Philomath High School placed five players on the all-Oregon West Conference boys soccer team, including two first-team picks — junior midfielder Sammy Hernandez and junior forward Dreyton Nuño.
Senior defender Esias Sapp and freshman forward Skyler Wilson made the second team, and junior midfielder Archer Schroeder received honorable mention.
Hernandez picked up first-team recognition for the second straight season.
“He’s our playmaker,” first-year coach Gerardo Garibay said. “His goals are there. His assists are there. He’s the playmaker of the team. Our offense runs through him.”
Opponents knew it, too.
“He was the focal point for other teams,” Garibay said. “Teams know who he is. They plan for him, and he still gets the numbers that he does.”
Garibay is setting the bar high for Hernandez’s senior season.
“I think the goal for him next year is going to be Player of the Year,” Garibay said. “He’s that good for us.”
Nuño’s breakthrough came after a position change early in the season. He wanted to play on the right wing, but Garibay saw him differently.
“I convinced him to try left side because I thought that’s where he was stronger,” Garibay said. “He was able to beat his defender on that left side every single time, against every single team. He scored or assisted against every team in our league, including Stayton and Cascade.”
Nuño got comfortable on the left wing as the season went on.
“I’ve been praising him the whole season,” Garibay said. “He plays it really well. Beats his guy, goes down the line and then gets us a cross, and then it’s up to other guys to finish that. But he played that position really well, and I’m so happy for him, and I hope he continues.”
Philomath finished 4-6 in league play and 5-9-1 overall in Garibay’s first season.
For the second straight year, Stayton swept the league’s top individual awards. Senior forward Josiah Dessieux was named Player of the Year, and Chris Shields was named Coach of the Year. Stayton and Newport, both from the Oregon West, are in the Class 4A semifinals.
All-Oregon West Conference
Player of the Year — Josiah Dessieux, Sr., Stayton
Coach of the Year — Chris Shields, Stayton
FIRST TEAM
Field — Josiah Dessieux, Sr., Stayton; Julian Cabrera, Jr., Cascade; Avery Chandler, Sr., Newport; Sammy Hernandez, Jr., Philomath; Liam Clausen, Jr., Cascade; Dreyton Nuno, Jr., Philomath; Edwyn Perez, Sr., Stayton; Miguel Ceballos, Sr., Stayton; Jaden Romero, Sr., Newport
Defenders — Ruben Bell, Sr., Stayton; Anthony Lopez, Sr., Cascade
Goalkeeper — Tanen Swing, Sr., Cascade
SECOND TEAM
Field — Enrique Alvarez, So., Cascade; Fernando Cortez-Jimenez, Sr., Taft; Adan Martinez, Fr., Cascade; Noah Klampe, Sr., Stayton; Ian Ruiz, Jr., Newport; Skyler Wilson, Fr., Philomath
Defenders — Emmett Schrader, Jr., Newport; Jose Navarro, Sr., Stayton; Joseph Burnell, Sr., Cascade; Esias Sapp, Sr., Philomath; Omar Villazana Gonzalez, Sr., Stayton; Brandon Vargas Garcia, Sr., Central
Goalkeepers — Noah Jones, Jr., Taft; Logan Butenchen, Sr., Stayton
HONORABLE MENTION
Field — Archer Schroeder, Jr., Philomath
Defenders — Omari Andrade, Jr., Cascade; Noe Miranda, Jr., Newport; Dez Nuñez Herrera, Fr., Central
Goalkeepers — Kanten Venemon, Jr., Newport; Mason Weston, Jr., Central
