photo by: Contributed

Baldwin High soccer coach Matt McCune with all-area player of the year Caleb Carr in 2022.

The following athletes and head coach were selected for the Lawrence Journal-World’s All-Area Boys Soccer team for the 2022 season.

Players were nominated by their coaches and the team was selected by the Journal-World sports staff.

• Player of the Year: Caleb Carr, Baldwin

The BHS senior midfielder finished the 2022 season with 13 goals and 12 assists, earning all-league honors and an all-state nod, as well. BHS coach Matt McCune called Carr “the kind of player coaches dream to have.” As a four-year starter, he finished his prep career with 36 goals and 51 career wins, including 15 victories this season, which led the Bulldogs all the way to the Class 1A-4A state title game.

• Coach of the Year: Matt McCune, Baldwin

Despite losing five starters from last season’s squad, McCune led the Bulldogs on a memorable run during the 2022 season. He rebuilt the team’s back line entirely and said his team’s production, all over the field, exceeded his expectations. BHS finished the season 15-5-1, losing in the 1A-4A state title game to seven-time defending champ Bishop Miege. McCune’s Bulldogs recorded 10 shutouts this season and also secured the 200th win in the 17-year history of the program.

• Beck Oldridge, Bishop Seabury Academy

The Seabury senior broke his own school record in 2022 with 31 goals, giving him 94 for his career. BSA coach Ivo Ivanov said he believed the 31 goals in a single season were the most by any player in Douglas County soccer history. Oldridge missed two matches because of injury and played a huge role in the Seahawks pushing their win total from four in 2021 to 10 in 2022. Oldridge, who scored in seemingly every way imaginable this season, also rec-orded 10 assists.

• Enzo Karam, Bishop Seabury Academy

Karam set a school record with 22 assists in 2022, adding 11 goals in the process. Ivanov called him “the master en-gineer behind Seabury’s successful season.” The mid-fielder was directly responsible for 33 of Seabury’s schoo-record 66 goals and he used his footwork, skill and high soccer IQ to stay one step ahead of the defense.

• Cale Scott, LHS

The senior and longtime LHS starter saved his best for last, breaking his brother’s single season record with 25 goals during the 2022 season. Scott added seven assists in the process and led the Sunflower League with 20 goals in league play, a notable accomplishment given the fact that five of the eight teams in this year’s 6A quarterfinals were Sunflower League schools. Scott’s goal total ranked second in Class 6A and he was voted a team captain by his teammates.

• Colin Sandefur, LHS

The Lions’ junior midfielder who also was voted as a team captain by his teammates finished the season with eight goals and five assists. The multi-sport athlete, who also plays basketball and track was also used on defense from time to time. No matter where he played, LHS coach Brandon Daley said Sandefur always put the team first.

• Cooper Carr, Baldwin

An all-league selection in 2022 and the younger brother of our player of the year, this Carr finished with a league-best 14 goals and three assists as a freshman. He broke the BHS freshman scoring record in just nine games and showed his versatility by finishing a couple of memorable headers for goals during the Bulldogs’ run to the state title game.

• Caden Englert, Baldwin

Even with a rebuilt defense playing in front of him, Englert recorded 10 shutouts and gave up just 23 goals in 21 games this season. He averaged five saves per game and, at 6-foot-3, used his size and athleticism to protect the net. He also earned all-league honors for the second season in a row and finished his career with 51 wins in net.

• Ben Barnett, Free State

The Free State senior turned in one of the best seasons by a goalkeeper in city history this year, earning all-Sunflower League first team honors as a result. Barnett was dominant at times in the net for the Firebirds this season, sometimes single-handedly keeping Free State in games with his spectacular saves and all-out effort.

• Brenan Kuzmic, Tonganoxie

Called by his coach the best player on the field for the Chief-tains in most of their games this season, Kuzmic led THS with 11 goals and seven assists and earned first team all-league honors.

• Jackson McWilliams, Tonganoxie

The THS goalkeeper gave up just 25 goals all season and made 198 saves while also scoring three goals and adding an assist. He earned first-team all-league honors and is regarded by those on his team and many of his opponents as one of the best goalies in the state. His coach said the junior keeper “makes difficult saves routine.”

• Parker Hurla, Eudora

The Cardinals’ leader in 2022, Hurla finished the season with eight goals and five assists from his position in the EHS mid-field. During his senior season, he broke Eudora’s school rec-ord for career goals with 31. He also leaves the program as the school’s all-time assists leader.

Honorable Mention: Grey Werner, Bishop Seabury; Jesse Hopper, Baldwin; Carson Cole, LHS; Andrew Gomez, Eudora; Nate Steinlage, Eudora; JJ Zheng, Free State; Utah Hester, Free State.