Local Sports Journal

Six area boys soccer players were honored as first-team all-state selections for the recently completed season.

The teams were announced on Wednesday by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Leading the way was Spring Lake with two first teamers in senior goalkeeper Joe Czajka and senior field player Kyle Zietlow. Also named to the first team in their respective classes were Ludington forward Zac School, a junior forward, Whitehall senior goalkeeper Hayden Collins, senior defender Eric Bourdo from Western Michigan Christian and North Muskegon senior defender Matt Kowalski.

In all, 27 area players were honored for their efforts during the 2014 season.

In Division 1, Mona Shores’ Nate Hoover, a senior midfielder, was named to the second team. Two Grand Haven players were honored: senior field player Christian Dault and junior goalkeeper Garrison Mast. Both were honorable mention selections.

In Division 2, four other players were honored besides the two Spring Lake first teamers. Chosen to the honorable mention squad was Spring Lake senior defender Ben Kramer, Muskegon senior forward Miguel Flores, Fruitport junior forward Noah Hendricks and Reeths-Puffer junior midfielder Noah Sorn.

Six other players were honored in Division 3.

Grant junior forward Alex Barajas was named to the second team along with Whitehall senior midfielder Windsor Maracek. Eric Janowiak, a senior defender from Ludington, was chosen as a third teamer. Honorable mention choices in Division 3 included a pair of Whitehall Vikings – Daniel Dubois, a junior forward, and Jonathon Gonzales, another junior forward. Ludington’s Dylan Hansen, a senior midfielder, also was honorable mention.

In Division 4, there were seven other area players acknowledged.

Named to the second team were Muskegon Catholic senior midfielder Erik VanFossen and North Muskegon sophomore Justice Sikkema, at forward.

A trio of third-team selections included two Western Michigan Christian juniors – midfielder Ben Mast and goalkeeper Michael Merz. North Muskegon’s  Connor Gannon, a senior forward, also made that team.

Three WMC players also were named honorable mention – senior defenders Matt VanderPloeg and Tyler Cook and junior midfielder Will Deur.