Two local soccer players were honored as selections to the ESPN Rise All-American team.
Santa Barbara senior midfielder and Boston University-bound Sanford Spivey and Cate School sophomore defender Joshua Yaro both were named to the second team.
Spivey previously earned All-American honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after leading the Dons to the CIF-South Section Division 1 final and the CIF State Regional Division 2 championship. Spivey scored nine goals during Santa Barbara’s playoff run.
Spivey will be leaving for Boston on Aug. 3. He’ll get his first action in a scrimmage against Merrimack on Aug. 20. The Terriers open the regular season on Aug. 26 against Holy Cross.
Yaro established himself as one of the top defenders in the Southern Section. He helped lead Cate to an undefeated season and its first CIF-SS boys soccer championship.
In the Division 7 final against Mammoth, he made a brilliant play at the defensive end that led to the final goal in a 3-1 win. He tackled the ball away from Mammoth’s star forward in the penalty area and booted it 60 yards up field. The ball was headed by a defender right into the path for Rams forward Teddy Mauze, who scored on a breakaway.
ESPN-RISE ALL-AMERICAN SOCCER TEAMS
First Team
F: Mac McGuire, Carroll (Southlake, Texas), Sr., Boston University
F: Reed McKenna, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, Calif.), Sr., UCLA
F: Julio Morales, Willow Glen (San Jose, Calif.), Jr., Signed professional contract
F: Verneri Valimaa, American Heritage-Delray (Delray Beach, Fla.), Sr., George Mason
MF: Brian James, American Heritage-Delray (Delray Beach, Fla.), Jr., Virginia
MF: Colin McAtee, Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.), Sr., Michigan
MF: J.P. Medina, Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), Sr., UC Riverside
MF: Khiry Shelton, Vista Ridge (Cedar Park, Texas), Sr., Oregon State
MF: Aaron Simmons, Mansfield (Mansfield, Texas), Sr., SMU
D: Anthony DeCosta, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), Sr., Santa Clara
D: Michael Nelson, McNeil (Austin, Texas), Jr.
GK: Alex Mangels, Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.), Sr., California
Coach: Greg Oglesby, Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Second Team
F: Villyan Bijev, Clovis North (Fresno, Calif.), Sr., Washington
F: Thomas Haws, Westlake (Austin, Texas), Jr., Wake Forest
F: Riggs Lennon, Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), So.
MF: Mitchell Alvarez, Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Sr., UC Irvine
MF: Brian Ford, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.), Sr., UC Davis
MF: David Graydon, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Jr.
MF: Adrian McInnis, St. Paul’s (Covington, La.), Sr., Furman
MF: Charlie Miller, Servite (Anaheim, Calif.), Sr., UC Santa Barbara
MF: Sanford Spivey, Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Sr., Boston University
D: Cullen Roche, St. Ignatius (San Francisco, Calif.), Sr., UC Davis
D: Joshua Yaro, Cate School (Carpinteria, Calif.), So.
GK: Michael Breslin, Tesoro (Las Flores, Calif.), Sr., UC Irvine
Third Team
F: Corey Christ, Ironwood (Glendale, Ariz.), Sr., St. John’s
F: Mountan Mitchell, Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), Sr., Louisville
F: Steve Palacios, San Clemente (San Clemente, Calif.), Sr., Cal Poly
MF: Stefano Bonomo, Burlingame (Burlingame, Calif.), Sr., California
MF: Steven Cabos, Jesuit (New Orleans, La.), Sr., Kentucky
MF: Kevin Pahl, George Jenkins (Lakeland, Fla.), Sr., Furman
MF: Jagger Martinez, Countryside (Clearwater, Fla.), Sr., Northwestern
MF: Joao Ramalho, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Jr.
MF: Owen Steinwall, Notre Dame (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Sr., Xavier
D: Kevin Gould, San Clemente (San Clemente, Calif.), Sr., San Francisco
GK: Blake Brown, Legacy (Mansfield, Texas), Sr., Yale
GK: Oshick Shams, Carroll (Southlake, Texas), Jr.
