Perrysburg senior Alexander Diaz (10) passes the ball during the first half of a soccer match against Sylvania Northview at Steinecker Stadium. (Scott W. Grau/Sentinel-Tribune file)
SYLVANIA — Northern Lakes League divisional champions Perrysburg and Southview faced off in a Division I district semifinal Tuesday, and the Yellow Jackets prevailed, 5-1.
Perrysburg, which won the NLL Buckeye Division title, advances to take on Toledo St. Francis at Southview Soccer Stadium at noon on Saturday for the district championship and the right to advance to the regional tournament.
In the win over the Cougars, the NLL Cardinal Division champions, senior forward Alexander Diaz scored a three-goal hat trick, breaking Karter Sells’ record for most goal in a career.
In addition, senior midfielder Matthew Zinn and junior midfielder Omar Touray scored one goal apiece for the Yellow Jackets.
“Great game for us, boys played exceptionally well,” Perrysburg coach Dennis Jeansonne said. “Very happy with the performance and looking forward to our rematch this Saturday with St. Francis.”
Jeansonne says he likes the style of play the Jackets have developed.
“Our team and program have built a possession style of soccer that’s very strong in the area. We can control a game when necessary, which is great if you’re scoring goals,” Jeansonne said. “We need to rely on our possession to keep the opponents off the ball as much as possible.”
No. 7 ranked Perrysburg (16-1-2) and St. Francis (8-6-3), which also received votes in the state coaches’ poll, face off this Saturday at noon at Southview. The Knights handed the Yellow Jackets their only loss, 4-1, in both teams’ season opener on August 11.
Coach Jeansonne says getting honored in the state polls and winning an NLL Buckeye Division title are solid achievements for a team that graduated 14 players and returned just nine lettermen.
Diaz, the NLL Buckeye Division Player of the Year and a three-time first team All-NLL selection, is now sitting on 60 goals scored during his prep career at Perrysburg. Diaz has 50 points this year on 22 goals and six assists.
Diaz was a second team All-Ohioan last year and Jeansonne, the Buckeye Division Coach of the Year, says he is “one of the top ranked players in the area,” calling him an “incredible finisher with great pace and strength. He’s a high-end scorer.”
Also first team All-NLL selections for Perrysburg are three other seniors, Zinn (15 goals, 10 assists), defender Taylor Thomas (one goal, one assist) and goalkeeper Isaac Revill (10 shutouts).
Coach Jeansonne says Zinn is “one of the most crafty players in the area. Fantastic skills and we’re asking him to play higher in the midfield to help our attack and he’s doing exactly that. If he gets around goal, he can finish and is great in the air to score headers.”
As far as Thomas, who is also the placekicker on Perrysburg’s football team, Jeansonne says he “has all the attributes you love in great defender…very fast, big and strong, and skilled with the ball. He’s an every minute type of player meaning he plays 100% of the time as he’s the field general.”
Jeansonne says Reville, a third-year starting keeper, “can make highlight reel saves. He’s a walking ESPN highlight, really.”
Perrysburg second team choices are junior defender Connor Sniadanko (nine goals, five assists), junior midfielder Dylan Motter (two goals, four assists) and sophomore midfielder Chase Jeansonne (three goals, seven assists).
Coach Jeansonne says Sniadanko plays with “incredible pace and is really starting to understand proper runs to get in front of the goal.”
Jeansonne says his son Chase Jeansonne “has some of the highest soccer acumen we’ve seen. Incredible footskills and ability to find teammates making critical runs. He has helped control the midfield play and is setting up our attacks.
“As a crafty midfielder, he could be the start of our attacks as he always wants the ball out of the back and can transition very quickly to get us attacking in a matter of seconds.”
Jeansonne adds that Touray and senior midfielder Owen Felaris are “two other very talented midfielders who are very versatile. Both are highly skilled and can control the midfield. Both are playing some on the outside and have transitioned there very well.
“Owen Felaris (two assists) spent the off season working incredibly hard on his fitness. He came in this year faster and stronger which has put him in a much better position for the speed and physicality of the varsity game level.
“Omar (three goals, three assists) physically grew and really improved his eagerness to get forward and attack. He was a great possession player last year but now he’s added the ability to go forward with pace and score.”
The coach adds that sophomore forward Brayden Heitmeyer (one goal, one assist), who was coming off an injury, is “a very tough striker to handle. With his speed, skills and strength, he’ll be just as much of a threat as Alex Diaz.
Jeansonne says Heitmeyer “is strong” and “probably the fastest on the team, with a very powerful shot.”
Junior forward London Stock (four goals, three assists) is “a striker who is on the cusp of being a very complete player. He’s incredibly fast, with great skills and is just a nugget away from being a high minute player next to Diaz and scoring goals.
“He and Sniadanko share the bulk of the minutes next to Diaz and London will absolutely score once he breaks out.”
