Area players earn all-division honors

Published 8:19 am Friday, November 10, 2017

Conference champion Portage Central dominate the All-SMAC Soccer Team, which was announced Wednesday.

The Mustangs, who were 7-1-2 in conference matches, placed five players on the first team.

Niles’ Bryant Echeverria and Maurico Aquirre were first-team selections.

Echeverria, Hullinger and Aquirre were also named Division 2 All-Division.

Drew Gourlay also earned all-division honors.

The Vikings also earned Division 2 Academic All-State from the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Niles had a combined GPA of 3.374. Eleven of the 19 team members have a GPA of 3.3 or higher.

Three members of the squad have a GPA of 4.0 or above.

Individual academic all-state picks were Jared Hainey, Conor McKiernan, Kendall Whitelow and Magana.

BCS Athletic Conference

Brandywine’s Bryce Tyberski earned first-team All-Red Division honors, while Robert Adams and Nicholas Needham were honorable mention selections.

Buchanan’s Ethan Matlock and Bryce Leazenby were honorable mention picks.

ALL-SMAC SOCCER

First team

Bryant Echeverria, Niles

Mauricio Aquirre, Niles

Honorable mention

Jose Magana, Niles

Cade Vota, Niles

Cooper Hullinger, Niles

SMAC final standings

Portage Central 7-1-2

Portage Northern 7-2-1

Kalamazoo Central 6-2-2

Lakeshore 6-3-1

Mattawan 5-3-2

Gull Lake 5-4-1

St. Joseph 5-2-3

Loy Norrix 3-7-0

Battle Creek Lakeview 2-6-2

Niles 1-8-1

Battle Creek Central 0-9-1

ALL-DISTRICT SOCCER

Division 2

Bryant Echeverria, Niles – junior

Cooper Hullinger, Niles – junior

Mauricio Aquirre, Niles – senior

Drew Gourlay, Niles – sophomore

BCS Athletic Conference All-Red Division

First team

Bryce Taberski, Brandywine

Honorable mention

Robert Adams, Brandywine

Nicholas Needham, Brandywine

Ethan Matlock, Buchanan

Bryce Leazenby, Buchanan

BCS Red Division final standings

Comstock 5-0

Berrien Springs 3-2

Bridgman 3-2

Parchment 3-2

Brandywine 0-4-1

Buchanan 0-4-1

(All team selected by league coaches)