SSC Players Highlight Local & State High School Honors

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Leading the way in the fall high school honors were nine Spokane Sounders players featured on the GSL All-League First Team and five players that were honored as Most Valuable Player in their leagues. In all, 39 players from the club were honored by their respective leagues.

Highlighting the Most Valuable Player honors was Dori Ames, who was recognized as a junior as the Defensive MVP in the Greater Spokane League while leading Central Valley to an unbeaten campaign with seven goals allowed.

The Spokane Sounders duo of Chloe Gellhaus and Jocelyn Gross swept the Great Northern League Offensive and Defensive MVP awards with Gellhaus guiding East Valley to league title and Gross starring for the Greyhounds in goal.

Emmy Moore took home co-Offensive MVP honors in the Northeast A League after dominating in both points (41) and assists (15) during the season while leading Deer Park to a perfect campaign. Darby Soliday rounds out the MVP list as one of three co-MVPs in Northeast 2B playing for Davenport.

UPDATE: Eleven players were later also honored by the Washington State Soccer Coaches Association in mid-January as All-State Selections, including six First Team award winners. They are noted below amongst their local league awards.

# GSL Awards #

The GSL honors list was littered with Spokane Sounders / Shadow players with nine on the All-League First Team and another five on the Second Team and seven on the Honorable Mention list along with former Shadow coach Matt Leonard repeating as Coach of the Year at North Central.

Among the top three teams in the table, 13 of the 18 players honored from Central Valley (9-0), Gonzaga Prep (7-2) and Mead (7-2) were from the club. Spokane Sounders players from eight of the league’s 10 teams were recognized. First Team selection Kailyn LaBrosse finished tied for the lead lead in points (19) and goals (8) while Izzy Garcia, Kendal Houston and Camryn Gardner (LC) were tied with a league-leading five assists.

Defensive MVP – Dori Ames, Central Valley, D, Jr – 4A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
Coach of the Year – Matt Leonard, North Central
First Team – Kailyn LaBrosse, Central Valley, F, Sr – 4A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
First Team – Margo Schoesler, Mead, F, Jr
First Team – Maggie Ames, Central Valley, M, Sr
First Team – Marissa Bankey, Central Valley, M, Sr
First Team – Kendal Houston, Mead, M, Jr
First Team – Chelsea Le, Gonzaga Prep, M, Jr – 4A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
First Team – Emma Knudson, University, D, Sr
First Team – Olivia Lauffer, Gonzaga Prep, D, Sr – 4A ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION
First Team – Gracen Ulias, Mt Spokane, D, So – 3A ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION
Second Team – Kyah Le, Gonzaga Prep, F, So
Second Team – Sarah Frahm, Mead, M, Sr
Second Team – Keelin Everman, North Central, D, Sr
Second Team – Sydney Ward, Lewis & Clark, D, Jr
Second Team – Maria Strasser, Gonzaga Prep, D, Jr
Honorable Mention – Izzy Garcia, North Central, F, Sr
Honorable Mention – Grace Batkoff, Gonzaga Prep, M, So
Honorable Mention – Kylie Somerday, Shadle Park, M, Sr
Honorable Mention – Ella Magnuson, Lewis & Clark, M, So
Honorable Mention – Grace Rogers, University, D, Sr
Honorable Mention – Kylie Stiles, Mt Spokane, D, Fr
Honorable Mention – Eden Elliot, Gonzaga Prep, G, So

# GNL Awards #

Chloe Gellhaus helped lead East Valley to the league title (11-1) with seven goals and a league-leading nine assists on the season for the Knights despite missing some early games to injury. Her teammate Kaitlyn Harvey was just as potent in the attack with 13 goals that put her second in the league in goals as well as points (28). West Valley (7-5) finished tied for second thanks to Frankie Schade, who finished as the league leader in points (37) and goals (18).

Offensive MVP – Chloe Gellhaus, East Valley, M, Sr – 2A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
Defensive MVP – Jocelyn Gross, Pullman, G, Sr – 2A ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION
First Team – Jocelyn Gross, Pullman, G, Sr
First Team – Taryn Baxter, East Valley, D, Sr – 2A ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM
First Team – Chloe Gellhaus, East Valley, M, Sr
First Team – Kaitlin Harvey, East Valley, F, Jr
First Team – Frankie Schade, West Valley, F, Sr
Second Team – Angel Denke, East Valley, F, Jr

# NEA Awards #

In addition to Emmy Moore’s previously noted offensive accolades, Lindsay Balkenbush of Freeman was among the league’s leading scorers despite missing some time late in the season due to injury. She finished third in points (37) and second in goals (17).

Co-Offensive MVP – Emmy Moore, Deer Park, M, Sr – 1A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
All-League – Lindsay Balkenbush, Freeman, F, Sr – 1A ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION

# Mid-Columbia Conference #

Defender Emma Johnson and midfielder River Holle were among a talented 3A Kamiakin squad that captured the MCC league championship with a perfect 14-0 record while allowing an amazingly low three goals.

First Team – Emma Johnson, Kamiakin, D, Sr – 3A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
Second Team – River Holle, Kamiakin, M, Sr

# Northeast 2B Awards #

Co-MVP – Darby Soliday, Davenport
Honorable Mention – Sadie Stevenson, Northwest Christian

# Idaho League Awards #

5A IEL Girls
All-League – Maddy Lasher, Lake City, Jr
All-League – Morgan Rust, Post Falls, So
All-League – Kaylee Moat, Post Falls, Fr

4A IEL Boys
All-League – Evan Odberg, Moscow, So

4A IEL Girls
All-League – Yeo Yarnell, Sandpoint, Sr
All-League – Jezza Hutto, Sandpoint, Sr

# Eldridge Earns GSL Football All-League #

In addition to the many Spokane Sounders and Spokane Shadow players earning All-League honors for girls soccer, Eli Eldridge picked up an additional All-League First Team award playing GSL football for Mead while balancing time with his Sounders side this fall.

Eldridge finished his junior season with the 4A First Team Offense honor after making five of his six field goal attempts this season and converting 22 of the 24 extra points. No other kicker in the league had more than three field goals during the season.

Mead football finished second in the league at 5-2 and advanced to the state tournament.

“Eli has been a tremendously committed player for our club since the U10 program, including balancing his responsibilities between soccer, academics, and football,” said Director of Coaching Mike Pellicio. “Not all kids can pull this type of thing off but Eli most certainly can, while continuing to excel in all three environments.”

[Stats & photos from INW Soccer News]

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