Best high school athletes of 2022-23: Meet the national boys soccer players of the year

The high school sports season is finished in most states and wrapping up in others, so SBLive Sports is starting to take a look back at some of the best high school athletes of 2022-23.

Over the next month we'll be highlighting some of the players of the year in volleyball, football, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys wrestling, girls wrestling, soccer, track and field, softball, baseball and lacrosse.

Here are 21 high school boys soccer players who had a 2022-23 season worthy of national recognition.

Chase Adams, fr., Naperville Central (Illinois)

Adams was the only freshman in the country to be named a United Soccer Coaches All-American after leading his team to a state championship. Playing on a team along with his older brother and coached by his dad, Adams led the team in assists and scored more than 20 goals.

Lucas Almeida, sr., Hall (Connecticut)

Almeida shattered his school’s 42-year-old record for goals in a career, finishing with 105. Hall fell one win short of a perfect season, losing to Greenwich on PKs in the state championship game. Almeida, a back-to-back All-American, will be playing for UConn next year.

Saed Anabtawi, sr., Fort Wayne Canterbury (Indiana)

Good luck getting anything by Anabtawi, whose goalkeeping prowess earned him honors as the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association’s Player of the Year. He’ll be staying close to home to play for Indiana in college. An All-American who’s a first-generation American (his parents are from Kuwait), many consider Anabtawi to be the top goalkeeper in the country.

Aiden Boudro, soph., Bay (Mississippi)

Boudro was an impact player for Bay as a freshman, scoring 14 goals, and he exploded as a sophomore. He finished with 26 goals and 11 assists in leading Bay the the 4A state championship, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win and earning state championship MVP honors.

Will Childers, sr., Conway (Arkansas)

Childers finished his last season of high school soccer with 35 goals and 13 assists, including a hat trick in the state championship game to lead his Wampus Cats to back-to-back state titles. "He’s just an unselfish player all around. … He can score at any time and at any point he wants to,” Conway coach Matthew Page said.

Vitor Geromel, jr., Maize South (Kansas)

Geromel, who’s already committed to play college soccer for Clemson, set the Maize South single-season record this year with 42 goals. The All-American midfielder added 18 assists and led his squad to a 21-0 season and its first state championship in school history.

Ransford Gyan, jr., St. Benedict’s Prep (New Jersey)

Gyan was the best player on the best team in the country in 2022, leading St. Benedict’s Prep to another undefeated season and the program’s 87th straight win. The 5-foot-4 dynamo, nicknamed "the Ghanian Messi,” scored 20 goals and had 14 assists in the fall.

Alex Harris, sr., Columbia River (Washington)

The defending Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington and favorite to repeat, Harris scored 76 goals and had 12 assists in one season. He led his team to the Class 2A state title and will be playing for Cornell next season.

Kai Hatten, sr., Timberline (Idaho)

Hatten was the glue in the midfield on a senior-laden, nationally ranked Timberline squad that rode an undefeated season to a state championship. He finished the season with 14 goals and 10 assists.

Reagan Heslin, sr., JSerra (California)

Heslin scored 17 goals and added eight assists in 21 games playing up top for the top team in California. JSerra won the Trinity League championship, the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship and the CIF Southern California Regional Division I championship. 

Baka Kante, jr., Rockhurst (Missouri)

Kante served as team captain for state champion Rockhurst and scored the lone goal in the Hawklets’ 1-0 victory for the title. The All-American midfielder finished the season with 13 goals and 15 assists.

Ben Madore, sr., Calvert Hall (Maryland)

Calvert Hall shared honors with St. Benedict’s Prep (New Jersey) as national champions in the fall, and Madore was the most versatile player on a stacked squad. The Penn State signee was a master playmaker who also had a nose for goal, with fellow future Nittany Lion Tyler Flynn playing alongside him in a dominant midfield.

Max May, jr., Viera (Florida)

May led Viera to its first state championship, scoring 20 goals and dishing out 22 assists as the Hawks finished 21-0-1. Versatility is one of May's main strengths, as he plays an attacking role on his high school team and defense for his club team, Space Coast United.

Remi Okunlola, sr., Brookwood (Georgia)

Okunlola made his one season of high school soccer count, scoring 23 goals and adding seven assists. He's thrived as a right back for years playing for top club Atlanta United, but he played attacking midfield, striker and winger for Brookwood. He's expected to shift back to defense playing college soccer for Clemson next season.

Drew Pedersen, sr., Jesuit (Oregon)

Pedersen scored 26 goals in the fall, including six in Jesuit’s five playoff games to lead the Crusaders to their 16th state championship. The Gonzaga signee capped his high school career with two goals and an assist in a 4-0 win over Westview in the championship game.

Kyle Pierson, sr., Detroit Catholic Central (Michigan)

Pierson’s quest for a state championship fell just short in the fall, but the All-American put together a phenomenal season. The future Michigan Wolverines forward scored 37 goals and added 21 assists. He was named Mr. Soccer by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Jake Ross, sr., Salesianum (Delaware)

Ross did it again for Salesianum, leading the Sallies to their 12th state championship in the past 13 years. The defending Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year and two-time All-American forward will be playing college soccer for West Virginia.

Nolan Spicer, sr., St. Ignatius (Ohio)

The defending Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year, Spicer led St. Ignatius to the Division I state championship with a win over New Albany in the fall. The 5-foot-8 midfielder who’ll be playing for Notre Dame next season went 4-for-4 in his high school career, winning a state title every year.

Shane Velez, sr., Pennridge (Pennsylvania)

Velez is as versatile as they come, with the ability to score, defend and pass. The 6-foot-2 Massachusetts commit could easily move from center back to striker, and he finished his senior year with 17 goals and six assists while primarily playing defense.

Alex Walker, sr., E.A. Laney (North Carolina)

Walker was a scoring machine for the Buccaneers in 2022, finding the back of the net 37 times and adding 26 assists in 25 games. He leaves Laney as the school’s all-time leader in goals (50) and assists (37) and as the program’s first All-American. 

Bartek Zabek, sr., Frisco Lone Star (Texas)

Zabek had 24 goals and 13 assists in 26 games in leading Frisco Lone Star its first state championship. He scored two goals in the championship game win over previously undefeated El Paso Bel Air and earned UIL State Tournament MVP honors.