Cate’s Geoffrey Acheampong is that special soccer player who can take over a game and raise the level of play of his teammates.
“His statistics, while noteworthy, are the wrong way to judge him as player,” Cate coach Peter Mack said. “He makes his teammates better— not by accident, but on purpose. He is intentional about how and where he gets his teammates the ball and always puts them in a position to succeed. This says a ton about his ability, foresight, sense of the game, and responsibility. He’s the smartest guy on the field every game. He’s learned that the best player on the field makes the people around him better.”
Cate’s Geoffrey Acheampong collected 16 goals and 20 assists in his senior season. (Presidio Sports Photo)
Presidio Sports is pleased to name Acheampong the MVP of the All-City Boys Soccer Team.
The UCSB-bound Acheampong had a big senior season for the Rams, scoring 16 goals and notching 20 assists.
“As a team, we scored 48 goals in 17 games,” Mack pointed out. “That means Geoffrey had a direct hand in 75 percent of our goals. That he assisted more than he scored is a pretty good indication that he knows how to draw defenders to him and then make that final, crucial pass to a teammate that was in a position to score. This is how Geoffrey ensured that we played like a team, not like a bunch of guys watching a superstar perform. It showed tremendous character.”
Acheampong’s stellar play has earned him several postseason awards: Offensive Player of the Year in the Tri-Valley League, team MVP, All-CIF first team and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Youth Boys All-American team.
His incredible skill on the soccer field led to several ‘did you just see that?’ moments, including a 60-yard goal on a midfield kick-off [VIDEO]. Acheampong led Cate to a share of the Tri-Valley League title in its first season in the tougher league. The Rams went 8-1-1 in league and 12-3-2 overall.
“He didn’t care about his statistics — he could have scored a ton more goals,” Mack said. “He cared about getting the best out of every single teammate, because he knew that that was the only way we were going to win games. And when you consider the season we had, you have to consider that Geoffrey’s performance bordered on heroic.”’
Based upon on-court performance and team leadership, the All-City All-Star Teams are selected by Presidio Sports to recognize the top high school student-athletes competing on the South Coast in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria. Each All-City selection will receive a special award certificate and be recognized in a pre-game ceremony at a Santa Barbara Foresters baseball game in early June (TBD).
2014-15 All-City Boys Soccer Team:
Geoffrey Acheampong, Sr., Cate School, MVP
Tim Heiduk, Sr., Dos Pueblos: A tremendous leader, the powerful and versatile Heiduk was a huge presence on the pitch. He shored up the defense, won balls everywhere on the field, set up teammates for goals and scored goals. He was the team leader with 11 goals and had seven assists. “Tim has played with his heart and soul for this school and it will be quite some time before we can find someone to fill his shoes completely,” said coach Matt York. He’ll continue his career at Westmont College.
Jessie Jimenez, Sr., Dos Pueblos: A dynamic offensive player who created havoc for defenses. “When Jessie is on his game, there isn’t anything people can do to stop him. He has an incredible knack for finding the open teammate when required or an open sliver of the net when it’s called for,” said York of the four-year varsity player.
Drew Richard, Sr. Dos Pueblos: A dominating center back who was instrumental in the Chargers winning the Channel League title. “Drew had made the switch from goalkeeper last season to defender and it was his soccer intelligence which really allowed us to start a sophomore alongside him in the crucial centerback position,” York said. “Drew’s vocal leadership and energy helped us get through many a close match this year, something that we could not do last year. With his help we were able to go undefeated through League play.”
Brandon Sanchez, Jr. Santa Barbara: A smooth, slick central midfielder that was incredibly important to the Dons’ success. “His ability to create in the offensive third and dribble penetrate kept opposing defenses on their heels and allowed his teammates to excel on the offensive end,” said coach Todd Heil.
Angel Cervantes, Sr., Santa Barbara: An All-CIF Division 1 selection and the Channel League Defensive MVP, the Dons’ goalkeeper posted an astounding 0.70 goals-against average over 18 games. He had nine shutouts. “As a team, when your keeper is allowing less than a goal a game you know you have a chance to win every time you take the field,” said Heil.
Diego Contreras, Jr., Carpinteria: A tenacious forward who scored a team-high 10 goals and had four assists, helping the Warriors earn a share of the Tri-Valley League title.
Victor Saldaña, Sr., Carpinteria: The team captain played at both ends of the field, limiting his offensive out put (5 goals, 6 assists). “However, he was invaluable in the defensive side when called to defend,” said coach Leo Quintero. “His commitment and leadership will be greatly missed.”
Sean Estabrooks, Sr., San Marcos: A hard-nosed, mentally tough defender who enjoyed challenges and competition.
Ryan Bickett, Sr. Laguna Blanca: A tough defensive midfielder with a cannon of a right foot. His stats are quite impressive for a defensive player: 14 goals, 15 assists. “It’s safe to say that Ryan was the brain of the team throughout the season,” said coach Daniel Torres.
Damian Nunez, Sr. Laguna Blanca: Nunez was huge during the Owls’ run to the CIF Final. He scored eight of his 15 goals during the playoffs. He also had 15 assists on the season. “He’s one of those players that when things get tough he shows up to play. His drive and tenacity rubbed off on his teammates and made everyone better around him,” said Torres.
Iman Fardeghassemi, Sr., Cate: The hard-working, speedy midfielder scored 7 goals and had six assists for the Rams. “Iman has blazing speed, marathon-like endurance, and a work ethic that separates him from virtually every other player on the field,” said coach Mack.
Patrick Thomas, Sr. Cate: Thomas was a force at centerback for the Rams. “He’s a pretty cool customer in the back; it’s rare to see him do anything flashy, and just as rare to see him make a mistake,” said Mack.
