Below are the Dallas Morning News boys’ soccer awards at the end of the season, along with the full first and second All-Area teams.
The Dallas Morning News’ 2022 Boy Soccer Player of the Year: Brennan Bezdek
Looking for a way to get even better, after winning the Class 5A state title in 2021, Brennan Bezdek and his Frisco Wakeland decided to up their mileage in the off-season. They switched from morning two-mile rides to gasser races on the vast expanse of Wakeland’s football practice field.
Bezdek said the work created better condition for the 2022 season but also created something more important.
“All that running has helped us control our emotions,” Bezdek said. “It helped us compete while staying cool at the same time.”
Keeping calm helped Bezdek find even more individual and team success. The senior attacking midfielder scored 15 goals, dished out a school-record 18 assists and helped Wakeland repeat as a 5A state champion. Bezdek is also a repeat pick as The Dallas Morning News Most Valuable Boys Soccer Player.
Bezdek said the improved conditioning and emotion control really made itself felt as the postseason kicked off on March 24 with a 4-0 two-county playoff win over Wylie East. Bezdek had an assist on the first goal of the game, which Wakeland took just 13 seconds to score.
Perhaps Bezdek’s best moment for keeping his cool was Wakeland’s shootout win over rival Frisco Lone Star in the Region II Finals on April 9. Wakeland was one player behind for most of the game because of a red card, but the Wolverines held their ground and Bezdek Almost usually won the game with a shot that hit the post just minutes from time.
Bezdek would score the game-winning result in the shootout. This was a reflection of even greater perseverance and mastery of emotions.
“I worked with Ryan Greener, Micah Keller and Brad Shreve on penalties after practice,” Bezdek said. “It was hundreds and hundreds of kicks for the one kick against Lone Star. It made a difference.”
Bezdek had a fairly successful follow-up to his 2021 honors in 2022, but it’s also his footballing swan song. He won’t play competitive football in college.
He said he had hoped to play college football at Dartmouth, but due in part to increasing sporting and academic competition from an enrollment backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, an opportunity has not materialized. In early March, he decided to focus on academics, and he will study electrical engineering and physics at Northeastern University in Boston, near Emerson College, where his twin sister Linae – who helped Wakeland’s girls team win their own state title – is attending will. Bezdek’s last competitive game is against Solar on May 22 for the Dallas Texans U19 club team.
“Will I miss it? Yes and no,” said Bezdek. “It was pretty hard to put on, but I have academic goals that I want to achieve. I will still enjoy it and I will still play home and club football.”
Bezdek said he’s excited about the legacy he’s leaving and is credited in the same sentence as former Wakeland All-Area MVPs Harris Partain and Matt Ribble.
“We’ve always talked about leaving a legacy,” Bezdek said. “We can call ourselves the best Wakeland team of all time. Leaving a legacy like this is pretty surreal.”
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The Dallas Morning News’ 2022 Area Boys Soccer Awards
Attacking Player of the Year: Leo Londe
Senior Grapevine forward
Grapevine didn’t lose a single game until the Class 5A Region I Finals, averaging 3.3 goals per game, and Londe played a big part. He had a team-high 23 goals and 23 assists. Londe was a first-team selection on the TASCO Class 5A All-State team.
Defender of the Year: Henry Huffstetler
Senior Plano Keeper
Plano had an exciting run to the Class 6A State Finals and Huffstetler was an important part. He had 13 shutouts and a .96 goal allowed average. First-team selection for the TASCO Class 6A All-State Team was particularly good in the playoffs, stopping five penalties and making eight saves in the 6A State Championship Game against Lake Travis.
Newcomer of the Year: Hazani Torres
Frisco Wakeland second midfielder
Torres was an important part of Wakeland’s winning the Class 5A state title, and if he continues like he did in 2022, he might still get a ring or two. Torres started in every game this season and was Newcomer of the Year in the rough-hewn District 9-5A. He helped thwart opposing attacks by limiting them to an average of 0.97 goals per game. Torres scored in Wakeland’s 3-0 win over Dripping Springs in the 5A State Title Game.
Coach of the Year: Clinton Hollingworth
Frisco Lone Star
After Lone Star won just two games in 2021, Hollingworth made significant changes and it paid off. Lone Star finished 21-2-3 to win the contested District 9-5A title. Lone Star earned its first four playoff wins in program history before losing on penalties to eventual state champion Frisco Wakeland in the Region II Finals.
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The Dallas Morning News All-Area First Team
| position | player | school | classification | Remarkable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | Omar Boutari | stone wall | sir | First team TASCO 6A All-State, 10-6A Offensive Player of the Year, 15 goals, 5 assists |
| f | Chris Demon | red oak | jr | Second team TASCO 5A All-State, 14-5A MVP, 32 goals, 7 assists |
| f | Nolan Giles | Plano | sir | First team TASCO 6A All-State, 6-6A MVP, 18 goals, 6 assists, hat trick in 6A State semifinals |
| MF | Anthony Bernal | Duncanville | So. | First team TASCO 6A All-State, 11-6A Midfielder of the Year, 13 goals, 7 assists |
| MF | Ryan Greener | Frisco Wakeland | sir | First team TASCO 5A All-State, 11 goals, 7 assists, Tournament All-State, signer North Carolina-Wilmington |
| MF | Joel Hernandez | Frisco Lone Star | jr | 14 goals, 7 assists, 9-5A MVP, Honorable Mention TASCO 5A All-State |
| MF | Andreas Sanchez | basement, cellar | sir | 4-6A MVP, second-team TASCO All-State, 16 goals, 12 assists |
| D | Alex Gonzalez | Frisco Lone Star | jr | 3 goals, 3 assists, first team TASCO 5A All-State |
| D | Maddox Mallery | basement, cellar | sir | First Team TASCO 6A All-State, 4-6A Defensive Player of the Year, North Carolina-Greensboro signee |
| D | Arath Oliverez | Duncanville | sir | Second team TASCO 6A All-State, 11-6A Defensive Player of the Year, helped Duncanville to 17 shutouts, averaging .66 goals allowed |
| GC | Brad Shreve | Frisco Wakeland | sir | First team TASCO 5A All-State, 9-5A Goaltender of the Year, .68 goals allowed average. |
| u | Diego Ferruzzi | McKinney Boyd | sir | 5-6A Utility Player of the Year, Honorable Mention TASCO 6A All-State in midfield, 13 goals, 7 assists |
| u | Luke Harris | Richardson JJ Pearce | sir | 14 goals, 12 assists, 7-6A MVP, Dallas Baptist signee |
| u | Milton Lopez | irving | jr | Honorable Mention TASCO 6A All-State, 7-6A Offensive Player of the Year, 34 goals, 12 assists |
| u | Francisco Maldonado | Owlless Trinity | sir | 34 goals, 14 assists, 3-6A MVP, Mary Hardin-Baylor signer |
| u | Diego Pepe | Frico | jr | Honorable Mention TASCO 5A All-State, 17 goals, 3 assists, 9-5A Offensive Player of the Year. |
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The Dallas Morning News nationwide second team
| position | player | school | classification | Remarkable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | William Heideman | Frisco Wakeland | sir | 16 goals, 7 assists, Class 5A State Tournament MVP, First Team TASCO 5A All-Region II |
| f | Spencer Sarkissian | McKinney Boyd | sir | 5-6A MVP, 15 goals, 13 assists, first team TASCO 6A All-Region I |
| f | Cade Whitmire | basement, cellar | sir | 13 goals, 14 assists, 4-6A offensive MVP, first team TASCO 6A All-Region I |
| MF | Kohyn Gough | Celina | jr | First team TASCO 4A All-State, 11-4A MVP, 10 goals, 12 assists helped Celina to the 4A State runner-up spot. |
| MF | Joel Perez | Frico | sir | First Team TASCO 5A All-Region II, First Team All-9-5A, 6 goals, 4 assists |
| MF | Patricio Solorzano Altamirano | Frisco Reedy | sir | 9-5A Midfielder of the Year. 8 goals, 6 assists in the 9-5A game. |
| MF | Steven Wood | Plano | sir | 6-6A Midfielder of the Year, 6 goals, 9 assists, first team TASCO 6A All-Region I, 6 goals, 4 assists, Incarnate Word signee |
| D | Daniel Carranza | Hurst LD Bell | jr | Honorable Mention TASCO 6A All-State, 3-6A Defensive MVP |
| D | Eva Lupo | Frisco Wakeland | sir | 9 goals, 1 assist, first team All-9-5A, signers North Carolina-Asheville |
| D | Adam vellum | Richardson JJ Pearce | sir | 7-6A Co-Defensive Player of the Year, 4 goals, 7 assists, Gardner-Webb signer |
| GC | Dylan Frazier | Duncanville | jr | First team TASCO 6A All-State, 11-6A Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, 17 shutouts, .66 goals allowed average |
| u | DJ Koulai | Lewisville | jr | 6-6A Offensive Player of the Year, 16 goals, 7 assists |
| u | Caden Marchione | Carollton Prince of Peace | sir | First-team TAPPS Division II All-State, 17 goals for state champions. |
| u | Oscar Martinez | Rowlet | sir | 9-6A Offensive Player of the Year, 7 goals, 15 assists |
| u | Juniber Mendoza | Seegoville | sir | 12-5A MVP, 24 goals, 22 assists |
| u | Aidan Williams | Midlothian | sir | 14-5A Offensive Player of the Year, 9 goals, 9 assists, second team TASCO 5A All-Region II, Univ. by Ozarks signers |
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The Dallas Morning News football awards 2022
— Seasonal awards for boys, first and second all-area teams
— Girls’ All-Area Teams First and Second All-Area Team Relay Awards
— All district lists (coming soon)
For more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News, click here.
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