Log in

WEST VALLEY PREPS

The 2019-20 all West Valley Preps girls soccer team

Posted 3/19/20

For the fifth straight year, West Valley Preps watched enough soccer to put together a credible all Northwest Valley team. Here it is:

First team

F – Anacel Valenzuela-Acosta, senior, …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor
WEST VALLEY PREPS

The 2019-20 all West Valley Preps girls soccer team

Posted
For the fifth straight year, West Valley Preps watched enough soccer to put together a credible all Northwest Valley team. Here it is:

First team

F – Anacel Valenzuela-Acosta, senior, Millennium
F – Gabbie Hayes, forward, Estrella Foothills
F – Anna Ramirez, senior, Sunrise Mountain
MF – Belle Floyd, sophomore, Northwest Christian
MF – Jamie Brandon, freshman, Centennial
MF – Sierra Sweeney, senior, Paradise Honors
D – Karis Stull, senior, Millennium
D – Arianna Dillon, senior, Liberty
D – Belle Ress, senior, Northwest Christian
D – Sophie Konieczny, sophomore, Shadow Ridge
GK – Olivia Tribbett, senior, Kellis

Second team

F – Skylar Skelton, sophomore, Liberty
F – Sara Jones, junior, Cactus

F – Sydney Rolfe, junior, Paradise Honors
MF – Paige Garcia, sophomore, Willow Canyon
MF – Ariana Leamons, junior, Millennium
MF – Alexia Sanchez, senior, Deer Valley
MF – Maren Rice, senior, Millennium
D – Estrella Chavez, sophomore, Dysart
D – Lauren Hill, senior, Sunrise Mountain
D – Gabriella Giannini, softball, Estrella Foothills
GK – Bethany Heater, junior, Northwest Christian

Player of the year

Sierra Sweeney, senior, Paradise Honors – A new coach was all it took to truly unleash Sweeney’s attacking talents in her final season. She scored 10 goals and added three assists as a junior, then skyrocketed to 39 goals and 21 assists this season. The Panthers were on a similar upward trajectory, reversing fortunes fom 4-9 in 2018-19 to 11-4 in 2019-20. A creative inspiration from anew system and more attacking talent around Sweeney lead to some truly spectacular numbers for the Ottawa-bound offensive dynamo. And Paradise Honors had the best season in program history, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Runner up

Karis Stull, senior, Millennium – Once again, Millennium was deep and multi-faceted enough that choosing an individual player to honor was difficult. However, Stull was chosen the 5A Desert West Region defensive player of the year and led the Tigers with 128 steals of the ball. Since the Millennium attack ended in many ways, maybe it is best to credit the player who started the transition to attack more than any other. And being named the sole captain on a 29-player roster has to count for something.

Coach of the year

Scott Bergeron, Paradise Honors – The former Shadow Ridge boys coach took his new program in southwest Surprise by storm. He switched the Panthers’ focus to passing triangles and two- and three-touch soccer and the team took off. Paradise Honors finished its 15-game season with 93 goals. And it was not all padding stats against overmatched small schools. Bergeron’s team let in two late goals but was competitive with defending 3A champion Northwest Christian for 65 minutes. Then the Panthers pushed this season’s state champion Gilbert Christian on the road before falling 3-2. And even Paradise Honors’ playoff loss looks better in retrospect. No. 8 seed Sahuarita knocked off the Panthers 2-1 in the first round, then made a surprising run all the way to the state final.

Runner up

Marc Shrake, Centennial – Certainly, the second-year coach had more talent at his disposal this time around. But Shrake molded it together into a coherent squad faster than coald have been expected. The Coyotes returned to the postseason and pushed Sunrise Mountain for the Northwest Region title in the final regular season game — until a bit of a flukish last minute goal sent the Mustangs through. Centennial is a program to watch next season.