccer accomplishments. He won it because of his club soccer and ODP recognition.

It is hard to just go on high school stuff. Who has the better team surrounding them?, Who has better stats?, Who plays a tougher schedule?. Who's coach pushes for their players?

Give it up to Chandler, he is a nice player and a nice young man (maybe not perfect). Lord knows, my son has never had a competitive outburst on the field. (ha, ha) Someone had to win the award. I personally would have given it to a Farragutt(sp?) player. They have had a tremendous couple of years and have some dominating players.

[tnsoccerreporter]

I agree with you .