By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Searcy players led the way on the Arkansas Activities Association’s list of all-state soccer honorees with eight of the total 17 names from the local area.
Four Lions and four Lady Lions were named all state, tying Searcy with Bentonville and Valley View for the most selections from a single school.
The Lions, who wrapped up their fifth-consecutive 6A state title last week with a 1-0 victory over Russellville, had four seniors make the list, including four-year starters Isia Garcia and Steven Seitz. Defender James Adkins and Andrew Moore were also named all state.
Seitz was the team’s leading scorer in both his junior and senior seasons.
“He was the main scoring threat on our team,” Searcy coach Walter “Bronco” King said. “He was scoring a lot for us up until midway through the season, then he started getting double and sometimes triple teamed. He recognized that, and gave opportunities to some of the other guys.
“Over the course of four years, he developed a reputation as one of the guys opponents needed to shut down.”
Garcia, the Lions’ main team captain, was named MVP during the state finals victory over Russellville.
“He has to rank up there as one of the best center-midfielders in the state,” King said. “He knows what to do in just about any situation. We would not be as good as what we are without him.”
Adkins, a three-year starter, became one of the team’s main defensive players over the past two seasons.
“He’s a young man who started as a sophomore, and was our only sophomore defender at the time,” King said.
“Last year, he picked his game up. We’ve had outstanding defense the past couple of years, and James has been a big part of that.”
King described Moore as the glue that held it all together.
“Andrew is another one of our team captains,” King said. “He was the main communicator as to where everyone should be and where the ball needed to go. Overall, he was one of our main team leaders.”
Moore and Garcia were also named to the East all-star team, and will represent Searcy one more time in Fayetteville next month during all-star week.
For the Lady Lions, Averie Albright, Jade McCoy, Elliot Scarbrough and McKenna Smith were named all state. Lady Lions senior Kerry Moon did not make the all-state list, but was named to the East all-star team along with Scarbrough, who was also an all-state selection in basketball.
Senior midfielder William Hidalgo was Cabot’s only selection for all state on the boy’s side. Hidalgo signed with St. Louis University to play college soccer before suffering a mid-season hamstring injury that kept him off the field for most of the last half of the season.
He returned for the Panthers’ first round state tournament game against Fort Smith Southside and was part of a vital penalty kick that changed the complexion of the game in the second half.
Hidalgo was also named to the East all-star team.
While Hidalgo’s selections for both honors were well deserved, teammate and senior classmate Logan Spry’s name was curiously absent from both lists.
Forward Alexis Lewis was the all-state selection for the Lady Panthers team under first-year coach Kerry Castillo. Castillo was named as an assistant on the East all-star coaching staff.
Jacksonville junior forward Taylor Ruple was the only other local all state selection from Class 6A. Ruple has been the Lady Red Devils’ leading scorer over the past two seasons, and finished the year with over 40 career goals.
North Pulaski had one player from each team make all state. Spencer Johnson was named from the Falcons team while Jennifer Waylan made the list for the Lady Falcons.
For Sylvan Hills, Armando Garcia and Jeremiah Persson were both named all state for the Bears while Calyn Fulton and freshman Abi Persson made the list from the Lady Bears squad.
