850 All-Star Game showcases talent, comradery in Big Bend high school soccer community
Editors note: This event was sponsored by Tallahassee Democrat.
The final result of Wednesday night's soccer game at Gene Cox Stadium may not count towards team standings, season stats, or championships, but it counted for something.
For the first time, Big Bend high school boys soccer players were given one more game in their season at the 2022 850 All-Star Game, put on by Tallahassee SC, the city's semi-professional soccer team. It was a light-hearted matchup, seeing the White team come from behind to win 3-2, but there was no lack of competition.
Following Maclay senior Ryan Daunt's goal to open up the game, play began to heat up, and the atmosphere became a little more competitive. It's not too much of a surprise as Maclay, Leon, Lincoln, Chiles and Florida High have spent the better part of this season trying to get the upper hand on each other.
"That's what it is. These guys are all competitors," Chiles head coach and White Team coach Bryan McDonald said. "That's the reason they're here. Sure it may be fun at first, but once the first tackle goes in that's when you see that competitive edge in all of them. I can tell you all my guys wanted to win this game."
Enjoying the moment was an important part of the game, and for many players, this was the last time that they'd be donning their school's colors. Players like Daunt had an opportunity to play with the guys they grew up with one last time in a game that wasn't going to end anyone's season or cost one or the other something.
"It's so much fun," Daunt said. "I'm not going to be playing these guys I've been playing with for all my life again, so just having this opportunity to play with them one last time and leave it all out on the field was so much fun."
All-Big Bend Player, Coach of the Year
The night was even more special for Daunt as it was announced that he was voted by area coaches as the 2022 All-Big Bend Boys Soccer Player of the Year. The Marauders captain had a balanced season, boasting healthy all-around numbers with 49 points, 18 goals, 13 assists, and 21 steals. In a season that started out tougher for Maclay, the Marauders won a district championship in 3A and nearly upset the No. 1 seed in regionals.
Maclay head coach and Blue Team coach Andy Warner said that he's proud of Daunt and thanks the coaches for voting for him.
"He had a lot on his shoulders this year," Warner said. "Every game he played, he played man for man mad and still produced. He's been a role model for the program. I'm excited for the future of the program and we've got more Daunt boys coming through, so life is good."
On the coaching side, McDonald was selected by his coaching counterparts as the 2022 All-Big Bend Coach of the Year. McDonald elevated Chiles as one of the top programs in the state, holding down the No. 1 spot in 6A from week to week in the FHSAA rankings. He helped bring back a district trophy to Chiles for the first time since 2019 and only saw his team lose two games all season, only one coming in the regular season.
"It's a great honor," McDonald said. "There are tons of great coaches in the area that I felt could've won it. It's just an accumulation of the all work that's put together between all the players I have and my staff. It all came together."
From Havana to Live Oak
While some of the best in the Big Bend were recognized at halftime, others from outside the county made statements. The biggest name of the night was Gadsden County junior Cristian Alonso, who scored twice to help the White Team come from 2-0 down to win.
Gadsden County had only played Wakulla (twice) and Suwannee (twice) coming into this game, and its top scorer showed that he could find the back of the net against anyone. Alongside the other players from Wakulla and Suwannee, the out-of-county talent showed that there's depth to the soccer community in the Big Bend.
"The depth and talent in the area are phenomenal," Warner said. "This year, if you'd told me that nobody would go through to the regional final, I'd say that's crazy. What we're learning, just as any other sport in high school, in the big games, you have to score goals, and we all know where we were...As coaches, you look at this, you realize you got to be healthy, have the primary positions, and have a run."
Even though these teams aren't very far from each other, with Gadsden County just 20-25 minutes from Chiles and Maclay, and Wakulla a little over a half-hour from Lincoln and Leon, there is still a difference in styles according to Daunt. Even in the county, there's a difference.
"You can see the different personalities of different schools," Daunt said. "Maclay is more of a high press team and Chiles is more of a sitting back team. It was really cool to see how they played, how we gelled, and the flow of the game."
For the love of the game
It was a competitive game that neither team wanted to lose, but at the same time, fun was a priority. In the second half when Daunt took a shot that went high above the net, a few teammates teased him as he had just been named Player of the Year. There was laughing and pats on the back between these teammates that are usually fierce competitors.
It's a new event that the soccer community in the Big Bend hopes will be a mainstay. In such a competitive and up-for-grabs area, coaches and players enjoyed one last game for fun.
"Chris [Petley] did a good job of putting together the event and coordinating, and having everybody buy into it," McDonald said. "It's just a great celebration, and I think Chris has done a really good job."
White 3, Blue 2
1H GOAL: Ryan Daunt, Maclay. 1-0 Blue
1H GOAL: RJ Hosay, Maclay. 2-0 Blue
1H GOAL: Cristian Alonso, Gadsden County, 2-1 Blue
2H GOAL: Cade Swart, Chiles, 2-2
2H GOAL: Cristian Alonso, Gadsden County, 3-2 Blue
Jack Williams covers prep sports for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com, on Twitter @jackgwilliams.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Talent, comradery showcased at 850 boys high school soccer all-star game
