Mt. Pleasant, IA- The Southeast Conference (SEC) had the privilege of experiencing some fantastic boys’ soccer this season with games thrilling games going down to the wire, including a couple of ties. As the soccer season concludes, the All-SEC list has been revealed and here’s a look at the breakdown.
SEC Player of the Year
Bihn Truong, Fairfield
All-Conference
Dylan White, Mt. Pleasant
Samuel Schaapen, Mt. Pleasant
Kohen Cass, Mt. Pleasant
Abraham Cass, Mt. Pleasant
Xachary LeBlanc, Mt. Pleasant
Henry Graham, Fort Madison
Jacob Shottenkirk, Fort Madison
Connor Horn, Fort Madison
Noah Swigart, Fort Madison
Jonah Santiago, Fort Madison
Bihn Truong, Fairfield
Minh Truong, Fairfield
Cormac Van Pelt, Fairfield
Lane Stever, Fairfield
Sheltyn Anderson, Burlington
Alex Schroeder, Burlington
Mateo Weir, Burlington
Brendan Taylor, Washington
Edwin Cortes, Washington
Breakdown
Mt. Pleasant dominates the All-Conference list with five players making the team and for good reason. The Panthers’ 8-1-1 conference record secured their first SEC Championship since their State Tournament run in 2013. Additionally, their 13-5-1 overall record was their first winning record since 2019.
The Panthers nearly replicated their 2013 results when they defeated Fairfield 2-0 in the Class 2A Substate 6 semifinals but fell a game short of the state tournament after losing to Williamsburg 3-2 in the Substate Championship.
Although defense does not record any mainstream stats, it was clear that Mt. Pleasant was stout in that department.
“Our defense 100%, I mean Aiden Humble, Abraham Cass, Cohen Cass, and Jackson Newman. Those guys don’t get any stats on Bound, but you know, without those guys, I mean, we’re not much of a soccer team” said Head Coach Rocco Russo heading into their game against the Raiders. “Those guys are solid back there. And I mean, our goalkeeper Xach is the real deal. You know, he’s really good. He’s been putting in working. It’s his turn to shine.”
Xachary LeBlanc was a wall for the Panthers, blocking 82.2% of shots on goals, the best save percentage in the SEC. He saved some of his best work against SEC foes, allowing only eight goals in nine games, including the 2-0 shutout of Fairfield in the postseason.
Of course, as stated above by coach Russo, the Cass brothers certainly helped LeBlanc out as the 24 goals allowed averages out to a stellar 1.3 goals per game.
Samuel Schaapen, a foreign exchange student from Germany, immediately made his mark on the team. The midfielder finished the season tied for the team lead in goals, which was tied for 4th in the conference. His 27 points ranked second on the team as he scored a goal in his final game as a Panther against the Raiders.
Dylan White has been the star of the team since his freshman season, leading the team in goals and points outright in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. This year, he displayed his maturity, stepping out of the limelight and becoming the main distributor with 15 assists on the season for a team leading 33 points.
He was still able to net nine goals to bring his career total to 31 goals, including an incredible goal from midfield. Coach Russo mentioned after that game that anytime the team needed a spark, White would be the one to supply it.
Fort Madison
The Bloodhounds proved to be the only team that could best the Panthers this past season, defeating the Maroon and Gold in front of the home fans 4-2 at the end of the season with the conference race already locked up.
Nevertheless, Fort Madison ran away with 2nd place in the SEC with an 8-2 conference record and a 10-7-1 record overall. This was a team that depended on their playmakers on offense with Jacob Shottenkirk leading the charge.
The senior was masterful in his role to perfectly set up his teammates, leading the conference in assists with 18 on the season, while also managing to score six goals for 30 points on the year.
Connor Horn, a sophomore, took advantage of his opportunities to say the least, burying 41% of his shots as he finished the season atop the conference in goals with 18 for the year. Right behind him was a fellow forward and senior Henry Graham, who finished the season with 13 goals and 31 points.
Jonah Santiago collected three goals and three assists as a sophomore midfielder, who has a bright future ahead of him. Noah Swigart was the main man on defense and still found a way to supply three assists.
Fairfield
You could describe Fairfield’s season with the old idiom, “always a bridesmaid, never the bride.” Twice the Trojans had the Panthers on the ropes. In game one at home, the Trojans allowed Brandon Veloz to score with 12 minutes left in the game to break the tie and eventually win 3-2.
Then at East Lake, the Fairfield defense held Mt. Pleasant scoreless for 78 minutes and led 1-0. Yet, Asa Rose ruined the moment for the Trojans as the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Still, a 5-3-2 record in conference is nothing to hang your head about.
Especially as the Trojans ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak and beating Centerville in the first round of the Substate to collect a 10-6-2 record. Their first winning record since 2021.
There is no question that this team needed Binh Truong, the SEC Player of the Year. In the Substate Semifinals, coach Russo directed all of his defensive attention on the senior to show the respect they had for the midfielder. He ended the season with 10 assists and eight goals for 26 points.
Cormac Van Pelt, Mihn Truong, and Lane Stever, who all combined for 23 points, were heavily influential on the success of the defense. Teams did not get many opportunities to score with only 98 shots on goal against Henry Swan.
Burlington
A tough season for the Grayhounds overall with a 5-11-2 record, but Burlington did enjoy success against the conference with a 4-5-1 record doing the heavy lifting. Mateo Weir led the team and finished top ten in the conference in goals with eight for the season.
Alexander Schroeder was right behind with 11 points on the year coming from four goals and three assists. However, the best player on the team was senior Sheltyn Anderson, the goalkeeper. Anderson knocked away 80.2% of shots against him, allowing only 18 goals for the season.
Washington
From the top of the conference last year, to a 3-7 mark against the SEC this season, with a 4-14 overall record. Of those 14 losses, half of them were decided by two goals or less. Edwin Cortes as one of the reasons that the Demons were able to stay close in so many games, as the junior finished tied for 6th in the SEC with nine goals on the season.
Brendan Taylor was the captain of the team as he led the defense for the Demons.
Keokuk
The Chiefs had their season canceled after three games due to disciplinary action taken by the Iowa High School Athletic Association and a self-imposed punishment by the Keokuk School District administrators when the team received four red cards in a 9-2 loss against Central Lee.
Honorable Mentions
Kamryn Reynold, Burlington
Caden Zaugg, Burlington
Chaz Wohnoutka, Fairfield
Jaxon Kurka, Fairfield
Layne Rung, Fort Madison
Hunter Wiegand, Fort Madison
Jonah Zimmer, Mt. Pleasant
Brandon Veloz, Mt. Pleasant
Fletcher Brower, Washington
Kevin Marcelino, Washington
For Mt. Pleasant’s Jonah Zimmer, he finished his senior campaign with 16 points as he notched six assists and five goals. Brandon Veloz in his sophomore season gave Panther fans a look into the future as he scored five goals in a crowded offense and added five assists to his total.
“It’s a blessing, honestly” said Veloz. “I moved for my first season here, you know, doing things that we’ve never done in this school before. I’m just happy, thankful to God for all my teammates, I’ve been able to spend this time with and just enjoy this season and hopefully continue this run.”
Academic All-Conference
Amand Gandhi Burlington
Antony Garcia Burlington
Lucas Henderson Burlington
Matthew Mercer Burlington
Talon Orr Burlington
Alex Schroeder Burlington
Paul Zaway Burlington
Ruth Contach-mgr Burlington
Rebecca Imbimno- mgr Burlington
Binh Truong Fairfield
Chaz Wohnoutka Fairfield
Noah Swigart Fort Madison
Jacob Shottenkirk Fort Madison
Kayden Hansen Fort Madison
Jackson Haessig Fort Madison
Henry Graham Fort Madison
Karson Dixon Fort Madison
Leon Ziegltrum Fort Madison
Jake Haessig Fort Madison
Layne Rung Fort Madison
Ramzy Davis Mount Pleasant
Isaiah Denning Mount Pleasant
Hayden Dolf Mount Pleasant
Antonio Navarro Ramirez Mount Pleasant
Kolbein Ostby Mount Pleasant
Ajay Wagner Mount Pleasant
Dylan White Mount Pleasant
Kohen Cass Mount Pleasant
Jonah Zimmer Mount Pleasant
Ivan Rangel Washington
Nerick Raymundo Washington
Benjamin Kronlage Washington
Brendan Taylor Washington