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The Journal-World All-Area teams are carefully selected by the Journal-World sports staff.

Coach of the Year: Joe Comparato, Lawrence

Lawrence High head soccer coach Joe Comparato has been prepping his squad since school let out in May. It’ll be Comparato’s first year coaching the boys and girls teams this coming school year.

The Lawrence boys soccer team had one of its best seasons in recent history, entering the playoffs with the sixth seed in the 6A East with an 11-4-1 record.

Player of the Year: Leo Schoenberger, Baldwin

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Baldwin senior defender Leo Schoenberger boxes out to head the ball in a 2-1 win over Classical School of Wichita in the 4-1A state semifinal game at Baker University on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Baldwin.

Schoenberger was as dominant of a defender as there was this season, helping Baldwin record 11 shutouts. He earned first-team honors in the Frontier League and the state, as well as earning defender of the year honors at both the league and state level. On top of his defense, he scored eight goals and assisted on four others.

Jameson Breitzman, Tonganoxie

Jameson Breitzman

Breitzman was first-team All-Frontier League at midfielder and scored nine goals with four assists for the Chieftains. He was both a captain and leader for the team, and his ability to distribute the ball helped Tonganoxie control games.

Cooper Carr, Baldwin

Cooper Carr

Carr finished his Baldwin career as one of the best forwards in the state. After setting a school record last year with 28 goals, Carr scored 26 his senior year with six assists. He earned Frontier League player of the year and forward of the year while being a first-team All-Frontier League and first-team all-state player.

Camden Cox, Baldwin

Camden Cox

Cox was Baldwin’s emotional leader as a senior forward and was best at setting teammates up for success during play and on set pieces. He finished with four goals and 13 assists, while being a first-team all-state forward and second-team All-Frontier League.

Beckham Erpelding, Eudora

Beckham Erpelding

Erpelding earned first-team All-Frontier League honors and was Frontier League co-midfielder of the year as a senior. Eudora moved Erpelding around the field a lot, and he performed well for the Cardinals wherever he was.

Lachlan McRae, Tonganoxie

Lachlan McRae

McRae was the heart of Tonganoxie’s defense that had seven shutouts. McRae was the captain of the back line and a leader of the Chieftains, and his performance earned him first-team All-Frontier League honors.

Murphy Nowak, Lawrence

Murphy Nowak

Nowak was the last line of defense for Lawrence, and he got the team out of a lot of sticky situations as goalkeeper. He set a new school record with 108 saves, which led to him winning Sunflower League goalkeeper of the year.

Patrick Sandefur, Lawrence

Patrick Sandefur

Sandefur was one of the best in the state at scoring goals, setting a new school record with 23 goals this season. That helped him receive the title of Sunflower League forward of the year, as well as being named first-team All-Sunflower League and an all-state nominee.

Ethan Smasal, Baldwin

Ethan Smasal

Smasal scored 10 goals with 13 assists while being named first-team All-Frontier League and first-team all-state as a midfielder. This was his first year at midfielder after playing defender and he didn’t miss a beat. Throughout Baldwin’s playoff run, Smasal was a driving force.

Madjoa Tankoano, Lawrence

Madjoa Tankoano

Tankoano earned first-team All-Sunflower League as a defender, and also finished as the runner-up for Sunflower League defensive player of the year. His work on defense helped the Lions have one of their best seasons since 2010.

Honorable Mentions: Trenton Cozadd, Free State; Caden Dunback, Eudora; Ivan Franco, Tonganoxie; Jack Hawkins, Eudora; Caleb Huggins, Free State; Kaiden Helm, Free State; Jasper Piepergerdes, Lawrence; Eli Stone, Free State.