Pickin' Splinters

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William Buttino, Kaitlyn Wright and the Starting XI

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(l-r): Manny Gonzalez, Lee Hartke, Hudson Volpe, Kyle Zerbe and Jalen McCoy. (Photos provided)

By PAUL GOTHAM

Highlighting SOME of Section V’s top performers from the first week of the post-season.

WILLIAM BUTTINO Jr. Attacker Greece Olympia Spartans (Monroe County IV) — Durable frontline player who consistently creates a threat for opposing defenses; Buttino is difficult to neutralize with his combination of foot speed and rugged frame, consistently wins in 50-50 situations and anticipates play well, always seems to be in the right spot, makes strong contact with the ball and needs little time to get into his shooting motion; tireless in his defensive efforts, he checks back hard into own end while still accountable in the attack. Buttino and Olympia will meet Palmyra-Macedon in the Wednesday’s Class B1 semi-finals.

MANNY GONZALEZ Jr. Attacker World of Inquiry/Edison/Franklin/SOTA Griffins (RCAC) — Skilled offensive performer; Gonzalez combines a deft touch with game instincts, sees one pass ahead and readily makes himself an available passing target for teammates, he understands when to move the ball with one or two touches and can see available space for the dribble, a proficient finisher who shows a balance of feet.

LEE HARTKE Jr. Midfielder Avon Braves (LCAA Division II) — Commanding presence in the middle third; Hartke slows the game to his speed and makes high-level decisions, equipped with a confident touch and field vision, he becomes the center of Avon’s offense, quiet on the ball he smoothly shifts from creator to finisher with little to no drop off; anticipates the play well on defense and understands the purpose of containment to create shape. Avon plays Williamson in the Class C1 semi-finals.

JALEN McCOY So. Attacker East Rochester Bombers (Wayne County) — Fleet-footed offensive performer with keen instincts; combining foot speed with a low center of gravity McCoy is a threat that opposing defenses have to take into account at all times, still scratching at the surface of his abilities, McCoy can cover a wide amount of territory and do it under control, he is difficult to mark one-on-one especially when a ball is played to him in full stride.

AYDEN MILLER Sr. Goalkeeper Newark Reds (Finger Lakes East) — Athletic performer with impressive reactions; Miller reads the play well and understands when to come off his line, possesses upper body strength and is capable of redirecting a variety of shots, keeps his feet moving, sure-handed, he dictates the game within the six-yard box.

MORE IN THIS SERIES: Chloe Hubbard, Reese Powers and the Starting XI
                                            Maya Ikewood, Ian Szemcsak and the Starting XI
                                            Gaven Egan, Izabela Woloszuk and the Starting XI
                                            Lily Brongo, Myles Palmer and the Starting XI

KIARA VANDERJAGT So. Midfielder C.G. Finney Falcons (Private-Parochial League) — A versatile performer who easily plays a variety of roles; athletic and skilled, Vanderjagt can be a facilitator on the offensive half of the field, where she is comfortable dictating her’s squad movements, she is capable of taking balls out of the air and making plays within one or two touches, a scoring threat from 25 yards, she is also comfortable working within traffic; seamlessly makes the move to the center back spot where she can control the play, her confident first touch makes her a reliable safety valve for teammates looking to play a ball back; aggressive defender who not only wins 50-50 situations but forces opposing offenses to retreat.

HUDSON VOLPE Jr. Midfielder Avon Braves (LCAA Division II) – An imposing defensive force, Volpe combines speed with physicality to dictate play in the middle third; understands how to cut down angles to thwart opposing progression of the ball, once the dribble is stopped he understands how to patiently break down an opposing player and dictate movement; a crafty offensive player, he is skilled in one-to-two touch situations where he makes quick decisions to play off to teammates. Avon plays Williamson in the Class C1 semi-finals.

GAVIN WAIDE So. Attacker Avon Braves (LCAA Division II) — A tireless worker with the ability to slash from the outer third; Waide understands how to use pace on his passes to create for teammates, a willing facilitator, he has gained the confidence in a team system and learned how to flourish within it, capable ballhandler who readily beats one defender off the dribble and looks for open teammate; a willing defender, he routinely checks back into the defensive and wins control of the ball, can be counted upon to play the full length of the field. Avon plays Williamson in the Class C1 semi-finals.

MADISON WALKER Sr. Center Back Greece Olympia Spartans (Monroe County Division IV) — A stabilizing force along the Spartans’ backline; Walker reads situations well and steps to the ball with confidence, uses a sure first touch to initiate transition to offense, capable of advancing the ball with dribble but is at her best leading teammates in stride with well-played passes; understands how to use angles to cut down offensive progression of the ball.  Olympia plays Hornell in the Class B1 semi-finals.

KAITLYN WRIGHT So. Midfielder Geneva Panthers (Finger Lakes East) — An effective creator who is difficult to contain; equipped with a confident first touch Wright is a willing creator who understands how to use pace to set up teammates, accelerates well with the ball at her feet and can take advantage of openings in the defense, also can create her own openings with a skillful touch, thrives on contact, defenders who attempt to knock her off the ball are consistently met with a firm shoulder and turned away; a tireless defender who consistently makes herself a part of the play.

KYLE ZERBE Sr. Attacker Sodus Spartans (Wayne County) — Dynamic offensive performer who draws a crowd; balanced on the ball Zerbe nimbly moves in and out of the defense, effectively changes speeds and direction, sees seams that others can’t and possesses the ability to exploit, recognizes situations when one-or-two touch is appropriate and takes advantage to maintain offensive rhythm, confident finisher; a responsible defender, he steps well to the ball and consistently wins in 50-50 situations, anticipates the play well and gets into passing lanes.

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Comments

  1. Andrew says

    This is great publicity for these teams and kids. Thank you. I would suggest not putting 2 kids from same team in the XI list so frequently. Show some love for the Allegany Cnty teams and kids too. Mitch Ward and Hope Russell both tearing it up for Fillmore⚽️. Thanks for reading.

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