Bolton, Leesville dominate All-Cenla soccer team
This season, Leesville and Bolton were clearly the cream of the crop of District 3-II and both teams showed it could compete with the best in the state.
Their fellow coaches in the Cenla region agreed as the Lady Cats swept the top girls soccer awards, while the Bears and Wampus Cats divvied up the top awards on the boys side of the All-Cenla team.
Although last year’s team was experienced and made a deep run in the Division II playoffs as a No. 1 seed, not much was expected from the young Bears this season.
But behind Offensive MVP Nicolas Mboungou and co-Defensive MVP Brady Laborde, Bolton exceeded those goals and got to the semifinals after posting another perfect district mark.
Mboungou was a scoring machine for the Bears this season after posting 19 goals and becoming the catalyst for their offense after January when he moved from midfielder to forward.
He showed how valuable he was, when, deep into a scoreless tie in the regular season finale against Leesville, he would score the deciding goal to give Bolton its third district title in four seasons.
“When we had him at midfielder for the first half of the year, he had 13 assists, but when we moved him to forward in the middle of the season, he scored 15 of his 19 goals,” Bolton coach Jeremy Poklemba said. “He went on a tear and was pretty unstoppable.”
While Mboungou’s offensive prowess helped spark the young Bears, Laborde’s defense played a grand role, as well.
Laborde was part of a defensive unit that recorded 11 shutouts, including a five-game stretch that encompassed the final two games of the regular season and the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Laborde was just as vital on the offensive end as well, after placing second on his team with seven goals.
“(Brady’s) a utility player that can play anywhere,” Poklemba said. “We didn’t have any defensive players returning from last season, so he fit right in. He did good job in helping our goalkeepers. In every game that we played, we were able to keep it close.”
Sharing the MVP honors with Laborde, Leesville junior William Thomas had a similar affect for his team as it allowed 19 goals on the season.
As a result, Joe Saverino, Jr. won Boys Coach of the Year, after guiding the Wampus Cats to the No. 10 seed and their second consecutive second round appearance.
Rounding out boys team were Alexandria Senior High’s Jonathan Turrubiantes, DeRidder’s Alexci Nava, Glenmora’s Ramiro Rubio, Leesville’s Michael Bursh and Pablo Chaves, Menard’s Douglas Juneau and Tyler Mathews, Pineville’s K.C. Clear and Landon Weeks and Rapides’ Juilo Gomez and Tioga’s Jorik Voss.
Matthew Young of Grace Christian, Corbett Miguez of Menard, Tucker Wann of Pineville, David Bolich of Menard, Kevin Erpelding of DeRidder and Ryan Lane of Tioga made up the honorable mention selections.
Saverino’s father, Joseph, Sr., took the Girls Coach of the Year, while Leesville sophomore forward Camy Bass and senior goalkeeper Victoria Doctolero took home the Offensive and Defensive MVP honors, respectively.
The Lady Cats earned the No. 11 seed in the Division II playoffs after winning the District 3-II title with a 7-0-1 mark.
“I’m flattered and honored of being named Coach of the Year,” Joseph Sr. said. “It’s an honor to have your peers think that highly of you. You work hard to help your team do well.”
Bass found the back of the net quite often during the season with 24 goals and five assists en route to being named District 3-II Offensive MVP.
While Bass provided the offensive spark, Doctolero was a wall against Leesville’s opponents notching 139 saves and 17 shutouts to an overall MVP selection in 3-II.
“It’s very seldom to have two players honored in that high regard,” Joseph Sr. said. “ “To have something like that happen is amazing.”
Also on the girls team were ASH’s Mallory Greene; Bolton’s Keiko Groom and Raymonde Armoo; DeRidder trio Kimmie Rushford, Chesna Castro and Ashlee Slaydon; Leesville’s JaNay Singleton and Kylie Carbaugh; Menard’s Margaret Antoon and Abby Fields and Pineville’s Ellie Hamblen and Emily Williams.
Selected as honorable mentions were Menard’s Rachel Engelsman, Bolton’s Lauren Fowler, Grace Christian’s Mackenzie Maynor and Bolton’s Aurianna Cordero.
ALL-CENLA BOYS
All-Cenla Offensive MVP - Nicolas Mboungou, So (Bolton)
All-Cenla Co-Defensive MVP - Brady Laborde, Jr (Bolton)
All-Cenla Co-Defensive MVP - Will Thomas, Jr (Leesville)
All-Cenla Coach of the Year - Joe Saverino, Jr. (Leesville)
All-Cenla Team
F - Nicolas Mboungou, So (Bolton)
F - Alexci Nava, Fr (DeRidder)
F - Micah Bursh, Jr (Leesville)
MF - Ramiro Rubio, Sr (Glenmora)
MF - Pablo Chaves, Sr (Leesville)
MF - KC Clear, So (Pineville)
MF - Julio Gomez, Sr (Rapides)
MF - Jorik Voss, Sr (Tioga)
D - Jonathan Turrubiartes, Sr (Alexandria)
D - Brady Laborde, Jr (Bolton)
D - Will Thomas, Jr (Leesville)
D - Douglas Juneau, So (Menard)
D - Landon Weeks, Sr (Pineville)
GK - Tyler Mathews, So (Menard)
All-Cenla Honorable Mention
F - Matthew Young, So (Grace Christian)
F - Corbett Miguez, So (Menard)
MF - Tucker Wann, Jr (Leesville)
MF - David Bollich, Jr (Menard)
D - Kevin Erpelding, Sr (DeRidder)
GK - Ryan Lane, Jr (Tioga)
ALL-CENLA GIRLS
All-Cenla Offensive MVP - Camy Bass, So (Leesville)
All-Cenla Defensive MVP - Victoria Doctolero, Sr (Leesville)
All-Cenla Coach of the Year - Joe Saverino (Leesville)
All-Cenla Team
F - Keiko Groom, Sr (Bolton)
F - Kimmie Rushford, Jr (DeRidder)
F - Camy Bass, So (Leesville)
MF - Mallory Greene, Sr (Alexandria)
MF - Chesna Castro, So (DeRidder)
MF - JahNay Singleton, Sr (Leesville)
MF - Margaret Antoon, So (Menard)
MF - Ellie Hamblen, Jr (Pineville)
D - Raymonde Armoo, Jr (Bolton)
D - Ashlee Slaydon, Sr (DeRidder)
D - Kylie Carbaugh, Jr (Leesville)
D - Abby Fields, Sr (Menard)
D - Emily Williams, Sr (Pineville)
GK - Victoria Doctolero, Sr (Leesville)
All-Cenla Honorable Mention
F - Rachel Engelsman, Sr (Menard)
MF - Lauren Fowler, Jr (Bolton)
D - Mackenzie Maynor, So (Grace Christian)
GK - Aurianna Cordero, Jr (Bolton)