Johann Singh Sanchez was one of two McNary players to receive all-league recognition (KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings).
The McNary boys’ soccer team had five players receive all-league recognition for their play during the 2021 season.
Junior midfielder Hudson Brunk was a first-team all-league selection and was runner-up for Mountain Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year. Brunk led the team in scoring with 11 goals and seven assists.
“Hudson is one of the top midfielders in the state. This season his vision and awareness on the field improved. He doubled the goals from last year. He is an experienced player now, he led this team by example. I’m excited to see what he can bring next year in his senior year,” McNary head coach Miguel Camarena said.
The Celtics other junior midfielder, Johann Singh Sanchez, was also named to the first team after scoring five goals and tying for the team lead in assists (8).
“His vision and awareness on the field improved. His talent and tactical awareness are amazing. He set the pace of every game for us this season,” Camarena said.
Senior forward Axel Zapien was selected to the all-conference second-team. Zapien tied for the team-lead in goals (11) and scored at least one goal in six of McNary’s seven MVC contests.
“Axel was the fastest player in the conference, his intensity and desire to score was amazing. He was the most dangerous player when we attacked,” Camarena said.
Another senior forward, Jorge Ruiz, received an honorable mention nod. Ruiz scored seven goals on the year and tied for first on the team with eight assists.
“Jorge was reliable playing on the wing, he was our leader with assists, and besides that he scored seven goals for us, his knowledge and awareness helped us to score a lot of goals this season with his crosses and assists,” Camarena said.
Sophomore defender Tony Bravo also was on the honorable mention list. Bravo had three assists from his center back position and helped the Celtics defense hold opponents to one goal or less on seven occasions.
“Tony was our consistent center back this season. As sophomore he had the responsibility to manage our defenders. He did a fantastic job. In so many ways and games he kept us on the race to win games. As a defender sometimes they don’t get the credit they deserve, I’m glad to see this happen to him. I’m excited to see what he can bring next year in his junior year,” Camarena said.