Tuolumne County players collect top MLL awards for first time since 2017 | sports

On the finish of every season, MLL coaches meet to vote for all-league first-team and all-league second-team gamers, in addition to to find out the league’s most useful participant, offensive participant of the yr, defensive participant of the yr, and lineman. of the yr.

Given how particular this season has been for each Sonora and Summerville, it is sensible that gamers from Sonora and Summerville swept prime MLL awards for the primary time since 2017, making up 17 of the league’s 25 first-team picks.

These are the league’s picks for the 2022 MLL soccer season.

Most Worthwhile Participant: Roger Alderman

Run after quantity 66. This has been a profitable technique for the Sonora Wildcats for the previous 4 years, because of quantity 66 Roger Alderman. Alderman, a 6-foot-4,254-pound senior, is a expertise unlikely to be seen once more in MLL anytime quickly.

After a prolonged decision-making course of, Alderman introduced on September 2 that he plans to play on the College of Utah subsequent yr. Councilor has been recruited by a lot of Division I FBS packages, together with Colorado, the State of Arizona, and the State of Oregon.

Whereas a lot has been stated about Alderman’s on-court skills, coaches and teammates reward Alderman’s humble demeanor and team-first mentality he places into follow daily.

“Once I speak to individuals, a variety of occasions the referees say, ‘Is that the massive man who went to Utah?’ And I am going to go, ‘He is a freak. Simply watch him run,’ Craig stated. He will get down and takes individuals on their backs.”

“I am fairly happy with this, I am actually comfortable about it,” Alderman stated. “I believe I’ve labored exhausting sufficient to get it. It’s extremely useful to me.”

Alderman on Wednesday signed his nationwide letter of intent to Utah, the place he’ll play for the reigning Pac-12 champions. Alderman made enjoyable of doable NFL ambitions as he put his highschool profession on the again burner and his eyes on the longer term.

“I hope I can reap the benefits of the subsequent 4, 5 years and go someplace with it,” Alderman stated.

Offensive Participant of the Yr: Braylon Leveroos

When the Summerville Bears wanted a giant recreation on offense (or protection) on their option to a historic CIF Sac-Joaquin Division VI soccer championship berth this season, Braylon Leveroos did.

The Leveroos had been the forerunner of a disciplined Summerville offense that helped the Bears get their greatest season in present historical past, inserting second within the division to equal their deepest playoff run ever.

The Summerville offense is constructed round Leveroos, whose capacity to play with each his ft and arm makes him an apparent alternative for Offensive Participant of the Yr.

The proficient veteran completed the season with a complete of two,597 yards, together with 1,278 attacking yards and 17 passing targets, together with 1,319 attacking yards and 18 quick targets.

Bryan Craig, head coach of Neighboring Sonora, stated he admired each the Leveroos’ expertise and braveness.

“Braylon is a good athlete and an ideal competitor. In case you watch him, he does not cease,” Craig stated.

Craig stated the vast majority of Sonora’s preparations for the Leveroos’ recreation towards the Summerville Bears have surrounded the Leveroos, given his unprecedented capacity to make profitable soccer video games whereas the ball is of their arms.

“Once we received into that recreation, it was all about stopping quantity three,” Craig stated. “Generally once you play on sure groups you need to say, ‘OK, there’s this, there’s this, there’s that,’ however at Summerville he was such an distinctive athlete that all the things revolved round that child… He was so particular.”

Leveroos stated he plans to play for Rusty Stivers subsequent yr at Modesto Junior Faculty, which Leveroos says has coached his father and Bears head coach Sean Leveroos as a receiver in school. It’s going to undoubtedly proceed to shine.

Defensive Participant of the Yr: Bryce Nicolson

When Bryce Nicolson wasn’t breaking massive video games together with his breathtaking velocity as a slot-back for the Wildcats (637 yards, 13 targets), Bryce Nicolson was hitting opposing ball carriers as a defender.

Maybe a very powerful a part of the Wildcats’ secondary workforce, Nicolson was undoubtedly the workforce’s greatest open fielder. The junior would take down a ball service for a goal-saving sort out after breaking out of Sonora’s star-studded defensive position each recreation.

Nicolson has led the Wildcats this season in each tackles alone (57) and assists (36).

In accordance with teammates and coaches, the notable enchancment in Nicolson’s recreation since final yr is partly as a result of his season ending in 2021.

Within the Wildcats’ second-round playoff recreation towards the Hilmar Yellowjackets, sophomore Nicolson was featured because the pickpocket for the ailing Noah Baker. Late within the recreation, the inexperienced Nicolson touched the bouncing ball subsequent to his ft and the Yellowjackets snatched the ball to attain a aim, serving to to clear and bounce the Wildcats from the playoffs.

Senior teammate Roger Alderman stated the complete workforce knew Nicolson was a distinct participant on the finish of the primary recreation this yr.

“I believe he took that and introduced it this yr and turned it into one thing good he may be taught from it,” Alderman stated. “He actually excelled on the sector. Rather more bodily, a lot smarter than he was final yr. He beat the blokes out.

Sonora head coach Bryan Craig conceded after the heartbreaking mistake, noting each the psychological and bodily distinction in Nicolson’s recreation this yr.

“It was devastated. “I imply devastated,” Craig stated. “He gained weight this summer season. Now you possibly can see how massive he’s, he is a muscular, sturdy child. “I will not make that mistake once more, I will be nearly as good as I can so I all the time carry out one hundred pc once I’m on the soccer area,” which motivated him in that second. ‘ That is what he did this yr – he was a power.

As a menace each defensively and offensively, he greater than deserves the league’s highest honor for a defender. Count on extra from the subsequent Nicolson as he takes on the DPOY title.

Lineman of the Yr: Tyler Sells

Tyler Sells, the unsung hero of an immensely proficient and profound Sonora workforce this yr, lastly will get the popularity he deserves as this yr’s MLL lineman.

As one of many Wildcats’ key leaders on each side of the ball, Sells was instrumental in controlling the offensive line and placing stress on opposing quarterbacks as they lined up on the defensive. The postseason shone when the Wildcats began dealing with extra passing-heavy offenses as they relied on quarterbacks at will.

The Sells completed the season with a complete of 71 steals, together with 24 jaw-dropping losses. He rivaled the quarterbacks for a complete of 10.5 sacks and averaged one sack per recreation.

“Once you get Tyler, the management is there too, and you will not discover a smarter participant on the sector than him. It is like having one other coach on the market,” Craig stated. “He is aware of what gamers should do in video games. He actually does not have to know that, however he is that type of participant.”

Craig stated Sells’ health was additionally a giant a part of his large success on the sector this yr, and one in all his most useful property.

“It has an engine,” Craig stated. “He performs on the sideline, up the courtroom, on both facet of the ball – he is not out of the sport.”

Teammate and good friend Roger Alderman extremely praised Sells’ work ethic and talent on the defensive facet of the ball.

“He is nonetheless an ideal comedian, but when we went defensively, he would all the time beat me. So I believe he leads the league within the sacks,” Alderman stated of his teammate and good friend. “I say I am higher on the motion pictures – watching motion pictures for hours a day. He is all the time hanging out with our coach, studying new video games, eager about what we’ll do for protection… he goes with the coaches and determines what we’ll play that week.”

With the final highschool soccer season on the books, Sells continues to be unsigned. For Craig, that is greater than a little bit of a shock.

“He is proficient. It is shocking to me to see that Craig is not being sorted by faculties as a result of he is not six ft tall,” she stated. “‘Are you kidding me?’ If somebody offers that boy an opportunity, there is a gem there.