Player of the Year
Jon Cole, McDonogh, senior, midfield: This two-time All-Metro player has earned All-State, All-South and -- last season -- was among only three juniors chosen to the National Soccer Coaches' Association All-America team. Cole also was named the Umbro Player of the Year for Maryland last year. "Jon's big and powerful -- a great physical, intimidating presence," said McDonogh coach Steve Nichols. "He can play offense or defense, come forward, and score goals." This year, the 6-foot, 175-pounder scored a career high 16 goals to go with 13 assists in leading the Eagles (22-3-1) to their first Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association crown. Cole, who finished with 43 career goals and 39 assists, has orally committed to a soccer scholarship to perennial NCAA power Virginia. Widely considered the state's best player, Cole scored the game-winning goals in the Eagles' semifinal win over Calvert Hall, and in their title-game win over then-No. 1-ranked Archbishop Curley. With Cole in the lineup, the Eagles were ranked as high as No. 21 nationally last year and have reached four straight conference semifinals. A 3.0 student who scored 1,160 on his SAT, Cole, 18, turned down Wake Forest, Maryland, Duke and Georgetown to play for the Cavaliers.
Coach of the Year
Larry Meekins, Franklin: Meekins' Class 2A Indians won the Baltimore County title by defeating such traditional powers as 2A state finalist Patapsco, Class 4A state semifinalist Perry Hall twice and Dulaney, last year's county champ. This accomplishment followed last year's 6-10-0 season. The Indians (13-3-0), co-champs with Dulaney in the county's Division I, also beat a powerful Eastern Tech squad. All this with two sophomores -- striker Chris Borcik and keeper Andy Schuster -- among the leaders for a team that was region runner-up to Patapsco. Schuster's confidence developed behind senior defenders Steve Posner, Steve Mays, Nick Outten, junior defender Casey Bivens and marking back Jon Mandras. And Borcik, chosen first-team All-County by league coaches, developed alongside senior striker John Schuster (10 goals, eight assists). "We had a nice group of seniors and some very good younger players," Meekins said. "Overall, I just believed in all of them."
First Team
Steve Althoff, Archbishop Curley, junior, defense: With the 6-foot, 180-pound Althoff's booming foot at sweeper, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference runner-up Friars (17-1-1) allowed only five goals against a school-record 17 shutouts -- nearly double the 1993 record. Led by Althoff, the Friars finished as the state's only nationally-ranked team (No. 19) after being ranked as high third nationally. Althoff earned All-State and All-MIAA honors and scored a goal and an assist.
Marco Angelini, Archbishop Curley, junior, forward: Angelini, a second-team All-State pick, had a breakthrough season with a team-leading 16 goals and nine assists, including all three goals in a regular season-ending 3-1 defeat of McDonogh and the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout of Loyola. Angelini also netted the game-tying goal, with his team down a man and with 30 seconds left in regulation of an eventual 2-2 draw with Calvert Hall. He also had a three-goal game in a 6-0 rout of Howard County's Hammond.
Bobby Benson, McDonogh, senior, goalkeeper: keeper: Back in goal after a knee injury cost him a year, the 6-foot-3, 180 pounder allowed only 19 goals and posted a school-record 16 shutouts, breaking the mark of 13 set just last fall. Benson had his biggest games in victories over Strath Haven (Conn.), 12th nationally (12 saves); Kearny (N.J.), ninth-ranked nationally (nine); and Mount Hebron, the Howard County champ at the time ranked No. 2 in metro Baltimore. A 3.7 student and also a basketball player, Benson is headed for Johns' Hopkins on a lacrosse scholarship as an attackman.
Chris Borcik, Franklin, sophomore, forward: ward: A first-team All-County pick by league coaches and a third-team All-State selection, Borcik scored 19 goals to go with five assists for the Baltimore County champion Indians. "Chris is a finisher who can also beat double-teams or dish it off on the fast break," coach Meekins said of a player whose poise belied his status as an underclassman. Borcik is a 4.0 student.
Kaiser Chowdhry, McDonogh, sophomore, forward: Chowdhry led the Eagles' team with 22 goals and 11 assists, earning All-MIAA A Conference and second-team All-State honors. An Olympic Development regional team pick, Chowdhry scored seven game-winning goals along with the first goal in the Eagles' title game victory over Archbishop Curley. Chowdhry carries a 3.8 grade average.
Vinnie Ciarpella, McDonogh, senior, defense: fense: A former captain of the Under-16 national team, Ciarpella came off last year's All-Metro, All-State and All-South season to again anchor the Eagles, who had 29 shutouts over the past two years with Ciarpella in the back. This fall, he replaced a national team sweeper from a year earlier to help lead the Eagles to a school-record 16 shutouts. He also scored the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout of nationally-ranked Strath Haven. A 3.0 student, Ciarpella is considering Georgetown, Duke and UNC-Greensboro among other colleges.
Chad Clarke, Patapsco, senior, defense: A first-team All-County coaches' pick as well as a second-team All-State selection, Clarke (6-2, 180) scored nine goals and assisted on five for the Class 2A state runner-up Patriots (12-4-0). Despite playing stopper, Clarke was his team's third-leading scorer. Clarke maintains a 3.33 grade average and last spring earned All-City/County honors as a baseball infielder.
Marcus Johnson, Loyola, senior, midfield: Johnson (6-0, 175) scored six goals and had two assists as Loyola (14-6-1) earned an MIAA A Conference semifinal berth and was ranked as high as No. 6 by The Sun. A 3.0 student who earned first-team All-MIAA A Conference, first-team All-State and Olympic Development regional team honors, Johnson chose a full soccer scholarship to North Carolina State.
Fred Jonjo, Perry Hall, senior, defense: A three-year veteran sweeper, stopper and midfielder who scored two goals and two assists, Jonjo anchored the Gators to a Class 4A North region title as well as runner-up efforts in Baltimore County and in the state semifinals. Chosen to the coaches' All-County team as well as to second-team All-State, Jonjo (6-0, 180) carries a 3.07 grade average and is considering Maryland, Towson, Virginia, UMBC, Clemson and North Carolina.
Mike Keppeler, Dulaney, senior, defense: A three-year starting sweeper and a member of teams which went a combined, 25-3, with 18 shutouts over the past two years, Keppeler (6-1, 180) helped this year's Lions (11-2) to limit the opposition to six goals in 13 games, including eight shutouts. A 3.16 student with an 1,140 SAT score, Keppeler has attracted interest from Western Maryland, Delaware and Salisbury.
Steve Novak, Archbishop Curley, senior, defense: A repeat first-team All-City/County pick, Novak (5-10, 175) earned second-team All-Metro honors last year as a striker with a team-high 11 goals and two assists. As stopper this year, he scored seven goals and assisted on four others, earning All-MIAA A Conference and All-State first-team honors as Curley allowed only five goals. Novak, who also booted a 42-yard field goal for the football team, has a 3.68 GPA and is considering Mount St. Mary's, Loyola, Seton Hall, Richmond and UMBC.
Brandon Quaranta, Archbishop Curley, junior, midfield: Quaranta (13 goals, seven assists) earned first-team All-State and first-team All-MIAA A Conference honors. An Olympic Development state team player, he's an excellent finisher or feeder.
Brandon Scarfield, Archbishop Curley, senior, midfield: nior, midfield: An Olympic Development player and an All-MIAA A Conference first-team pick, Scarfield was the perfect running mate with Quaranta in the midfield, scoring seven goals to go with eight assists -- third among this year's All-City/County picks. Scarfield marked the Dons' Marcus Johnson, who did not score in either of this year's Friars' victories over the Dons. "A great play-maker," said his coach, Scarfield is a 3.0 student. Scarfield has attracted the interest of Mount St. Mary's, Loyola and UMBC.
Randy Tolson, Calvert Hall, senior, forward: ward: He was picked to the coaches' first-team All-MIAA A Conference team and honored as a second-team All-State selection. Tolson's 18 goals rank second on the All-City/County team; he also had seven assists. Tolson had the game-winning goal in a 1-0 shutout of Loyola which lifted the Cardinals into the third seed for the postseason playoffs. He also scored the first goal in a 2-2 draw with Archbishop Curley, ending the Friars' streak of consecutive shutouts at 12 after having outscored its previous opponents by 50-0. A 3.0 student, Tolson likes Penn State, UMBC and Towson.
Team selection
The Baltimore Sun 1998 All Baltimore City-Baltimore County boys and girls soccer teams were selected by Lem Satterfield and Katherine Dunn, respectively, after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Pub Date: 11/26/98