Louisville 2022 Preseason All-Metro Boys

Another season is on the horizon. High school soccer in Kentucky gets underway Aug. 8. There is a deep pool of talent in the Louisville area waiting to stand out from the rest. Here is just a look at eleven players to keep an eye on this fall: <strong>FORWARDS: Colin Elder</strong> is quick and has the ability to knock in a goal from any position on the field. He is very dangerous in the air with set pieces as well. Elder has received interest from colleges such as Northern Kentucky and the University of Indianapolis. The forward also plays for Louisville City Academy 05. ... The 6-foot-3 <strong>Kayden Fried </strong>will get his chance to show what he has as he will be vital up top for Butler as they look to capture its third straight 6th region title and a trip to the state tournament. Fried is extremely physical and arguably could be one of the better forwards in the region. It will be tough to find a player in the 6th region who can outplay Fried in size and physicality. <strong>MIDFIELDERS: [player_tooltip player_id="11444" first="Charlie" last="Christ"]</strong> is looking to have a breakout season for North Oldham, which is coming off an Elite 8 finish in the state tournament in 2021. Christ will be impactful in the midfield. North Oldham is one of the early favorites for the 8th region along with South Oldham. ... <span style="font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--system-fonts);">    </span><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="11457" first="Edvin" last="Habibovic"]</strong>, a 6-foot-2 senior midfielder, will be key for Fairdale this fall. Habibovic had a solid season in 2021 with 15 goals and 14 assists. The senior is highly skilled with his strength in the midfield. Fairdale looks to be an early favorite for the 6th region. ... <strong>Nick Harshaw</strong><span style="font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--system-fonts);">, a junior, will find himself at different places on the field this season for Louisville Collegiate. Harshaw is extremely quick and dynamic with the ball. The junior is crafty and unselfish on the field. the young Harshaw will be one to watch this fall in the 7th Region. ... <strong>Pepe Valle</strong>, the junior midfielder will be a force on the field for the defending 6th Region champion Butler this season. Valle is quick and crafty in the midfield and has the ability to score from any spot on the playing surface. Valle was named to the 2021 all-state team as a first-team member. During the off-season from high school, he plays with Louisville City and traveled to San Diego for the ECNL tournament. </span> <strong>DEFENDERS: Andrew Beck </strong>is a 6-foot-2 senior and might be a sleeper in the area. Beck is calm on the ball and is not afraid to take any chances. He is a skillful defender who uses his size well on the field and he is a team leader. Fern Creek looks to rely on Beck as they compete in a tough 6th region with teams such as Butler and Fairdale. Beck is also a member of the Louisville City 05 Academy team. ... <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="11542" first="Travis" last="Smith"]</strong> is another defender to watch. Although he is used everywhere on the field, Smith will be key in the attack for Manual. Smith has committed to play for Wake Forest and is a member of the Louisville City Academy Team. He is fast and can strike from anywhere on the field. ... <strong>Jack Travis</strong>, a senior defender, will be key for Trinty as the Shamrocks are one of the early favorites to win a 7th region title. Travis is a fast and physical defender with a ton of stamina in his game. <strong>GOALKEEPER: Kennan King</strong> is coming off a strong 2021 season. King only allowed four goals in 22 games last season along with 17 shutouts. The senior led his team to the All-A state title in 2021. King was also named a first-team All-State member. King has a high IQ on the field with solid distribution. Look for the senior to be one of the better goalkeepers in Louisville. [table id=178 /]