Local soccer standouts earn state honors

Sam Spivey scored 10 goals with nine assists for the Eagles this season.

Sam Spivey scored 10 goals with nine assists for the Eagles this season.

Although the state championship soccer streak for Monroe County ended this season at three years, the area was still well-represented on the postseason awards list compiled by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association.

In fact, Waterloo and Columbia each had a player make the all-state team.

The 2015 Class 2A state champion Bulldogs bowed out of this year’s postseason with a heartbreaking loss to Jacksonville in the sectional championship. The 2014 Class 1A state champion Eagles lost to rival Waterloo in this year’s regional title showdown at CHS.

While neither team advanced to this year’s state tourney, Waterloo’s Ben Huels and Columbia’s Sam Spivey were named IHSSCA all-staters.

Huels, a senior forward for the Bulldogs, scored 30 goals and added 12 assists to lead his team this season. He will participate in the IHSSCA’s 42nd annual Senior Classic to be played this Saturday in DeKalb.

Spivey, a junior midfielder, scored 10 goals and added nine assists for the young Eagles to earn his all-state nod.

Meanwhile, the 2016 Class 1A state third place Gibault Hawks features three of its players on this year’s IHSSCA All-Sectional Team.

Karson Huels, Dalton Scace and Ben Mueth were all named to the all-sectional list for the Hawks, who defeated Cornerstone Christian Academy in the state third place game late last month.

Karson Huels, a sophomore midfielder, scored eight goals with 14 assists this season for the Hawks.

Scace, a senior forward, scored 13 goals with 13 assists for Gibault this season.

Mueth, a senior forward, led the Hawks in scoring with 25 goals and four assists.

Gibault goalkeeper Trevor Davis, also a senior, was named to the All-State Academic First Team this season. He was 14-6-1 in net for the Hawks.

Columbia and Waterloo players were also named to the IHSSCA All-Sectional Team.

For Columbia, senior forward Connor Jackson (15 goals, six assists) and junior goalkeeper Jon Kuebler (16-3-4) were named to the all-sectional squad.

For Waterloo, senior midfielder Ryan Stites (10 goals, four assists) also made the all-sectional squad.

Columbia’s Riley Hubler, a sophomore midfielder, was named to the IHSSCA’s Honorable Mention All-Sectional Team. He finished this season with 13 goals and seven assists for the Eagles.

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Corey Saathoff

Corey is the editor of the Republic-Times. He has worked at the newspaper since 2004, and currently resides in Columbia. He is also the principal singer-songwriter and plays guitar in St. Louis area country-rock band The Trophy Mules.
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