Alabama High School Athletic Association soccer coaches compiled an all-classification, all-state team following the postseason and recognized 77 athletes from Baldwin County including nine who …
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Alabama High School Athletic Association soccer coaches compiled an all-classification, all-state team following the postseason and recognized 77 athletes from Baldwin County including nine who earned spots on the first- and second-team rosters.
Eight local teams garnered six all-state representatives to lead the way, including both boys’ and girls’ teams from Spanish Fort and St. Michael Catholic. In addition, the state-champion Bayside Academy and Daphne boys’ teams as well as the girls’ teams from Fairhope and Daphne also had six athletes recognized with all-state distinction.
There were 43 total local girls’ selections and 34 total boys’ nominations.
More history for Gulf Shores programs
The Gulf Shores Dolphins, which had both teams qualify for the state finals in Huntsville for the first time ever, garnered four all-state representatives and had one each on the first-team all-state.
Junior Talan Galvan, who was also recently announced as an AHSAA South All-Star, was a first-team all-state forward and senior Jensen Ward, a Belhaven signee and former South All-Star, was a first-team all-state midfielder. Ward’s senior classmates Aibry Anderson (defense) and Cali Sweet (midfielder), a Huntingdon signee, were both all-state honorable mentions.
Also on the boys’ first-team all-state was senior defender Blai Cebrian from Bayside Academy which secured its fourth consecutive Blue Map trophy and first in Class 4A. Cebrian earned second-team all-state honors on last year’s Super All-State team and competed in the 2022 North-South All-Star game.
Another former South All-Star in Spanish Fort senior forward Colin Spuler, an Oral Roberts signee, was recognized with a spot on the boys’ second-team all-state roster. Spuler set the all-time scoring record for the Toros in his final season.
Another repeat champion in Daphne senior midfielder Noah Miller, a University of Mobile signee, was also named to the second-team all-state roster. Miller collected state-championship MVP honors from the Class 7A tournament that ended with a second straight Blue Map returning to the Trojans’ trophy case.
St. Michael girls’ squad also adds onto historic season
Of the four members named to the girls’ second-team all-state, the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals earned two of them between sophomore forward Francheska Arellano and senior goalkeeper Mimi Smith, a University of Alabama in Huntsville signee. The St. Michael girls’ team etched its name in the program’s record books after it made the first final four tournament in program history and returned with a Red Map trophy as Class 4A runners-up.
The Cardinal duo was joined on the second-team all-state by a pair of Class 7A players in senior midfielder Kayley Patterson from Daphne and junior defender Allie Fussell from Foley. Patterson became the fourth Trojan named to an all-state team, following in the footsteps of Rachel Lane (2015), Emma Roark (2019) and Penny Warner (2022). Fussell was recently announced as one of four girls’ soccer players from Baldwin County named to the AHSAA North-South All-Star roster.
Total local all-state representatives by the numbers
In addition to the teams that led the way with selections, the Orange Beach girls’ team garnered five honorees, Bayside Academy, Gulf Shores and Foley all had three named all-state, both Elberta and Robertsdale had two and Bayshore Christian earned one.
On the boys’ side, Fairhope had five athletes earn all-state recognition, Robertsdale earned four and Gulf Shores had one.
The girls’ selections mainly came from Class 7A (15) and Class 4A (14) with Class 6A (8), 5A (5) and 1A-3A (1) behind. Similarly, the local boys’ honorees mainly came from Class 4A (12) but Class 7A (11) and Class 6A (10) were not far behind ahead of the lone representative from Class 5A.
Below are the Baldwin County athletes named to all-state teams by AHSAA soccer coaches for the 2023 season across all classifications.
GIRLS
First-team all-state
Jensen Ward, Gulf Shores, Sr., 5A, Midfield
Second-team all-state
Francheska Arellano, St. Michael, So., 4A, Forward
Kayley Patterson, Daphne, Sr., 7A, Midfield
Allie Fussell, Foley, Jr., 7A, Defense
Mimi Smith, St. Michael, Sr., 4A, Goalkeeper
All-state honorable mentions
Bayshore Christian School Eagles
Maggie Wilson, Jr., GK, 1A/3A
Bayside Academy Admirals
Misty Smith, So., GK, 4A
Orange Beach Makos
Baylee Richards, Jr., D, 4A
Lillie Law, Jr., D, 4A
St. Michael Catholic Cardinals
Maya Hise, Sr., D, 4A
Elberta Warriors
Jessica Clark, Jr., F, 5A
Gulf Shores Dolphins
Aibry Anderson, Sr., D, 5A
Cali Sweet, Sr., M, 5A
Robertsdale Golden Bears
Spanish Fort Toros
Emma Kate Wilson, Jr., D, 6A
Grace Houston, Jr., D, 6A
Daphne Trojans
Fairhope Pirates
Aidyn Hagan, Jr., D, 7A
Emma Coffey, So., D, 7A
Ansley Warner, Jr., F, 7A
Peyton Davis, So., GK, 7A
Foley Lions
Kayla Ainsworth, Sr., GK, 7A
Yury Santaclara, Sr., M, 7A
BOYS
First-team all-state
Talan Galvan, Gulf Shores, Jr., 5A, Forward
Blai Cebrian, Bayside Academy, Sr., Defense
Second-team all-state
Colin Spuler, Spanish Fort, Sr., 6A, Forward
Noah Miller, Daphne, Sr., 7A, Midfield
All-state honorable mention
St. Michael Catholic Cardinals
Duncan Williams, Sr., M, 4A
Gustavo Betancourt, Sr., F, 4A
Etienne Duchesne, Jr., F, 4A
Matthew Drago, Jr., D, 4A
Robertsdale Golden Bears
Kevin Zavala, Sr., M, 6A
Erick Garay, Sr., F, 6A
Spanish Fort Toros
Jacob Anderson, Jr., F, 6A
Ayden Kim, Jr., M, 6A
Daphne Trojans
Baylor Beard, Sr., D, 7A
Fairhope Pirates
Carter Willis, Sr., M, 7A
Jack Burns, Sr., M, 7A
Camden Carner, Jr., D, 7A
Max Reger, Fr., M, 7A
Whieldon Smith, Sr., K, 7A
