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Ohio's best: The top 23 high school boys soccer players in 2023

USA TODAY Network Ohio
·6 min read

The state of Ohio continues to produce high-quality high school boys soccer players who will put their talents on display this fall.

As a preview to this season, the high school sports staff of the USA Today Network Ohio's 21 newspapers and websites compiled a who's who in the Buckeye State. The staff chose athletes, no matter the high school division, receiving interest from or committing to higher Division I collegiate programs.

This is the fourth in a four-part series that included the sports of football, volleyball and girls soccer.

Football: The top 23 Ohio high school football players in 2023

Volleyball: The top 23 Ohio high school volleyball players in 2023

Girls soccer: The top 23 Ohio high school girls soccer players in 2023

Here are the best boys soccer players in the state of Ohio.

Moeller's Bradley Poppell has been named the top boys soccer player in the state by USA TODAY Network Ohio.
Moeller's Bradley Poppell has been named the top boys soccer player in the state by USA TODAY Network Ohio.

1. Bradley Poppell, Archbishop Moeller

Moeller made a state semifinal run and posted a season record of 16-2-4 in 2022, and Poppell was at the center of the Crusader's offensive success. Popper, a senior midfielder, scored 21 goals and assisted six times. Poppell earned first-team All-Ohio honors in 2022 and is committed to continuing his soccer career at U.S. Air Force Academy.

2. Drew Gaydosh, Centerville

Gaydosh, the lone defender represented on Ohio’s Division I first team in 2022, anchored a Centerville team that only gave up 10 goals all season, pitching 13 shutouts. Centerville lost in the regional final to Moeller, finishing the season 17-2-1. Gaydosh, a senior for 2023, committed to Indiana in January.

3. Alex Duran, Ottawa Hills

Duran scored 24 goals with an assist on 15 for the successful Ottawa Hills side in 2022. The junior midfielder earned All-Ohio second-team honors and led Ottawa Hills to 18 wins. Duran and Hills scored 87 goals across the season last year before falling in the state championship to Grandview Heights. Duran plays within the MLS Next program.

4. Max Hagans, Wheelersburg

A first-team All-Ohio honoree in 2022, Hagans led Wheelersburg to a 17-2-2 record by scoring a whopping 47 goals and assisting with 19. Wheelersburg fell in the regional final to Grandview Heights.

5. Connor Wilkes, Indian Hill

The lone sophomore on last season's All-Ohio first team for Division II, Wilkes earned Cincinnati Hills League Player of the Year with 19 goals last season, second-most in the conference. Wilkes returns to an Indian Hill side that finished 15-3-1 and bowed out of the tournament in the district semifinals.

Connor Wilkes of Indian Hill has been named one of the top 23 players in Ohio heading into 2023.
Connor Wilkes of Indian Hill has been named one of the top 23 players in Ohio heading into 2023.

6. Luke Hanlon, Olentangy

Hanlon scored 18 goals and assisted 12 as a junior for Olentangy in 2022. Hanlon and Olentangy went 14-2-3, bowing out in a Division I district final. Hanlon earned first-team all-region and All-Ohio honors.

Olentangy's Luke Hanlon, left, has been voted one of the top 23 boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.
Olentangy's Luke Hanlon, left, has been voted one of the top 23 boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.

7. Aidan Gordon, Olentangy Liberty

Liberty made a regional final run and went 14-5-4, despite finishing second-to-last in its division in the Ohio Capital Conference. Gordon, a senior forward, scored 16 goals, dished out 13 assists and earned OCC-Central Player of the Year. Gordon scored both goals in a regional semifinal win over Dublin Jerome.

Liberty’s Aidan Gordon, forefront, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio for 2023.
Liberty’s Aidan Gordon, forefront, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio for 2023.

8. Lucan Hanes, Unioto (Chillicothe)

Unioto finished the 2022 season 17-2, scoring 110 goals for almost six goals per game. First-team All-Ohio Division II member Hanes, a rising senior forward, scored 43 and assisted 22 in the campaign.

9. Maddox Andrea, United (Hanoverton)

Andrea scored 46 goals and assisted on 16 more across the 2022 season. The junior forward led United to a 17-2-2 record and a regional final appearance. Andrea’s success last year earned him second-team All-Ohio honors in Division III.

10. Matt Loot, Steubenville

Loot’s stats of 34 goals and 18 assists (on a team that scored 117 goals total) stood out to earn him second-team All-Ohio credit for his junior season in 2022.

11. Grant Keilen, Beachwood

Keilen, a rising junior forward, scored 26 and assisted eight en route to earning first-team honors in Ohio for Division III while Beachwood reached the regional finals.

12. Wyatt Mynes, Maysville (Zanesville)

Mynes collected 25 goals and 16 assists while earning second-team All-Ohio honors as Maysville finished 14-4 in 2022. Mynes earned Big School Division Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year awards in the Muskingum Valley League.

Maysville's Wyatt Mynes, shown scoring on a penalty kick against John Glenn, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.
Maysville's Wyatt Mynes, shown scoring on a penalty kick against John Glenn, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.

13. Cole Turchyn, Medina

Turchyn earned second-team All-Ohio honors in 2022 and is on 2023’s All-American watchlist. Turchyn and Medina fell to St. Ignatius in the state semifinals last year. The center had 18 goals and eight assists for the Bees.

Medina's Cole Turchyn, center, has been voted one of the best boys soccer players in the state of Ohio in 2023.
Medina's Cole Turchyn, center, has been voted one of the best boys soccer players in the state of Ohio in 2023.

14. Jaxson Marks, Georgetown

Marks was second-team All-Ohio in Division III after scoring 38 goals with eight assists to lead Georgetown to a 15-3-1 record as a junior.

15. Tommy DeRoussel, Summit Country Day

The senior midfielder was player of the year in the Miami Valley Conference after leading the Silver Knights to a piece of the conference crown.

16. Maddox Miller, Moeller

Miller was first-team All-City and All-Greater Catholic League South as a junior after leading Moeller to the Division I state semifinals. Moeller allowed 14 goals all season, including just four in the postseason with four-straight shutouts.

Moeller's Maddox Miller, shown defending the goal with a header, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.
Moeller's Maddox Miller, shown defending the goal with a header, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.

17. Kaiden Koch, Chillicothe

A part of an All-American watchlist for 2023, Koch, an attacking midfielder, earned second-team All-Ohio honors in Division I in 2022. Chillicothe finished the season 13-4-1.

18. Charlie Isphording, Indian Hill

An All-Ohio second-team honoree in 2022, the rising senior is part of a talented duo of Indian Hill returning stars with Connor Wilkes. Isphording is known for his control at midfield for Indian Hill, both offensively and defensively.

Charlie Isphording of Indian Hill, kicking the ball against Summit Country Day, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.
Charlie Isphording of Indian Hill, kicking the ball against Summit Country Day, has been voted one of the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.

18. Matt Reitano, Pickerington North

North boasted a successful season and finished 15-4-2 before falling in a Division I district final to New Albany. Reitano, a junior midfielder, contributed to the side that scored 63 goals while allowing only 15 on the season. Reitano earned All-Ohio second-team honors in 2022.

Pickerington North’s Matt Reitano has been ranked among the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.
Pickerington North’s Matt Reitano has been ranked among the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.

19. Jack Maust, Dublin Jerome

The midfielder and forward scored six times and assisted six times in Jerome’s season that ended in a Division I regional semifinal. Maust earned first-team in the Ohio Capital Conference and district and second-team All-Ohio.

Jerome’s Jack Maust, left, has been ranked among the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.
Jerome’s Jack Maust, left, has been ranked among the top boys soccer players in Ohio in 2023.

20. Owen Cousens, Tree of Life

Cousens is a part of the All-American watchlist for 2023. Cousens boasted second-team All-Ohio recognition in 2022. Tree of Life finished last year with an 11-4-2 record, falling to Grove City Christian in a district semifinal.

21. Luca Fusillo, Lima Shawnee

The dynamic junior forward/midfielder starred in Shawnee’s run to win a Division II state championship in 2022.

Lima Shawnee's Luca Fusillo and Bexley's Ethan Nguyen fight for the ball during the Division II State Soccer Championship game at Lower.com Field on Nov. 12. Bexley lost in a shootout.
Lima Shawnee's Luca Fusillo and Bexley's Ethan Nguyen fight for the ball during the Division II State Soccer Championship game at Lower.com Field on Nov. 12. Bexley lost in a shootout.

22. Wil Baker, Hilliard Davidson

Baker, a senior midfielder, helped Davidson reach a Division I regional semifinal last season. He earned second-team All-Ohio honors after he contributed three goals and eight assists. Davidson finished the season as winners of the Central Division of the OCC, and an overall 13-4-3 record.

Hilliard Davidson's Wil Baker (22) has been voted among the top 23 boys soccer players in the state of Ohio.
Hilliard Davidson's Wil Baker (22) has been voted among the top 23 boys soccer players in the state of Ohio.

23. Alexander Diaz, Perrysburg

Diaz scored 12 times and assisted with four as a forward to earn second-team All-Ohio honors in Division I. Diaz helped lead Perrysburg to a 12-1-4 mark in 2022.

Brady Burchan, Springfield; Parker Burke, Legacy Christian (Xenia); Sava Crnjak, Youngstown Boardman; Jon Graham, Norwayne (Creston); Carson King, Tippecanoe; Nick Mikulec, St. Ignatius; Ethan Mulichak, Canfield; Will Nikolozakas, John Glenn; Marko Odoric, Lake Catholic; Caleb Ransom, Tippecanoe; Kellan Ren, Mason; Everett Rinaldi, Seven Hills; Nick Ryan, John F. Kennedy; Shawn Seymour, Archbishop Carroll (Dayton); Mac Threatt, Marietta; Cam Van Atta, North Canton Hoover

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio high school boys soccer: The best players in 2023