All-America Watch List: Boys Defenders

Throughout the season, PrepSoccer.net will focus on the top candidates for the PrepSoccer All-America honors. Today, we check out the leading boys defender candidates for fall-playing states. Admittedly, sizing up defenders during the season can be difficult -- example: how much of the team’s success is directly due to that player relative to the rest of the supporting cast? But in any case, from match observation and coaches recommendation, here are some names to know. <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">TOP ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATES</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">(in alphabetical order)</span></strong></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="11873" first="William" last="Andrus"], Calvert Hall (Md.), Sr.:</strong> Take away a 5-2 win over John Carroll and Calvert Hall has allowed only three goals in 10 matches in one of the strongest conferences in the county. Andrus is coming off an all-leaguer performance in 2020 and looks like a likely repeat in 2021.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="32279" first="Jalen" last="Grant"], Hill School (Pa.), Sr.:</strong> The Navy commit not only is a stellar defensive player, but also gets in on the attack. He scored a key goal that helped Hill School to its first win of the season, which happened at the NXT LVL Invitational. Grant was a 2021 high school graduate in North Carolina, but is enrolled in a Navy prep program at Hill School for this school year.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31758" first="Skylar" last="Cunha"], St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.), Sr.:</strong> Usually a midfielder, Cunha has been pushed back to be a center back for a loaded St. Benedict’s team. He’s a team leader who is receiving NCAA Division I interest. He does like to get into the mix offensively, and he even scored a goal in St. Benedict’s recent win over Lawrenceville.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="12814" first="Aidan" last="Donovan"], Delbarton School (N.J.), So.:</strong> Delbarton has four shutouts in five wins and a sophomore standout has played a key role in that effort. Excluding a loss to top-ranked St. Benedict’s, Delbarton has allowed only one goal this season.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="32281" first="Wayne" last="Frederick"], St. Albans (D.C.), Sr.:</strong> The Duke commit has St. Albans off to a 4-2-2 start with its two losses coming to the No. 1 ranked team in D.C. and a Top 10 team in Maryland. Three of its four wins are by shutout. Frederick is playing more in the midfield than as a true defender, but his presence has been felt all over the field. He was battling an injury, according to his coach, but has eased his way back into the lineup lately.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="18476" first="Langdon" last="Gryglas"], Arrowhead (Wis.), Sr.:</strong> The Brown commit has helped Arrowhead to an 11-2-1 start this season as the team is ranked No. 3 in the state. Interestingly, Arrowhead’s only losses are to the No. 1- and 2-ranked teams. Arrowhead has shut out three of its last four opponents.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="13056" first="Leon" last="Ma"], Pingry School (N.J.), Jr.:</strong> Pingry has four shutouts in its last five matches, and Ma is a major reason why. While the high-scoring offense gets a lot of attention, it was Ma who was among the standouts during Pingry’s showing at the NXT LVL Invitational.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="32283" first="Jeremy" last="Ogango"], Hoosac School (N.Y.), Sr.:</strong> A native of Kenya, Ogango plays center back and he isn’t afraid to take on players with the dribble. He’s a physically imposing force on defense.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="29189" first="Calvin" last="Lemley"], Rivers School (Mass.), Sr.:</strong> The Colgate commit is one of several Division I defender commits in the talent-rich NEPSAC. </span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="32285" first="Nick" last="Liebich"], Taft School (Conn.), Sr.:</strong> The Lafayette commit wins just about every ball in the air. He’s helped Taft to a 3-0 start.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="29191" first="Henri" last="Richter"], Milton Academy (Mass.), Sr.:</strong> The Northwestern commit is a team leader who organizes and runs the show from the back. His play has helped Milton to a 4-1-1 start, and he’s even scored a pair of goals (a free kick and a penalty kick) and assisted on a goal.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="12234" first="Zachary" last="Sardi-Santos"], Milton Academy (Mass.), Sr.:</strong> Milton just might have two of the Top 10 high school-playing defenders in the country. Sardi-Santos has committed to Harvard. </span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="32286" first="Adrian" last="Trott"], South Kent School (Conn.), Sr.:</strong> South Kent has yet to allow a goal during a 4-0-1 start, and that’s thanks to Trott, the back line and keeper Max Dunphy. Trott, a Division I prospect from Bermuda is a left back. His play in shutting down opponents has been extremely important as South Kent has scored only five goals in those five matches.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="13153" first="Ryan" last="Yang"], Pennington School (N.J.), Sr.:</strong> Yang is one of the top defender prospects in the country. His play has helped Pennington to a 3-1-1 start where the only blemishes are a 1-0 loss to high school No. 1 St. Benedict’s and a draw with Prep Top 10-ranked Woodstock Academy.</span></p> <p class="p2"><strong><span class="s1">Others</span></strong></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="11410" first="Ryder" last="Barrett"], Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="12016" first="Harry" last="Bertos"], Brooks School (Mass.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="11485" first="Jeffrey" last="Cox"], St. Xavier (Ky.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="14558" first="Collin" last="Folds"], St. Ignatius (Ohio), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">Jonathan Jean-Baptiste, Phillips Exeter (N.H.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="12636" first="Jack" last="Jellinek"], Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">Devansh Khadka, Phillips Exeter (N.H.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">Bennette Kirn, Lexington Catholic (Ky.), Sr., Bellarmine</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="18509" first="Sam" last="Magner"], Marquette (Wis.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">Alvaro Martin-Pena, Hoosac School (N.Y.), Jr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="12561" first="Peter" last="Melquist"], Wayzata (Minn.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="11398" first="Jacob" last="Muckerman"], St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="29153" first="Sebastian" last="Manon"], Taft School (Conn.), Sr., Dartmouth</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="14539" first="Cameron" last="Parker"], Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="12596" first="Alex" last="Peters"], Christian Brothers College (Mo.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">Paolo Roditti, High Mowing (N.H.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="11434" first="Brendan" last="Schonwetter"], Kentucky Country Day (Ky.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">Peter Tcheleshev, Berkshire School (Mass.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="30136" first="Sam" last="Torhorst"], Waterford Union (Wis.), Sr.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="29197" first="Mitchel" last="Varley"], Berwick Academy (Maine), Sr., Providence</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="11525" first="Patrick" last="Walz"], St. Xavier (Ky.), Sr.</span></p>