Knoxville 2018 All-PrepXtra boys soccer team
East Tennessee’s top high school athletes were honored during The Knox News Sports Awards on May 31 at the Tennessee Theatre.
Players of the year in each sport and premier awards were presented, and Green Bay Packers wide receiver and Alcoa alumnus Randall Cobb was the featured guest speaker.
Here is the All-PrepXtra soccer team:
BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Collin Lewis
Bearden, Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Lewis tallied 25 goals and 10 assists. He was a first-year starter and scored or assisted a goal in all but four of Bearden’s games. He was named the District 2-AAA Most Valuable Player.
FIRST TEAM
Devin Elyze-Vital
Greeneville, Jr.
Position: Defender
Why chosen: Elyze-Vital anchored Greeneville's back line as the Greene Devils had 13 shutouts on their way to their second straight state title, winning Class AA. He was Region 1-AA defensive player of the year.
JP Elyze-Vital
Greeneville, Jr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: Elyze-Vital recorded 31 goals and 17 assists as the Greene Devils won their second straight state championship, winning Class AA. He was the Region 1-AA player of the year and a finalist for Knox News Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Pablo Herrera
Farragut, Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Herrera tallied six goals and 18 assists as the point guard of Farragut's offense. He was the District 4-AAA offensive player of the year.
Christian Holland
Morristown West, Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Holland recorded 14 goals and 12 assists. He was named the District 2-AAA midfielder of the year and made the 1-AAA all-region team.
Wes Jeter
Farragut, Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Jeter had 18 goals and 10 assists to lead the Admirals. He was named the District 4-AAA and Region 2-AAA Player of the Year and was a finalist for Knox News Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Sam Kenner
Maryville, Sr.
Position: Defender
Why chosen: Kenner anchored Maryville's defense. He was named to the 4-AAA all-district team and the 2-AAA all-region team
Christian Kirk
Catholic, Sr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: Kirk led Catholic to the Class AA sectionals. He tallied 21 goals and eight assists and was named to the all-district and all-region teams. Kirk was a nominee for Knox News Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Charlie Martinez
Sevier County, Sr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: Martinez tallied 56 goals and 10 assists as the Smoky Bears advanced to a Class AA sectional game before losing on penalty kicks.
Mitchell Mazrimas
Bearden, Sr.
Position: Defender
Why chosen: Mazrimas anchored Bearden's back line as the Bulldogs advanced to the Class AAA state tournament. He was named District 2-AAA defender of the year.
Quinten Mitchel
Greeneville, Sr.
Position: Goalkeeper
Why chosen: Mitchel had 13 shutouts and only allowed 21 goals as the Greene Devils won their second straight state title, winning Class AA. He was a nominee for Knox News Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
SECOND TEAM
FORWARD
Jonathan Rodriguez, Oak Ridge, So.
Clayton Utley, Anderson County, Sr.
Drew Zacharias, Maryville, Sr.
MIDFIELDER
Bill Hadam, West, Sr.
Chatham Headrick, Maryville, Sr.
Casey Nigh, Oak Ridge, Sr.
Luis Ortiz, Gatlinburg-Pittman, Jr.
DEFENDER
Nathan Kidder, Oak Ridge, Jr.
Ian Sauter, Catholic, Sr.
Tanner Whited, Bearden, Jr.
GOALKEEPER
Shayne Miller, Farragut, Sr.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Zach Schrandt
Gatlinburg-Pittman
Why chosen: Schrandt coached the Highlanders to the state tournament for the first time and won the school's first state championship in any sport, finishing with a 14-9 record and taking the Class A title.