All-County team: Boys soccer

Three straight years of earlier-than-expected tournament exits had left not only a bad taste in the mouths of those on the Center Grove boys soccer team, but also a dent in the perception of the always-proud program.

Aaron McDaniel felt it more than most as he headed into his senior season facing the specter of being remembered as the leader of the first class of Trojans to graduate without winning a sectional championship.

He was not about to go out like that.

"It was a lot of pressure, because a lot of people from past years have said that my year we were going to be terrible, and I’m relieved that we proved them wrong," McDaniel said. "After all the hard work that we put in all year, we’ve finally done it."

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Always a difference-maker in the midfield, McDaniel helped lead a young Center Grove team to its first sectional title since 2016. For his efforts, he is the Daily Journal’s Player of the year in boys soccer.

The Trojans were breaking in several young key contributors and faced a meat grinder of an early-season schedule. They went 3-3-3 during that beginning stretch but laid the foundation for greater success the rest of the way.

McDaniel, who led the team with nine goals and six assists, has never been much of a vocal leader, but he was determined to set an example for his teammates.

"I knew I needed to at least show them what it was like to be on the varsity team," he said. "I knew I was going to have to be the role model and help them through it all. …

"I just work hard, and if I start working hard, others will notice it and tag along. Like, ‘Oh, he’s doing it, so let’s do it too,’ and it all just works out."

It worked out for the Trojans in the postseason, where they pulled out back-to-back shootout victories over Roncalli and Southport to secure the sectional trophy.

Center Grove came up one goal short in its regional semifinal match against eventual Class 3A state runner-up Castle, but coach Jameson McLaughlin credited McDaniel and the rest of the senior class for setting the right tone for the future.

“Our mindset hasn’t been right the last two or three years, and they changed the mindset of the younger players,” McLaughlin said after the regional loss.

Those younger players will be back to defend that recently-earned postseason hardware, but McDaniel has turned his eye toward the future, which he expects to include four more years of soccer.

The pandemic has played havoc with the recruiting process and limited the exposure that McDaniel was able to get during his summer club season — but he’s confident that he’ll be able to generate some more attention this winter and give himself a good variety of options.

"It’s just harder with how COVID has been," McDaniel said. "They’ve shut down a lot of camps, and it’s really hard getting seen by coaches when they’re not really allowing anything to happen. But … hopefully I can get out there and prove who I am."

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The 2020 All-County team for boys soccer:

John Amador, Greenwood Christian senior: Carried a heavy offensive load for a young Cougars team, totaling 24 goals and 10 assists … Will graduate as the school’s all-time scoring leader.

Griffin Atkison, Franklin sophomore: Factored in more than half of the Grizzly Cubs’ scoring, collecting 16 goals and 10 assists … An all-district and all-conference selection.

Ely Detty, Center Grove freshman: Made an instant offensive impact for the Trojans, scoring seven goals and tying for the team lead with six assists.

Josh Harris, Greenwood junior: The heart and soul of a young Woodmen team that showed improvement over the course of the year … Finished with four goals.

Aidan Kinstler, Center Grove junior: An all-district selection who finished the season with four goals and four assists for the sectional champion Trojans.

Aaron McDaniel, Center Grove senior: County player of the year … Earned all-district honors after leading the Trojans with nine goals and six assists out of his center midfield spot.

Ethan McGee, Center Grove junior: A rock-solid defensive presence for the Trojans, helping lead the way to the team’s first sectional title since 2016.

Ben Morgan, Whiteland senior: Helped control the middle of the field for the Warriors … Scored a pair of goals and also tallied two assists.

Keoni Shake, Center Grove senior: Provided the Trojans with a strong, physical defensive presence and also added an offensive weapon with his deep throw-ins.

Caiden Stoneburner, Center Grove junior: Posted five shutouts and saved his best play for the postseason, with his shootout saves against Roncalli and Southport keying the Trojans’ sectional title run.

Tristan Thomas, Whiteland senior: An all-district and all-conference honoree after leading the Warriors with 14 goals … Scored in six of his team’s seven wins and contributed three assists.

Nick Woods, Franklin senior: Anchored the defense for a largely inexperienced team and also scored a pair of goals … Doubled as the placekicker for the Franklin football team.

Honorable mention

Nolan Ferguson, Whiteland; Sam Graves, GCA; Colin Haveman, Franklin; Fernando Lagunas, GCA; Landen Montfort, Center Grove; Jeet Kekre, Center Grove; Yahir Lugardo, Whiteland; Charlie Overton, GCA; Aaron Richards, Franklin; Ethan Snipes, Whiteland; Eden Young, Greenwood

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