Santa Fe, P.K. Yonge lead All Area boys soccer teams

Santa Fe's Sean Allin, left, and Buchholz's Nicholas Rossi, right
Santa Fe's Sean Allin (left) and Buchholz's Nicholas Rossi were selected to the 2023-24 All Area big school boys soccer team.
Graphic by Seth Johnson/Photos by C.J. Gish

This is the second of three stories unveiling the 2024 Bosshardt Realty All Area Soccer Teams. Click here to read about the big and small school girls teams and the big and small school girls and boys coaches of the year.

The Santa Fe (Alachua) boys’ soccer team won just five games last season.

The Raiders (11-4-2) doubled that total in 2023-24, won the Class 4A-District 2 title, earned an FHSAA playoff spot, and landed five players on the Bosshardt Realty All Area big school team.

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Leading the way for Santa Fe, which lost at home to eventual state semifinalist South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach), 2-1, in the first round of the 4A state playoffs, was senior midfielder Sean Allin.

Allin led the team with 13 goals and 11 assists in 16 games.

Santa Fe goalkeeper Mayer Steen had five shutouts and 96 saves for the Raiders.
Photo by C.J. Gish Santa Fe goalkeeper Mayer Steen had five shutouts and 96 saves for the Raiders.

“Sean was the engine of our team this season,” said first-year Santa Fe coach Morgan Dall’Acqua. “He has the speed and skill to take on a defender for a shot, but his possession and elusiveness also makes him a very effective distributor when covered by multiple players.”

Junior forward Giacomo Burgetto was second behind Allin with 11 goals but with 10 less shots on goal.

“One of the most dynamic players in the area with the ball at his feet, Giacomo had a really strong season for us,” Dall’Acqua said. “Because of his ball skill, defenses have to respect him which clears up space for teammates to work in.”

While Allin and Burgetto were scoring the goals, freshman goalkeeper Mayer Steen was saving them.

Steen averaged 5.6 saves per game with five shutouts and 96 total saves.

“He has a ton of talent and a great build for the position, but what excites our staff most about him is his work ethic,” Dall’Acqua said. “Coach Caleb Hudkins (goalkeeper coach) loves working with Mayer because he brings game-level intensity to every training session, constantly working to learn and improve.”

Senior defender Mariano Duran helped anchor a defense that allowed just 1.2 goals per game.

“This guy is the total package for a center-back,” Dall’Acqua said. “Great size, a high intellect, solid speed and a willingness to play physically. He was an anchor on our backline and his ability to communicate with his teammates had a lot to do with our success this season.”   

Buchholz's Paolo Alvarez
Photo by C.J. Gish Buchholz’s Paolo Alvarez helped anchor the Bobcats’ defense.

Sophomore midfielder Wayne Boone (3 goals, 2 assists) is the fifth Raider on the All Area team.

“Wayne is a really smart kid,” Dall’Acqua said. “He maintains a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and then comes onto the field and makes really smart and safe decisions, a very possessive player.”

Buchholz, which lost to Forest (Ocala) on penalty kicks in overtime in the 6A-District 4 title game, placed three players on the team, led by senior midfielder Jonathon Mosley (9 goals, 13 games).

“Jonathon Mosley, who is an extremely talented player, has played on varsity for four years in the midfield has anchored our team and through his leadership helped bond the team together to afford us with this successful season,” said Buchholz coach Phillip Journey.

He is joined by senior defender Paulo Alvarez and junior midfielder Nicolas Rossi.

“Paulo is an incredibly talented and powerful central defender that is never caught out of position and is greatly responsible for Buchholz never having a loss this year during regular season play or overtime,” Journey said.

Rossi had three goals and a team-leading five assists for the Bobcats (11-2-3), which lost at Tate (Cantonment) in the first round of the 6A state playoffs.

“Nicolas is an intelligent and versatile midfielder who always adjusts his play to transition the ball to offense in order to create greater scoring opportunities for our team,” Journey said.

Suwannee's Joel De La Cruz led the Bulldogs with 13 goals.
Photo by C.J. Gish Suwannee’s Joel De La Cruz led the Bulldogs with 13 goals.

Rounding out the All Area team big school selections are Columbia (Lake City) junior defender/midfielder Bobby Shotwell (5 goals, 2 assists), Gainesville junior midfielder Jerome Bulley (8 goals, 2 assists), and senior midfielder/forward Joel De La Cruz (team-leading 13 goals, 4 assists) for 4A-District 2 runner-up Suwannee (Live Oak).

P.K. Yonge led the small school team with four selections, followed by Williston with three.

The Blue Wave finished 20-3 this season and advanced to the postseason following a 3-1 win against the Red Devils in the 3A-District 4 championship game.

They defeated North Bay Haven Academy in Panama City, 4-0, in the first round of the 3A state playoffs followed by an 8-0 loss at eventual state semifinalist Maclay (Tallahassee) in the regional semifinals.

Junior forward Addisu Frisbie led the Blue Wave with 25 goals.

“He has excellent finishing ability,” said P.K. Yonge coach José De León. “He is fast and able to multiply runs and time those with accuracy. His off the ball movements coupled with his simplicity and aim for goal made him one of the players with the most goals in the area.”

Right behind Frisbie was junior midfielder Chris Zeppieri with 16 goals and he was second on the team with 13 assists.

P.K. Yonge's Addisu Frisbie led the Blue Wave with 25 goals.
Courtesy of José De León P.K. Yonge’s Addisu Frisbie led the Blue Wave with 25 goals.

“Chris has great qualities as a footballer, including his anticipation, intelligence, vision, passing, close control, change of pace, and ability to turn quickly to get out of tight spaces and initiate counterattacks,” De León said. “That helped him contribute in every aspect of the game, offensively and defensively.”

Joining the two leading goal scorers from PKY is senior defender Camron Barnett (5 goals, 2 assists), who helped anchor a defense that allowed just 1.04 goals per game.

“He is known for his ability to read the game, his calmness and his accurate passing in transition,” De León said. “He is one of the captains and his leadership is top notch, giving an accurate, clear strength-based verbal cues during practice, before and during the games and after the games.”

Senior goalkeeper Ibrahim Seck made the team after posting 10 shutouts and 104 saves.

“He is a tall, agile and consistent goalkeeper, with quick reflexes, good decision-making and excellent shot-stopping abilities between the posts,” De León said. “He has a charming, polite, and playful personality. He is effective at communicating with his back-line courtesy of those personality traits.”

Bell (12-5), which lost 2-0 at top-seed Oak Hall in the 2A-District 2 championship game, made the deepest run of all boys’ teams, finishing just one game shy of a final four berth in Class 2A before falling at St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine), 3-0, in a 2A-Region 1 Final.

Bulldogs’ coach Douglas Beard said that sophomore defender Brandon Aguilar “is everything you want your center back to be and then some.”

Bell's Brandon Aguilar
Courtesy of Douglas Beard Bell’s Brandon Aguilar helped the Bulldogs defense to the 1A regional final.

“He’s tough, athletic, and has plenty of attitude,” Beard said. “He reads the game well and is absolutely tireless. His absence in the regional final due to injury surely affected the scoreline. And not just for his playing ability, but for the on-field leadership our young captain provides as well.”

Williston (13-7-1), which missed the postseason following the loss to the Blue Wave in the district title game, had plenty of firepower, scoring a whopping 108 goals in 21 matches (5.13 per game).

Leading the charge was senior midfielder/forward Jamalle Wolfe with a team-leading 27 goals, and he was second on the team with 20 assists.

Sophomore midfielder Miguel Gutierrez was next with 23 goals, and he was third on the team with 11 assists.

Rounding out the trio is senior midfielder/forward Jace Pavao, who had 41 assists to go along with 11 goals.

Keystone Heights (13-3-2) landed a pair on the team, including the top goal scorer in Class 3A, Aaron Wiley.

The junior had 37 goals in 18 games (2.06 per game), which tied for the state lead, and he also finished with 12 assists.

Keystone Heights Aaron Wiley
Courtesy of Trevor Water Keystone Heights’ Aaron Wiley led all Class 3A players with 37 goals.

“Aaron is a hard worker in every game and that effort produced the most goals scored in the State of Florida this year by any player,” said Keystone Heights coach Trevor Waters.

Indians’ midfielder Luke Brunt finished third on the team with 17 goals, but the junior led his team with 20 assists.

“Luke has natural soccer ability that enables him to see the whole field and he makes that next pass that gives the team a scoring opportunity,” Waters said. “He loves the game of soccer and never missed a practice or a game this year.”

Other selections for small school All Area include junior forward Eli Hunter and junior midfielder Keegan Lowry of Newberry.

Hunter led the Panthers (11-8-1) with 26 goals in just 13 games, and he was second on the team with 15 assists.

Lowry, who played in 19 games, was third on the team with 15 goals and he had a team-leading 26 assists.

2023-24 Bosshardt Realty All Area Soccer Teams

BOYS – SMALL SCHOOL (2A-3A)

Goalkeeper – Ibrahim Seck, P.K. Yonge (Senior)

Defender – Brandon Aguilar, Bell (Sophomore)

Defender – Camron Barnett, P.K. Yonge (Senior)

Midfielder – Keegan Lowry, Newberry (Junior)

Midfielder – Chris Zeppieri, P.K. Yonge (Junior)

Midfielder – Luke Brunt, Keystone Heights (Junior)

Midfielder – Miguel Gutierrez, Williston (Sophomore)

MF/Forward – Jamalle Wolfe, Williston (Senior)

MF/Forward – Jace Pavao, Williston (Senior)

Forward – Eli Hunter, Newberry (Junior)

Forward – Addisu Frisbie, P.K. Yonge (Junior)

Forward – Aaron Wiley, Keystone Heights (Junior)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Bell – Deis Serrano (Sr.), Jamie Delapaz-Valencia (So.), Michael Martinez (So.), Robert Leffler (Fr.), Mario Diaz (Fr.)

Branford – Victor Hernandez (So.)

Fort White – Connor Bass (Sr.), Colt Patterson (Sr.), Josiah Hopkins (So.), Jared Hopkins (Sr.)

Keystone Heights – Bryce Huntley (Sr.), Jaden Park (Sr.), Liam Callahan (Sr.), Sammy Wacha (So.), Noah Jaramillo (So.)

Newberry – Zane Spires (Jr.), Jay Lopez (Jr.), Max Dietz (Jr.), Lucas Nowels (So.), Caden Montague (Fr.)

Oak Hall – Thomas Cummings (Sr.), Thomas Gibson (So.), Yuyu Ynigo (Jr.), Andrew Jimenez (Sr.), Marcello El-Semerani (Sr.)

P.K. Yonge – Ciaran Foley (Jr.), Nathan Goble (Sr.), Thomas Lewis (Sr.), Zoltahn Jacobson (Sr.), Jaxon Ortiz-Guidry (Jr.)

Trenton – Calvin Bryan (Sr.), Giovanni Vasquez (Sr.)

Williston – Dary Osorio-Lopez (Jr.), Logan Navarro (Jr.), Eddie De La Cruz (Sr.)

BOYS – BIG SCHOOL (4A-6A)

Goalkeeper – Mayer Steen, Santa Fe (Freshman)

Defender – Mariano Duran, Santa Fe (Senior)

Defender – Paolo Alvarez, Buchholz (Senior)

Midfielder – Wayne Boone, Santa Fe (Sophomore)

D/Midfielder – Bobby Shotwell, Columbia (Junior)

Midfielder – Jerome Bulley, GHS (Junior)

Midfielder – Sean Allin, Santa Fe (Senior)

Midfielder – Nicholas Rossi, Buchholz (Junior)

Midfielder – Jonathon Mosley, Buchholz (Senior)

MF/Forward – Joel De La Cruz, Suwannee (Senior)

Forward – Giacomo Burgetto, Santa Fe (Junior)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Buchholz – Jerry Yao (Fr.), Carlos Cadet (So.), James Robertson (Jr.)

Columbia – Diego Garcia (Jr.), Bergen Cobb (Sr.), Nikolas Christman (Sr.), Jonathan Pineda (Jr.), Edwardo Morales (Sr.)

Eastside – Jayven Cromsell (Sr.), Aaron Murphy (Fr.)

Gainesville – Daniel Brown (SR), Adebayo Bellow-Roufai (JR), Ebenezer Adu Saiw (SR)

Santa Fe – Deva Spradling (Jr.), Caleb Freeman (Fr.)

Suwannee – Alex Mabey (Sr.), Andrew Ibarra (Jr.), Josue Tellez (So.), William Slaughter (So.), Axel Johansson (Jr.)

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