DeKalb Schools Soccer: All-Star Games on Saturday

DeKalb County's Soccer Coaches Association set its 2012 All-Star Soccer games for Saturday, May 19 at the Atlanta Silverbacks Park.

This is the second year for the event as the top players from DeKalb County come to together for both a girls’ and boys’ All-Star Soccer game.

The girls’ game is slated for an 11 a.m. start with the boys’ to follow at 12:30 p.m. The admission is $10 for both games with the added bonus of admission to the Silverbacks vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies contest at 7:30 p.m. where the All-Star MVP’s will be recognized at halftime.

The DeKalb teams are divided by Inside the Perimeter (ITP) and Outside the
Perimeter (OTP) high schools with players eligible regardless of their class in school.

Last year’s inaugural event was played at Hallford Stadium with the ITP girls winning 4-1 behind a two-goal effort by Druid Hills’ Jane Neiswander for a 1-0 lead in the series.

Neiswander, a senior, returns to lead the ITP All-Stars led by Chamblee Lady Bulldog coach Curtis Engsberg and assisted by Lakeside’s Shane Maulin. Also returning is Chamblee sophomore Allison Jones who played as a freshman last year and contributed a goal and an assist in the win.

The ITP squad also features Chamblee senior Nikki Ruffin who scored 30 goals this season to be the second leading scorer in the county, Chamblee senior Lydia Morrow who was the county leader in assists with 16 and Cross Keys junior Yesenia Velasquez who was second in assists with 15 and added 14 goals for the Lady Indians.

Lakeside’s Ashlee Graham, the leading goaltender in the county at 0.27 goals allowed per game, will see time in goal for the ITP squad.

The girls from the OTP team are coached Dunwoody’s John Callahan and feature the county’s leading scorer in Southwest DeKalb junior Kristin Peagler who set a county record with 50 goals this season. Her sister, senior Katie Peagler is also on the team and was fifth in assists with 10 on the season.

Dunwoody’s contingent on the OTP All-Stars including junior Emily Strahan who ties for third in goals this season with 25 and sophomore Avery Woods who tied for second in assists with 15 on the year. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Victoria Shelton, a junior, adds to the OTP offense after scoring 22 goals in 2012 which was good for sixth in the county.

The ITP-OTP series on the boys’ side is tied at 0-0-1 following a 2-2 tie a year ago with the ITP squad scoring with just 12:15 remaining to tie the game.

Lakeside’s Rick Barbe leads the ITP coaching staff with help from Chamblee’s Uwe Neuhaus and Druid Hills’ Edgar Flores.

The ITP is lead offensively by senior Jeffrey Arezalo of Cross keys who is third in the county in goals with 21 while Lakeside seniors Austin Smith (16 goals) and Nick Harris (15 goals) join Arezalo as big offensive threats.

Chamblee senior Erik Ramirez is the county leader in assists with 22 during the regular season. Lakeside junior Susjed Garcia leads the goaltenders for the ITP team as he is second in the county with his 0.63 goals allowed average during 640 minutes in goal.

Tucker’s Tim Newmyer heads the OTP coaching staff with help from Stephenson’s Michael Gaskin.

Stephenson sophomore Emmanuel Manning leads the OTP offense after scoring 20 goals this season which was good for fourth overall in the county. Manning is joined by Tucker’s Solomon Roberts who had a sixth best goal total of 15 along with six assists while Stone Mountain’s Daniel Debesa, a junior, added 14 goals and Redan senior Ebikewonimo Okorowanta contributed 13 goals for the Raiders in 2012.

Stone Mountain junior Able Abay was one of the top assist leaders on the season with 10. The OTP also has two of the Top 10 DeKalb goalies this season in Dunwoody senior Gary LaRose, who played in the 2011 All-Star game, and Tucker junior Steven Duffy who helped lead the Tigers into the Class AAAA state quarterfinals.


Mark Brock is the Athletics Statistician/Information Officer/Web Manager for DeKalb County Schools Athletics