Girls player of the year
F Madison Del Duca, Sr., East Lake
One of the top scoring threats in the county, Del Duca put it all together this season, not only by putting points on the board but also by providing leadership. After reaching the region final last year, the Eagles made it one step farther this season, reaching the state semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Oviedo on penalty kicks. Del Duca played a big role in that run, scoring in wins against Palm Harbor University in the region semifinals and against Vero Beach in the region final. She also converted a penalty kick in the loss to Oviedo. For the season, she tied Seminole’s Olivia Red for the county lead in goals with 32. But Del Duca’s came at critical points to help carry her team through a deep postseason run.
Most impressive accomplishment: Del Duca set the school record for goals in a career with 79. Nearly half of those came this season as she put the ball through the net at a dizzying pace. “I really didn’t know I had the record until after the season so it wasn’t something I was really aiming for. But it was a nice accomplishment,” Del Duca said.
Did you know? Del Duca was born in Anaheim, Calif., and moved here at an early age. She also runs track and specializes in the sprints and hurdles.
Future plans: Del Duca has signed with Tennessee and will play in the fall. Currently, she is playing club soccer and getting ready for the state cup. She will report for summer and start training with the Volunteers in July.
First team
F Olivia Red, Fr., Seminole: Finished with 32 goals, breaking school record for freshmen.
F Cassidy Reich, So., Osceola: Most consistent scoring threat for the Warriors in their run to state semifinals.
F Jordyn Turner, Sr., Seminole: The scoring threat also took over the leadership role from two-time player of the year Gina Hayduke, who graduated.
M Nicole Naclerio, Sr., Palm Harbor University: Team’s top scorer in the postseason had 22 goals and 16 assists this season.
M Katie Englert, Sr., Clearwater Central Catholic: Miami recruit provided toughness on defense and crisp passes.
M Meggie Dougherty-Howard, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic: Florida recruit came through to lead her team to the region final.
D Gabby Rademaker, So., East Lake: On a team of scorers, Rademaker stood out as last line of defense.
D Angelina Kincy, Sr., Osceola: Spearheaded defense that was solid all season.
D Quinn Lombard, Jr., Palm Harbor University: Her quickness allowed her to stay with the top scorers.
D Mackenzie Geier, Jr., Palm Harbor University: Teamed with Lombard to form one of the area’s top defensive tandems.
GK Morgan Lorenti, Sr., Palm Harbor University: Her play in the net was a big reason Hurricanes were undefeated in regular season.
Coach of the year
Sergei Stopek, East Lake. After coaching the boys, Stopek switched to the girls side, taking over a talented team that was on the verge of a breakthrough. He helped the Eagles play their best when it mattered most. In the district final, East Lake knocked off previously undefeated Palm Harbor University. The Eagles knocked off their rival again in the region semifinals before going to the state semifinals for just the second time in school history.
Second team
F Skye Barba, Sr., Palm Harbor University
F Indie St. George, Jr., East Lake
F Brooke Coughlan, So., St. Petersburg Catholic
M Karina White, Sr., East Lake
M Riley Narum, Sr., Countryside
M Skyler Ellenburg, Jr., Shorecrest
D Savannah Brown, Sr., Clearwater Central Catholic
D Ashley Blanchard, So., Largo
D Kelly Shanahan, Sr., Clearwater Central Catholic
D Erika Tvedten, Jr., Shorecrest
GK Ashleigh Linse, Sr., East Lake
Honorable mention
Boca Ciega: Emily Colonel, Hailey DeBoe, Kaitlin Mark, Angie Reinhart; Clearwater: Eleni Mavres; Clearwater Central Catholic: Caroline Booth; Countryside: Megan Giese; Dixie Hollins: Candis Bak, Brenda Bernuy, Meghann Esquinaldo, Kristen Webb; East Lake: Amber Deschene, Megan Kelly, Kristy Legoas; Indian Rocks Christian: Rachel Kistemaker, Bobbi Labrant, Ashley Llerena, Olivia Ross Johnson; Largo: Kennedy Flynn; Northeast: Torie Kocer, Kayla Dunlay, Amanda Elie, Raquel Hauss, Alyssa Huertas, Jill Volkman, Lilly Wysong; Osceola: Kaley Eisenbrei, Ashlyn Irwin, Shalia Roland, Alison Watkins; Palm Harbor University: Katie Im, Shelby Stacy; Seminole: Angela Chiacchia, Alex Glunt; St. Petersburg: Caitlin Carnahan, Anneliese Naftzger, Caroline Krueger, Christina Mendoza, Shaura Washington; St. Petersburg Catholic: Erin Hillman, Alex Steele; Shorecrest: Sophia Ginocchio, Caitlin Shanahan; Tarpon Springs: Sara Shaw, Ali Ward, Alyssa Young
Boys player of the year
Josh Page, Jr., East Lake
With several players lost to graduation and a new coach, East Lake needed somebody to step up this season. That was Page, who moved to the Palm Harbor area from Pittsburgh over the summer. “I knew it would be a little different style of play,” Page said. “I was very unsure about what to expect. But once I started playing and got that first goal, I felt more comfortable.” Page ended the season with 21 goals and 12 assists for the Eagles, who finished 15-4-4. His scoring ability, as well as his flair for the dramatic, translated to his new team just fine. “My goal was to get over 20 goals this season,” Page said. “I’ve never scored under 20 goals in a season before.”
Most impressive accomplishment: There were two. With the season on the line against Sarasota Riverview in the district semifinal, Page scored 20 seconds into overtime to help the Eagles win 3-2. Then in the region quarterfinal, he scored twice with just more than a minute to play against Newsome to secure a 3-1 win. “He’s the guy we expect to do that for us in those situations,” coach Alex Stenson said.
Did you know? Page plays club soccer for West Florida Premier, based in the East Lake area. The team is coached by Stenson.
First team
F Sean Covington, Sr., St. Petersburg: Converted from goalkeeper, Covington had 14 goals in 11 games and a rocket left foot.
F Mathias Ghiena, Sr., East Lake: Like Page, Ghiena had a knack for big goals. Had 17 in the regular season and playoffs.
F Shane Butler, Jr., Seminole: Led the Warhawks with 17 goals and 10 assists.
M Liam Murphy, Jr., Seminole: Had 11 goals and six assists and was named team MVP.
M Kieran McGeough, Jr., Palm Harbor University: A first-team All-PCAC selection, McGeough helped keep things together for the Hurricanes.
M Stephen Wankat, Sr., East Lake: A vital part of the Eagles’ success, according to coach Alex Stenson.
M Semmes Bruce, Jr., St. Petersburg: Solid player all season scored five goals and had 10 assists.
D Tyler Kaminski, Jr., Palm Harbor University: Coach Alex Delgado called Kaminski a “shutdown” defender.
D Dean Favetta, Sr., Seminole: A two-time first-teamer, Favetta anchored a good defense.
D David Caulfield, Sr., East Lake: Eagles' top defender played big in the back all season.
GK Joey D’Alessandro, Sr., Osceola: Three-year starter had a 0.75 goals against average this season.
Second team
F Djordje Rakovic, Sr., Northeast
F Junior Francis, So., St. Petersburg
F Caulin Donaldson, Jr., Osceola
M Stevie Rudderham, So., Northeast
M James Skonicki, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic
M Erwin Vargas, Sr., Dunedin
M Eric Sines, Sr., Seminole
D Ben Brainard, Sr., Osceola
D Zach Ditommaso, Sr., Pinellas Park
D Peska Przemyslan, Jr., Largo
GK Josh Preisig, Sr., Palm Harbor University
Coach of the year
Alex Stenson, East Lake. In his first year with the Eagles, guided them to the Class 5A region final. East Lake was 15-4-4 with a well-rounded team that made a run through the district and region tournaments.
Honorable mention
Boca Ciega: Brian Barber; Calvary Christian: Jeremy Gardner; Clearwater: Skender Kurtovic, Chris Carnevali, Austin Powell; Countryside: Ricardo Garcia Vega; Dixie Hollins: Miguel Lumbreras, Alex Lumbreras, Javier Renteria; Dunedin: John Dos Santos, Austin Sweat; East Lake: Tyler Worth, Taylor Youngblood, Jeffrey Richmond, Daniel Mahler, Nicholas Vetricek, Kevin Lindquist; Indian Rocks Christian: Shane Haas, Greg Williams, Steven Isenhour, Reid Hammil; Lakewood: Exavier Jones; Largo: Benjamin Hamelmann, Eric Ramos, Sid Baizeed; Northeast: Dylan Jones, Edis Maric, Christian Nshimyumuremyi, Ryan Taylor, Juan Baltazar; Osceola: Taylor Abulone, Zach Harvey, Nate Tichenor, Jake Luff; Palm Harbor University: Anthony Colannino, Jacob Carson, Cesar Diaz, Brandon Kim; Pinellas Park: Mos Boonrueangsri; St. Petersburg: Jeffrey Holecek, Jesse Lawhead, Blake Bryant; St. Petersburg Catholic: Alex Zaki, Sam Thompson, Manny Carmona, Emilio Ycaza; Seminole: Gainer Frain, Andrew Goodman, Jacob Kiag, Liam Rafferty, Nathan Yeager; Tarpon Springs: Marco Karay, Josh Woodka
Bob Putnam and Rodney Page, Times staff writers