By Five Boro Sports
Queens might be the best boys’ soccer borough pound for pound in the entire city. It didn’t have Martin Luther King Jr. or Beacon, but Queens did have CHSAA Class A intersectional champion Archbishop Molloy and Monsignor McClancy, the CHSAA Class B city runner-up. Two teams from the Q-Boro — Jamaica and Hillcrest — also made the PSAL Class B finals.
Queens boys’ soccer player of the year
Greg Davis, Archbishop Molloy
It seemed the bigger the game was and the colder the temperature, the better Greg Davis was, which means late in the playoffs, during the coldest part of the season, Davis dominated. The junior has all the tools to play on the next level — he is quick, smart, has an accurate shot and is a great passer. He is the most dangerous player in the league with the ball at his feet and the worst part for the rest of the CHSAA is that he’s back next year.
Queens boys’ soccer coach of the year
Alex Navarrete, John Adams
Somehow, John Adams went from a ‘B’ team last year to a contender for the PSAL Class A city title.
How?
The magic of Navarrete, a consummate soccer guy. The Spartans, who won the ‘B’ title last year, made the ‘A’ quarterfinals this year, only to be knocked off by powerhouse Beacon. There’s no doubt that Adams, with Navarrete leading the way, will be back next year. And the year after that.
All-Queens first team
F Sebastian Guenzatti, Francis Lewis: There might not be a more talented player in the PSAL. Guenzatti missed the first four games of the season due to a red card he received after last year’s city title loss to Martin Luther King, but seriously made up for lost time when he returned. There was only one regular season game in which he didn’t score. The Patriots made the semifinals this year and could be even better next year when Guenzatti is a senior.
F Jorge Echeverri, Bayside: Echeverri’s goal against Lehman in the first round of the PSAL Class A was so amazing, Lions coach Pat Straw said it was one of the finest he has seen in 10 years coaching the Bronx school. The senior was the real deal for the Commodores this season and emerged as one of the finest — and most beautiful — finishers in the city.
F Bobby Montoni, Archbishop Molloy: Unlike on some other teams around the city, scoring on the Stanners was a collective effort shared by many in the lineup. But Montoni just seemed to do it better than most. He scored a goal and set up another in Molloy’s 5-0 quarterfinal victory against Monsignor Farrell and converted a key penalty kick against Iona Prep in the state semifinals.
M Peter Scimemi, Monsignor McClancy: Only a sophomore, Scimemi is already often the best player on the field when Monsignor McClancy steps on the pitch. The lanky midfielder can seemingly take over a game any way he pleases — as a ball-winner in the midfield, a playmaker behind the forwards, a dangerous dribbler — but more often than not he is a one-man wrecking crew.
M Glenn Whelan, Archbishop Molloy: When defenses concentrate on trying to stop Davis, it left Whelan room to operate and the junior center midfielder made the most of the chances he was given. A strong, physical force in the middle of the park, Whelan is a solid distributor, deadly on set pieces and is a great header of the ball.
M Idris Mashriqi, Francis Lewis: Mashriqi was the Patriots’ heartbeat this season. Guenzatti was awesome up front and Jeffrey Nunez was strong in the back, but Mashriqi controlled the midfield with grace. The senior used his strength, height and long legs to corral almost every 50-50 ball and his through balls and chips — to Francis Lewis’ dynamic strikers — were almost always on the money.
M Dan Brown, Jamaica: When you score twice in a championship game, it shouldn’t be a surprise to get your name among the borough’s best. Brown was a revelation for the Beavers this season as they bullied their way to the CHSAA Class B city title.
D Angelo Litorgis, St. Francis Prep: When the season came to an end in the Class A intersectional quarterfinals, St. Francis Prep Coach Franco Purificatio admitted that this had, in fact, been a rebuilding year. The Terriers started a very young team, but Litorgis was their rock in the back, the senior leader and one of the steadiest defenders in the league.
D Anthony Cardenia, Holy Cross: Holy Cross didn’t win a league game for a second consecutive season, but the Knights did have six draws, including a pair of scoreless tied with rival St. Francis Prep and Cardenia was a big reason, providing a calming influence in the back.
D Angel Martinez, Long Island City: Though only a sophomore, Martinez was the pillar of LIC’s back line. And on free kicks, he was an absolute monster. In the Bulldogs’ second game against John Adams, Martinez drilled the ball from 30 yards out into the goal. His future is extremely bright.
GK Peter Pipia, Monsignor McClancy: Concussion? What concussion? Sure Pipia was taken off the field on a stretcher during a heated match with Bishop Ford, but he bounced back and was a huge reason why the Crusaders advanced all the way to the Class B intersectional final before losing to Salesian in penalty kicks.
All-Queens honorable mention
F Peter Touros, Long Island City
F Alpha Dioubate, John Adams
F Omar Edwards, Hillcrest
M Steven Jimenez, Monsignor McClancy
M Patrick O’Grady, Archbishop Molloy
M James Zaidan, Long Island City
M Luis Molina, Cardozo
D Nick Copelli, St. Francis Prep
D Frank Biordi, St. Francis Prep
D Kevin Montoya, Bayside
GK Joe Ruocco, Archbishop Molloy
*Players and Coaches of the Year are separate for the All-City and All-Boro honors
