All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Fri. December 23, 2011 at 2:09 p.m. | By Powell Latimer | StarNews Staff Writer

Laney High School soccer player Matt Tysinger is the 2011 StarNews boys soccer all-area player. (Photo by Matt Born)

By Powell Latimer
Powell.Latimer@StarNewsOnline.com

The center midfield on a soccer field is a tornado.
It’s crowded with players from both teams, impossible to tell from where the next defender is coming, and nobody gets much time on the ball.
Unless, of course, Matt Tysinger is there.
No one mastered the midfield quite like the Laney senior, and his complete command guided the Bucs to their first conference title in program history.
“Everyone’s right on top of you,” Tysinger said. “Your brain has to be going light-speed. You have to know where you’re going to go before you get the ball.”
Tysinger practiced what he preached: Laney consistently dominated possession during 2011, and the Bucs owed much of that control to the StarNews All-Area player of the year’s ability to stay one step ahead of opposing defenders.
“You can’t get Matt off his game,” former Laney coach Dave Karlson said. “His temperament is he wants the ball, he’s going to distribute the ball, and if you let him advance he’s going to hurt you.”
Tysinger’s control came out of frustration.
A four-year starter for Laney, Tysinger went through the first three years of his career never beating county rival New Hanover or advancing past the third round of the playoffs.
Those frustrations turned into motivation.
The Bucs opened the conference season with a 5-1 win at New Hanover, then took a dramatic 3-2 overtime win against the Wildcats on senior night at Laney to complete the sweep. The Bucs took their momentum to the playoffs, too, advancing to the state quarterfinals.
“We were just saying, ‘We’re the top dogs,’” Tysinger said. “That’s what we were trying to prove. And it actually worked out.”
Tysinger’s dominance was all the more impressive given his stature – or lack thereof. He stands 5-foot-6 on a good day, and his teammates nicknamed him “Hobbit.”
Tysinger said much of his technical ability is a product of his size.
“The quick touches, the quick thinking, knowing where you’re going to put the ball,” Tysinger said. “Everything, passes, shots, have to be up to par to make up for your lack to size.”
And while his individual talents were pivotal, Tysinger’s control extended to his teammates, especially during Laney’s many tight games.
“If I don’t want the team to play fast, I don’t need to play fast,” Tysinger said. “I can slow it down and play smart and keep possession, don’t force it.”
Those factors combined to make a to a storybook season for Tysinger and Laney.
“I’ve said this so many times, but it’s the best way to go out,” said Tysinger, who has signed to play at High Point University next year. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Powell Latimer: 343-2261
On Twitter: @StarNewsVarsity

ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER
First Team
F: Wilson Hudspeth, Sr., New Hanover
First-team All-Conference, led New Hanover with 17 goals and eight assists.
F: Israel Evans, So., East Bladen
Named first-team All-State, scored 31 goals and added nine assists.
M: Matt Tysinger, Sr., Laney (Player of the Year)
Led Bucs to first conference title. Three-time all-conference selection. MEC player of the year, named All-State. Scored eight goals and registered 15 assists.
M: Stephen Cone, Sr., Laney
Emotional leader in the midfield. All-State and All-Conference. Scored 10 goals with 16 assists. Also a Morehead Scholar nominee.
M: Logan McGlynn, Sr., Topsail
East Central Player of the Year, first-team All-State. 19 goals and 13 assists.
M: Tanner Morningstar, Jr., Whiteville
12 goals, 26 assists.
M: Nick Miller, Sr., New Hanover
Six goals, 13 assists, first team All-Region.
D: Victor Flores, Sr., East Duplin
Named first-team All-State.
D: Austin Davis, Jr., Ashley
Two-time All-MEC. Scored three game-winning goals for Ashley.
D: Drew Hicks, Sr., New Hanover
First team All-MEC and All-Region, coach Al Pastore calls him a “dominant physical presence.”
GK: Stephen Lapp, So., Laney
Solid play culminated in penalty kick save in the 3rd round of the playoffs.
Coach of the Year: Dave Karlson, Laney
Second Team
F: Taylor Webster, Sr., Topsail
F: Jackson Diab, Sr., Cape Fear Academy
F: Mike Walsh, Sr., Laney
M: Taylor Webster, Sr., Topsail
M: Joel Reyes, Sr., New Hanover
M: Uriel Castelan-Moreno, Sr., Ashley
M: Gus Piepmeyer, So., Hoggard
D: Steven Bell, Sr., Laney
D: Alec Webster, Sr., Topsail
D: Sheldon Brown, Jr., Laney
GK: Justin Savinon, Jr., Ashley
Honorable Mention
Cape Fear Academy–Alex Gianoplus, Will Young, Tyson Dodd. Hoggard–Will Kersting, Patrick Griffin. Laney–Max Kraybill, Sheldon Brown, Brian Pinder. New Hanover–Alex Gaines, Tyler George. Topsail–Sammy Johnson, Devon Esteves. Trask–Jack Bradshaw. Whiteville–Josh Beltran.
All-Conference
Mideastern Conference
First Team: Jordan Alread, Rose; Kevin Bell, Laney; Sheldon Brown, Laney; Uriel Castelan-Moreno, Ashley; Stephen Cone, Laney; Austin Davis, Ashley; Ryan King, Laney; James Fisher, New Bern; Alex Gaines, New Hanover; Patrick Griffin, Hoggard; Jonathan Griffin, New Bern; Josh Hancock, Ashley; Christian Hansen, New Bern; Drew Hardison, New Bern; Drew Hicks, New Hanover; Will Hudspeth, New Hanover; Will Kersting, Hoggard; Denissee Leon, New Bern; Tony Mack, Ashley; Durant Mangum, New Bern; Nick Miller, New Hanover; Devin Orndorff, Laney; Gus Piepmeyer, Hoggard; Joel Reyes, New Hanover; Matt Tysinger, Laney; Mike Walsh, Laney.
Second Team: Logan Babinski, Ashley; Logan Chaucer, New Hanover; Skyler DeYoung, New Hanover; Grant Dunlop, New Hanover; Ryan Fox, New Bern; John Gupton, Laney; Patrick Hargrove, Hoggard; Max Kraybill, Laney; Stephen Lapp, Laney; Isaiah May, Hoggard; Gary O’Neill, Ashley; Eliazar Ortega, New Bern; Cody Tyson, New Bern; Pete Wildeboer, Laney.
Player of the Year: Matt Tysinger, Laney. Coach of the Year: Dave Karlson, Laney. Team Sportsmanship Award: J.H. Rose.
East Central Conference
Clinton–Wil Pearson, Festus Turlington, Juan Alvarado, Colin Faulkner, Ryan Taylor. Croatan–Austin Long, Garrett Bridgewater. East Duplin–Victor Flores, Hunter Lane, Javier Murillo, Drew Walker, Aldo Trejo, Wesley Sholar. Northside–Derek Yates, Reginald Mitchem. Richlands–Colby Canady, Trey Smith, Alex Owens, Jax Eddleman. South Lenoir–Heladio Ventura, Trint Turner. Swansboro–Connorn Noonan, Jay Dolph, Tyler Lohr. Topsail–Logan McGlynn, Sammy Johnson, Devon Esteves, Mic Reinhart.
Player of the Year: Logan McGlynn, Topsail. Coach of the Year: Joey Jones, East Duplin.
Waccamaw Conference
First Team: East Bladen–Israel Evans, Luke Suggs; North Brunswick–Carlos Ocampo, Luis Hernandez; South Brunswick–Willie McRae, Patrick Evans, Dominic Cunliffe; South Columbus–Austin Chapman; West Bladen–Clint Allen; West Brunswick–Scottie Melvin, Cody Postich, Nick Carozza, Josh Upchurch; Whiteville–Collin Rowland, Tanner Morningstar.
Second Team: East Bladen–Will Clark, Cliff Koenig; North Brunswick–Luis Sanchez, Allen Gardner; South Brunswick–Brian Atack, Sal Beecham, Gavin Dail; South Columbus–Andy Chavez; West Bladen–Blake Baysden; West Brunswick–Luis Espinoza, Connor Johnston, Khalil Johnson, Jonathan Newhouse; Whiteville–Devon Cokley, Bailey Allen.