Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
Chris McCarthy (Publisher/Editor)
As his performance attested, Southside High School's Camren Thompson was a regular last season forcing opposing defenders to back down in groups.
In 29 football games, the junior forward averaged 1.7 goals per game and scored 52 total goals while also dishing out 15 assists. He scored three or more goals seven times, giving the Panthers some much-needed breathing room as they compete in a tough Class 5A, Area 6. Thompson's best was five goals on April 23 against Lincoln.
Thompson's shooting acumen was recognized at the end of the season when he was named to the Super All-State Team and the Class 5A All-State First Team, as well as being selected to play in the North/South All-Star Soccer Match in Montgomery this month.
Thompson (pictured left) has one more item to put in her 2024 scrapbook: All-Gadsden Mart Team Player of the Year.
The Coach of the Year award went to Southside's Randy Bice, who led the Panthers to a 25-3-1 record, a final regular season ranking of No. 1 in the Class 5A coaches poll and a trip to the Final Four in Huntsville, where Southside lost 1-0 to Guntersville. Bice's Panthers also won their first Etowah County football tournament.
All Gadsden Metro Boys Soccer
Player of the Year: Camren Thompson, Southside
Coach of the Year: Randy Vice, Southside
First team
South side
Camren Thompson, junior forward: 52 goals, 15 assists.
Hayes Cosby, junior goalkeeper: 94 saves, only 20 goals allowed, 12 shutouts, selection to the Super All-State team and Class 5A All-State team.
Uzeif Tumiba, senior center back: 10 goals, nine assists.
City of Gadsden
Vladimir Cervantes, junior center midfielder: 30 goals, 15 assists. Named to the Super All-State team and Class 6A All-State team.
Brandon Cervantes, senior defender: Seven goals, three assists, named to the Super All-State team and the Class 6A All-State team.
Julio Lake, senior goalkeeper: 70 saves, 10 shutouts, named to the Class 6A all-state team.
Westbrook Christian
J.D. Berndt, junior forward: 16 goals, 13 assists, named to the Class 4A All-State first team.
Ethan Daffron, senior midfielder: Nine goals, 14 assists, team MVP and selection to the Class 4A All-State team.
Daniel Rolfs, senior defender: four goals, team defensive MVP.
Hokes Bluff
Allen Cox, freshman forward: 21 goals, three assists, team offensive player of the year and selection to the Class 1A/3A all-state team.
Brayden Fox, junior midfield: 16 goals, 14 assists, named to the Class 1A/3A All-State second team.
Chandler Clements, junior goalkeeper: 149 saves.
Glencoe
Aiden Cornut, senior forward: 43 goals. Fifth in AHSAA history with 153 career goals. First in AHSAA history with 23 career hat tricks. Six-time All-Area selection and four-time team MVP. Named to the Super All-State team and Class 1A/3A All-State team.
Ian McClantock, senior center back: Team captain and three-time team defensive MVP award winner, who set the AHSAA record for longest catch last season with 65 yards.
Robert Edgar, Sr. Goalkeeper: 121 saves. Fourth-most saves in the AHSAA with 354 career saves. Five-year Gold Glove winner. Three-year All-Area selection. Selected to the Class 1A/3A All-State team.
Coosa Christian
Joseph East, sophomore forward;
Etowa
Joie Christian, sophomore forward;
Asheville
Walker Griffith, senior goalkeeper: 108 saves. Set an AHSAA record with 539 career saves. Named to the Class 4A All-State second team.
Garrett Spears, senior defender: Selected to the Class 4A all-state honorable mention team.
Second Team
South side
Caleb Ogle, senior, fullback: 12 goals, four assists. Named to the Super All-State team and the Class 5A All-State team.
Sigurd Eik, senior center back: One goal, six assists, named to the Class 5A All-State first team.
Trek Gardner, sophomore midfielder: Selected to the Super All-State team and the Class 5A All-State team.
City of Gadsden
Dimitri Guerrero, junior striker: 20 goals, 15 assists, named to the Class 6A All-State team.
Zacorian Shaq, sophomore defender: Three goals, five assists, named to the Class 6A All-State second team.
Byron Felix, junior forward: eight goals, eight assists.
Westbrook Christian
Braden Boulware, senior midfield/forward: 14 goals, 2 assists, team captain.
Ryder Megowa, junior forward: 11 goals, five assists.
Hokes Bluff
Payton Abercrombie, junior center back: Team captain and team MVP.
John Taylor, senior fullback: 2 goals, 5 assists, 5 saves, team defensive MVP.
Glencoe
Connor Montgomery, junior midfielder: Eight hat tricks, 11th all-time in AHSAA history, career assists with 47. Named to the Class 1A/3A all-state team.
Etowa
Brayden McClain, sophomore midfielder;
Coosa Christian
Benjamin Wright, senior defender;
Honorable Mention
Hokes Bluff: Halen Stanley
Westbrook Christian: Toren Cantrell, Jake Edwards
South side: Alex Mullins, Will Argo, Jackson Greene, Will Martin, Grant Weiss
Coosa Christian: Alex Nunez
Glencoe: Lance Cochran
