4A HONORS: Ramirez’s quiet “defensive presence” nets league honors

Isaac Ramirez’s best work seemed largely unnoticed by the casual fan.

 

Thankfully for the Centennial senior, the Northwest League’s boys soccer coaches were paying attention.

 

Ramirez, who led the Bulldogs in assists with 13, was named the Northwest’s Player of the Year in voting by the league’s coaches.

 

“He was a really solid contributor and added a defensive presence,” Centennial coach Tommy Porrello said. “It was great that he got the recognition from the other coaches.”

 

Clark’s Salvador Bernal was named the Southwest’s Player of the Year. Las Vegas High’s Joaquin Rivas earned the honor in the Northeast, and Green Valley’s Tim Shue was honored in the Southeast.

 

Ramirez scored only two regular-season goals for the Bulldogs, but played other key roles in the team’s success.

 

After playing on the outside as a forward last season, Ramirez was moved into the middle of the field for the Bulldogs, who finished 15-0-1 in league play.

 

“He and Matt (Kurtz) played there together, and they were really comfortable in that spot,” Porrello said. “Isaac is a real agreeable, hard-working kid. We moved him out of necessity, and he accepted it.”

 

Putting up big numbers wasn’t the preferred plan for Centennial this season.

 

The Bulldogs won with defense and lots of it.

 

Centennial allowed only seven goals all season. Only once did the Bulldogs surrender more than one goal in a game.

Ramirez also played a key role in that.

 

“We try to build a team philosophy,” Porrello said. “We don’t worry about individual recognition.

 

“At the start of the year, I said we needed to replace some of the offense we lost and hope to find some leadership. We were able to do that.”

 

Porrello was named the Northwest’s Coach of the Year. Bishop Gorman’s Doug Borgel earned the honor in the Southwest, Valley’s

Terry Pryer in the Northeast, and Tech’s Josh Jones in the Southeast.

 

Four Centennial players — Ramirez, Kurtz, Julien Mihy and Josh Sylva — were named Class 4A All-Southern Nevada by the coaches.

 

Bishop Gorman, Tech and state-champion Las Vegas also had four honorees.

 

The complete list of All-Southern Nevada, all-region and all-league teams are below.

 

Joaquin Rivas, Las Vegas; Erick Fedde, Las Vegas; Eric Marquez, Las Vegas; Cesar Landin, Las Vegas; Pedro Arias, Valley; Julio Borjas, Valley; Joey Lopez, Valley; Ruben Duran, Eldorado; Carlos Jaramillo, Eldorado; Christian Ayala, Chaparral;
Luis Carranza, Tech; Esteban Corona, Tech; Oscar Gonzalez, Tech; Kevin Jimenez, Tech; Frank Strnad, Green Valley; Tim Shue, Green Valley; Rudy Strnad, Green Valley; Danny Sellitti, Coronado; Bobby Long, Coronado; Devin Diego, Silverado; Christian Volesky, Foothill;
Matt Kurtz, Centennial; Julien Mihy, Centennial; Isaac Ramirez, Centennial; Josh Sylva, Centennial; Max Amster, Palo Verde; Shane Panther, Palo Verde; Matt Polster, Palo Verde; Charles Flood, Arbor View; Nico Johnson, Arbor View; Alexis Valencia, Cimarron-Memorial; Aurelio Ramirez, Cheyenne;
Austin Cain, Bishop Gorman; Shane Thompson, Bishop Gorman; Connor Zanoni, Bishop Gorman; Sean Zaher, Bishop Gorman; Salvador Bernal, Clark; Juan Chavez, Clark; Miguel Gonzalez, Clark; Chad Smith, Bonanza; Robby Sagel, Bonanza; Bryan Mirales, Western

Rivas, Las Vegas; Fedde, Las Vegas; Marquez, Las Vegas; Landin, Las Vegas; Justin Johnson, Las Vegas; Arias, Valley; Borjas, Valley; Lopez, Valley; Adolfo Rodriguez, Valley; Duran, Eldorado; Jaramillo, Eldorado; Luis Cruz, Eldorado; Ayala, Chaparral; David Lopez, Chaparral;
Carranza, Tech; Corona, Tech; Gonzalez, Tech; Jimenez, Tech; Jesus Herrera, Tech; Frank Strnad, Green Valley; Shue, Green Valley; Rudy Strnad, Green Valley; Alejandro Pacheco, Green Valley; Sellitti, Coronado; Long, Coronado; Jesus Maciel, Coronado; Diego, Silverado; Chase Leaders, Silverado; Volesky, Foothill.

Kurtz, Centennial; Mihy, Centennial; Ramirez, Centennial; Sylva, Centennial; Chance Rosa, Centennial; Amster, Palo Verde; Panther, Palo Verde; Polster, Palo Verde; Dylan Hutchings, Palo Verde; Flood, Arbor View; Johnson, Arbor View; Jorge Artega, Arbor View; Valencia, Cimarron-Memorial; Bobby Thompson, Cimarron-Memorial; Ramirez, Cheyenne;
Cain, Bishop Gorman; Thompson, Bishop Gorman; Zanoni, Bishop Gorman; Zaher, Bishop Gorman; Jake O’Rourke, Bishop Gorman; Bernal, Clark; Chavez, Clark; Gonzalez, Clark; Juan Regalado, Clark; Smith, Bonanza; Sagel, Bonanza; Johnny Rascon, Bonanza; Mirales, Western; Abraham Navarro, Western.

Rivas, Las Vegas; Fedde, Las Vegas; Marquez, Las Vegas; Landin, Las Vegas; Johnson, Las Vegas; Fausto Urrutia, Las Vegas; Arias, Valley; Borjas, Valley; Lopez, Valley; Rodriguez, Valley; Luis Salmeron, Valley; Duran, Eldorado; Jaramillo, Eldorado; Cruz, Eldorado; Edwardo Zepeda, Eldorado; Ayala, Chaparral; David Lopez, Chaparral; Anthony Lopez, Chaparral; Luis Zavala, Chaparral; Ivan Perez, Desert Pines; Rudolfo Gonzalez, Sunrise Mountain.
Player of the Year: Joaquin Rivas, Las Vegas
Coach of the Year: Terry Pryer, Valley

Carranza, Tech; Corona, Tech; Gonzalez, Tech; Jimenez, Tech; Jesus Herrera, Tech; Eddie Lopez, Tech; Frank Strnad, Green Valley; Shue, Green Valley; Rudy Strnad, Green Valley; Alejandro Pacheco, Green Valley; Kyle Porterfield, Green Valley; Sellitti, Coronado; Long, Coronado; Jesus Maciel, Coronado; Brock Morrison, Coronado; Diego, Silverado; Chase Leaders, Silverado; Volesky, Foothill; Eric Crum, Basic; Omar Carrillo, Del Sol; Eric Beil, Del Sol.
Player of the Year: Tim Shue, Green Valley
Coach of the Year: Josh Jones, Tech

Kurtz, Centennial; Mihy, Centennial; Ramirez, Centennial; Sylva, Centennial; Rosa, Centennial; Oscar Moran, Centennial; Amster, Palo Verde; Panther, Palo Verde; Polster, Palo Verde; Hutchings, Palo Verde; Matej Kustura, Palo Verde; Flood, Arbor View; Johnson, Arbor View; Artega, Arbor View; Kyle Withoft, Arbor View; Valencia, Cimarron; Thompson, Cimarron; Andrew Sullivan, Cimarron; Ramirez, Cheyenne; Jose Orellana, Cheyenne; Wade Norman, Faith Lutheran; Oscar Ramirez, Legacy; Jose Arias, Mojave; Cody Fitzhugh, Shadow Ridge.
Player of the Year: Isaac Ramirez, Centennial
Coach of the Year: Tommy Porrello, Centennial

Cain, Gorman; Thompson, Gorman; Zanoni, Gorman; Zaher, Gorman; O’Rourke, Gorman; Kiril Boev, Gorman; Bernal, Clark; Chavez, Clark; Gonzalez, Clark; Regalado, Clark; Hugo Fajardo, Clark; Smith, Bonanza; Sagel, Bonanza; Rascon, Bonanza; Daniel Hernandez, Bonanza; Mirales, Western; Navarro, Western; Eduardo Hernandez, Western; Nadav Elemelich, Spring Valley; Kyle Martin, Spring Valley; Jarom Stuart, Desert Oasis; Jorge Echavarria, Sierra Vista.
Player of the Year: Salvador Bernal, Clark
Coach of the Year: Doug Borgel, Bishop Gorman