S-C’s Alonso, Esquivel Lead Boys Soccer Post-season Honors

Smith-Cotton forward Eduardo Alonso was named the Class 4, District 11 Player of the Year for 2017 and teammate forward Alex Esquivel was picked as Offensive Player of the Year.

Alonso finished  overall with 37 goals and 17 assists, for 91 points. Esquivel had 51 goals and 29 assists, for 131 points.

This season, Eduardo had 27 goals, 10 assists, 64 points, while Alex had 30 goals, 19 assists, for 79 points.

Both were first team all-district selections, along with fellow Tigers keeper Colby Edgar, defender Zach Morrison, and midfielders Serge Zayats and Riley Moore. Making the all-district second team were defenders Ian Wallen and Tanner McFatrich, and forward Landon Naylor.

S-C head coach Ethan Weller said Alonso "is the most dynamic player that we have had go through our program. He is incredibly skilled, rarely makes mistakes, and has a work rate that is out of this world."

Weller also had high praise for Esquivel.

"Alex has been the overall best leader that we have had in the nine years that I've been coaching," Weller said. "He is a true leader and his leadership had a tremendous amount to do with our team success."

Eight Tigers received All-West Central Conference recognition. Alonso, Esquivel, Edgar, Moore, Zayats, McFatrich and Morrison were named to the all-conference team, and Wallen was an honorable mention selection.

“We had a lot of players recognized as All-Conference and All-District and that just shows how talented these kids are,” Weller said. “We had a special season even though we didn't accomplish our last goal of making it to the Final Four. This group really earned a lot of respect from other teams and coaches as the year progressed."

Weller also was named the WCC Coach of the Year and the district Coach of the Year for leading the Tigers to a 26-2 record and conference and district titles. S-C lost at Kickapoo, 2-1, in the sectional final.

ALONSO: Smith-Cotton junior forward Eduardo Alonso (10) advances through the St. Michael defense during the teams' Oct. 11 match at Tiger Stadium. Alonso was named to the All-West Central Conference and all-district teams, along with being named the Class 4, District 11 Player of the Year.

ESQUIVEL: Smith-Cotton senior forward Alex Esquivel (14) works the ball past a sea of Harrisonville defenders during the Tigers' season-opening victory at Susie Ditzfeld Memorial Soccer Complex. Esquivel scored 51 goals over the 2017 season, earning the Class 4, District 11 Offensive Player of the Year honor.