Area champion Allegany placed five on the All-Area boys soccer first team, Calvary and Fort Hill slotted three and nine schools were represented.
The number of players on the first team for each school is determined by the final area sportswriter poll.
Allegany (13-3-2) grabbed the top spot with all five first-place votes to capture the area title, Fort Hill (12-3) was second, Calvary (20-4-1) ended third, Mountain Ridge (8-7-2) came in fourth and Frankfort (14-5-3) rounded out the top five.
The top team is awarded three spots on the All-Area first team, and Nos. 2-5 are given two.
Award winners, chosen at a meeting of the area’s head coaches, are automatically placed on the first team and don’t count against a school’s first-team allotment.
Allegany had two award winners, Joe Rowan Defensive Player of the Year Jack Hensel and Dave Searles Goalkeeper of the Year Eoin Mowbray.
Fort Hill’s Liam Hamilton was the Ebbie Finzel Player of the Year, and Calvary’s Sammy Scritchfield earned Dr. Raul Felipa Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The individual award winners were featured in separate stories in the Times-News throughout last week.
Joining them on the first team are Chris Manherz, Noah Simmons and Cole Ricker of Allegany, Gerald Mihailovich and Elijah Ziler of Calvary, Jacob Bone and Bobby Brauer of Fort Hill, Alyn Weaver and Liam Orndorff of Frankfort, and John Delaney and Trent Diamond of Mountain Ridge.
Landing on the second team were Lincoln Isom (Allegany), Jackson Miller (Bishop Walsh), Peyton Poland (Calvary), Sam Spencer (Fort Hill), Noah Weaver (Frankfort), Brayden Hott (Hampshire), Jarrod McElwain (Keyser), Eli Cooper (Mountain Ridge) and Shane Sisler (Southern).
The honorable mentions were Jack Taylor (Allegany), Silas Leith (Calvary), Anthony Palumbo (Fort Hill), Landon Davis (Frankfort) and Austin Simpson (Mountain Ridge).
Here’s more on the first team, presented in alphabetical order by school:
Chris Manherz, Allegany
One half of the area’s most explosive forward duo along with Noah Simmons, Chris Manherz finished fourth in the area with 22 goals and added four assists for 48 points — the fifth-best mark locally.
While not gifted with size, Manherz more than made up for it with his speed and agility and his precise technical ability with the ball at his feet.
He is one of four players to repeat on this year’s first team.
“Chris is one of the most naturally gifted soccer players I’ve ever seen,” Allegany head coach Blake Geatz said. “If I had to sum up his season in one word, it would be, ‘Wow.’ Countless times this season, Chris shocked our coaching staff and team by dribbling through and out of impossible situations.
“He has an uncanny ability to create attacking threats out of seemingly nothing and started every game for us at forward and formed arguably the area’s most threatening attack with junior Noah Simmons.
“He was one of our three captains this year and truly stepped up and developed as both a soccer player and a young man. I’m excited to see what the future has in store for him because the sky is the limit.”
Noah Simmons, Allegany
Simmons joins Manherz on the first team for a second year in a row.
The junior led Allegany with 27 goal involvements, scoring 17 goals (sixth-best locally) and assisting on 10 others (seventh) for 44 points (sixth).
Simmons was a weapon on set pieces, an area where Allegany excelled at on its way to winning the Western Maryland Athletic Conference championship and sharing the city title with Fort Hill.
“Noah had a fantastic junior season, helping lead our team to the state tournament,” Geatz said. “Noah is a technically gifted player who can dribble, distribute and finish. He is our set-piece taker and formed a deadly attacking partnership with Chris Manherz.
“This season, Noah stepped up as a leader both during the game and throughout summer workouts and practices. He is a player who is well-respected and looked up to by his teammates and coaches, and I am excited for him to lead us to another successful season in 2026.”
Cole Ricker, Allegany
Ricker, a junior, was a vital cog in Allegany’s success this fall, stepping into a new role once defensive midfielder Sam Panetta went down with an injury.
Ricker did his part for an Allegany team that allowed 20 goals in 18 games, including just one across the Campers’ first three playoff victories.
He finished with three goals and three assists, and two of those scores came in a key playoff bout. Ricker broke a scoreless draw with North Dorchester in the Class 1A state quarterfinals, and he added another in the 4-0 rout that powered Allegany into the Final Four.
“With the absence of Sam Panetta most of the season due to injury, Cole was moved back into the holding mid position, and we did not skip a beat,” Geatz said. “Despite his size, Cole’s athleticism allowed us to maintain control and win 50-50 balls through the middle of the field all season.
“Without Cole, our team does not make it out of the region tournament.”
Gerald Mihailovich, Calvary
Calvary played an aggressive style, and its aggressive center back Mihailovich was a perfect fit.
The senior’s leadership allowed Calvary to play a high line, which sought to draw opponents into coming offsides. If a team did break through, Mihailovich had the closing speed to run forwards down.
Mihailovich, who is a repeat first-teamer, would also move up top if Calvary needed a spark, and the senior finished with four goals and six assists.
“Gerald Mihailovich has been the cornerstone of the team’s defensive success,” Calvary head coach David Ziler said. “Serving as the primary communicator on the back line, Gerald helps organize the defense and maintain a disciplined high line, which has become a defining feature of the team’s style of play.
“Known for his speed, tenacity in winning 50-50 balls and rare composure under pressure, Gerald acts as a true field general. His ability to maintain possession, distribute accurately from the back and read developing plays has stabilized the team in critical moments.
“Gerald’s leadership and field vision allow him to control the game from the defensive third, setting the tone for the entire team.”
Elijah Ziler, Calvary
While not the flashiest player, Ziler was rock solid in the Calvary midfield, shining with the ball at his feet in the field and on set pieces.
Ziler was second on the Eagles with 11 assists (sixth in the area), playing a pivotal role in Scritchfield’s school-record 55-goal season. He added three goals himself.
Ziler is making his second appearance on the All-Area team, making the second team last season.
“Eli Ziler is the quiet force that keeps the team’s play flowing smoothly,” said coach David Ziler. “Eli brings exceptional ball control, consistent decision-making and an unselfish approach that fuels the attack.
“Eli excels at distributing the ball to the forwards and creating opportunities through disciplined, intelligent play. … Eli’s reliability makes him indispensable.
“His constant pressure in the midfield disrupts opposing teams, and his remarkable endurance allows him to maintain a high level of play for all 80 minutes. Eli embodies stability, grit and tactical awareness — qualities that elevate the entire midfield unit.”
Jacob Bone, Fort Hill
A four-year starter at Fort Hill, Bone switched from forward to defensive midfielder to fortify the Sentinels in the back.
Bone had a constant motor on a defense that allowed just 18 goals and pitched an area-best eight shutouts, and his physicality made him a threat in the box on set pieces, where he scored eight goals.
Bone, who was an honorable mention in 2023, was also the punter on the Fort Hill football team again this fall. He carries a GPA north of 4.0 and is a member of the National Honor Society.
“Jacob Bone was the first line of defense in front of our backline as the sole CDM in our formation,” Fort Hill head coach Zach Steckman said. “His leadership and effort in this new role were incredible and commended by opposing coaches and those in the local media.
“He dominated the midfield, winning virtually every 50-50 ball, both in the air and in a challenge. He dominated his own 18-yard box while defending set pieces, winning most, if not all, challenges.
“He was very strong on the ball and distributed well and was the perfect connector between defense and attack.”
Bobby Brauer, Fort Hill
In his first year in the Fort Hill soccer program, Brauer’s performance in goal was a crucial factor in the Sentinels’ turnaround.
Brauer was part of a defense that gave up 1.2 goals per game, and he got better as the season wore on. He saw nine goals go in his net in the first three games, and he only gave up nine over the final 12 matches, accumulating an area-best eight cleansheets.
In a seven-game stretch after Fort Hill lost to Allegany 6-0, Brauer surrendered just two goals — a penalty kick and a free kick — with five shutouts. He made 89 saves, a 5.9 per game average, for the season.
The captain was also the Fort Hill kicker this fall on the football team, has a GPA higher than 4.0 and is a member of the National Honor Society.
“Bobby Brauer was a major component, maybe the biggest component, to this year’s massive turnaround for our program,” Steckman said. “My favorite thing about Bobby Brauer is his leadership, how respectful he is and how coachable he is. It’s an honor to coach him and I’m extremely proud of him.”
Liam Orndorff, Frankfort
Frankfort advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Orndorff.
The junior was second locally in points (83), goals (33) and assists (17), earning Class A-AA Region II Player of the Year, All-State first team, All-Tournament team and All-Potomac Valley honors in the process.
Orndorff was second-team All-Area last year.
“Liam is a humble, hardworking leader on our team,” Frankfort head coach Jason Vaughan said. “He captained our team and led not only with his skill, but also his character. Liam’s performance this year led our team to Frankfort’s first A-AA regional championship and first appearance at the West Virginia state tournament. I look forward to having Liam returning next year to lead our team to another successful season.”
Alyn Weaver, Frankfort
A brick wall in the Frankfort goal, Weaver made 167 saves, stopping 85% of the shots he faced this fall.
Weaver, an All-PVC honoree, also stepped up in Frankfort’s most important moment of the season. In a penalty kick shootout against Trinity Christian in the region championship, Weaver stopped a shot that would have won the game.
He then stepped up to the line and scored Frankfort’s winning PK in the ninth round.
“It has been a privilege to coach all four years of his high school career,” Vaughan said. “Alyn worked hard to earn the starting keeper position last year, and carried on to do an amazing job in goal again this year. I was impressed by Alyn’s development as a vocal leader on the field as he captained our team.
“As a coach, there is nothing more calming than knowing you have someone to rely on at keeper. That has been Alyn for me all year, and I can’t thank him enough for his consistency in goal and contribution to our team.”
John Delaney, Mountain Ridge
A repeat member of the first team, Delaney, a junior midfielder, tallied five goals and six assists.
Delaney is also a standout in basketball and baseball, and he recently committed to play baseball at the University of Delaware.
“John Delaney controlled the center of the field for us and was an 80-minute man,” Mountain Ridge head coach Tim Nightengale said. “He was our target for set pieces and did so many things for our team. John is a special talent who excels at everything he does, and his teammates voted him as our team Most Valuable Player.”
Trent Diamond, Mountain Ridge
Diamond was the Miners’ leading scorer with 14 goals and one assist, displaying ability with both feet and shining on set pieces.
Diamond lands on the first team after garnering honorable mention honors last season.
“Trenton Diamond worked hard every day and had a strong senior campaign,” Nightengale said. “He created pressure on the opponents defense with his technical abilities and being able to strike the ball with either foot. Trenton was selected by his teammates as our team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player.”