(KJCCC) November 20, 2023 -- All-KJCCC/Region 6 Division I Men's Soccer Selections
2023 ALL-KJCCC/REGION 6 DIVISION I MEN'S SOCCER SELECTIONS
Nominated and voted upon by league coaches, the 2023 Division I Men's Soccer selections were nearly dominated by regular season champion Barton claiming two of the three major individual awards as the KJCCC released its 2023 Division I All-Conference/Region 6 honors on Monday.
Barton forward Lucas Constante was named the league's 2023 Offensive Player of the Year. Cougar head coach Rafael Simmons was named the 2023 Coach of the Year.
Cowley Thiago Apolinario was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
Lucas Constante, Barton (Offensive Player of the Year)
Barton's Lucas Constante is named the Offensive Player of the year after helping lead Barton to its' second straight and program's 12th league title. The sophomore out of Jaragua do sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil was the leading net finder in the KJCCC and nation's second-leading scorer producing 19 goals. The sophomore striker distributed a marker in 8 of the 12 conference games and sported a seven-match goal streak.
Constante finished the season ranking inside Barton's single season record books with the seventh most goals produced and ninth most points generated with 44.
Thiago Apolinario, Cowley (Defensive Player of the Year)
Cowley's Thiago Apolinario is named the Defensive Player of the year after guiding Cowley to its' third consecutive Region VI/Plains District title and third straight National Tournament appearance. The freshman had an immediate impact to the Tiger backline in helping Cowley pitch 11 shutouts on the season with six coming in KJCCC action. Apolinario's defensive efforts helped the Tigers rank tops in the KJCCC and eighth best in the nation at 0.80 goals against. Known for his defensive efforts, Apolinario also was a major threat to opponents on the offensive side producing 10-goals ranking second among Cowley and sixth most in the conference.
Apolinario becomes the fifth different Tiger to claim the Defensive Player of the Year award in the last six seasons.
Rafael Simmons, Barton (Coach of the Year)
Coaching his second season with the Cougars', Simmons guided Barton to a second straight Jayhawk Conference title. Picked to finish second in the preseason coaches' poll, Simmons and company clinched the Cougars 12th KJCCC crown with a league best 9-1-2 mark and five-point cushion. Simmons squad built the point cushion behind a 13-match unbeaten streak including eight straight in conference play. Falling in the Region/District title game and receiving an at-large bid to the National Tournament, Barton's season would conclude in pool play finishing with an overall mark of 18-4-4.
The award is Simmons second straight Coach of the Year award after winning the Jayhawk West Coach of the Year a season ago.
2023 KJCCC Division I Men's Soccer All-Conference/Region 6
First Team
Lucas Constante (Barton), Loic Kanku (Barton), Sora Funakoshi (Cowley), Andres Rocha (Dodge City), Ajay Stewart (KCK), Augusto Militao (Barton), Nicolas Glanis (Barton), Yuki Nakamura (Cowley), Noah Conover (KCK), Thiago Apolinario (Cowley), Henrique Cruz (Barton), Kimito Fritz (Barton), Daisuke Shinko (Coffeyville), Adriano Melo (Cowley), Bruno Mestres (Seward County)
Second Team
Maxence Voinier (Barton), Paulo Diaz (Coffeyville), Christian Difficile (Dodge City), Jacob Thomas (KCK), Mario De La Fuente (Coffeyville), Ayato Kaneko (Coffeyville), Manuel Nunez (Coffeyville), Jorge De Le Vibora (Garden City), David Rivera (KCK), Tristan Skerritt (Coffeyville), Andre Ecker (Cowley), Victor H. Lopes (Cowley), Soulo Letsoalo (Garden City), Rory Stenhouse (KCK), Dennis Bottcher (Barton), Eric Zelaya (Dodge City)
Honorable Mention
Lucas Dos Santos (Barton), Diego Sano (Barton), Takeru Chiba (Cowley), Mate Kenyeres (Cowley), Leonoardo Schorr (Cowley), Cyprien Merle Du Bourg (Dodge City), Daniel Bousquet (Dodge City), Aaron Melgar (Dodge City), Arthur Lemeunier (Dodge City), Max Hancock (Garden City), Alexandros Papakonstantinou (KCK), Zak Hiles (KCK), Matheus Amrozio (Seward County), Juan Pablo Murillo (Seward County), Javier Ruchelli (Seward County), Alex Stevens-Lee (Seward County, Francisco Nava-Gomez (Seward County)