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Folsom picks its 2022 Hometown Life All-Area boys soccer team


Sports reporter Brandon Folsom tells you who the top soccer players were on the west side of metro Detroit.

Sports reporter Brandon Folsom is here with his 2022 Hometown Life All-Area boys soccer team.

With Cranbrook making the state finals and many other local teams going on deep playoff runs, there were plenty of players to choose from. From Detroit Catholic Central to Salem and Plymouth Christian Academy and everyone else in between.

Let’s take a look at how the team shook out:

Drew and Kyle Pierson, Detroit Catholic Central

Co-Players of the Year

What a family.

As a senior, Ryan Pierson led the Shamrocks to a Division 1 state championship and wound up as a Mr. Soccer finalist as well as the 2017-18 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year.

Four years later, his younger twin brothers wound up leaving a similar legacy on the pitch at Detroit Catholic Central.

Kyle Won Mr. Soccer, following in Ryan’s footsteps. And the Michigan signee is arguably the top goal-scorer in the state. And if he’s not, he’s among good company, if that honor ends up going to Clarkston’s Richie Ludwig or Rochester Adam’s Jackson Craft.

Drew was a three-year varsity player, a two-year captain and, arguably, one of the best high school defenders in Michigan. He holds an offer from Detroit Mercy, where Ryan plays, as well as interest from other Division I and II programs.

How can you choose between two Pierson boys? The answer: You can’t.

2022 Hometown Life All-Area Boys Soccer Team

FIRST TEAM

F – Kyle Pierson, senior, Detroit Catholic Central

F – Foster Garrett, senior, Salem

F – Sam Chaney, senior, Birmingham Seaholm

F – Ben Farah, senior, Detroit Country Day

M – Luke Nicholson, senior, South Lyon East

M – Mori Miller, senior, Birmingham Groves

M – Evan Evans, senior, Cranbrook

M – Nathan Hooker, senior, Cranbrook

D – Drew Pierson, senior, Detroit Catholic Central

D – Enzo Bordogna, senior, Brother Rice

GK – Jack Rogers, senior, Detroit Catholic Central

GK – Drew Swancutt, senior, Northville

Coach – Chad O’Kulich, Cranbrook

SECOND TEAM

F – Cameron Hannah, junior, Cranbrook

F – Aiden Song, senior, Bloomfield Hills Roeper

F – Ezra Knezek, senior, Livonia Stevenson

F – Logan Hartman, senior, Livonia Franklin

F – Jaiden Lunga, senior, Novi

M – Ali Jaffer, senior, Detroit Catholic Central

M – Griffin Ellis, senior, Salem

M – Adam Mason, senior, South Lyon

M – Josh Copeland, senior, Brother Rice

M – Joey Iaquaniello, senior, Walled Lake Northern

GK – Tommy Verash, junior, Salem

GK – Bora Akgun, senior, Cranbrook

Coach – Gene Pulice, Detroit Catholic Central

THIRD TEAM

F – Zach Rodger, junior, Detroit Country Day

F – Jordan Petrovski, senior, Walled Lake Northern

M – Wesley Hart, senior, Canton

M – Matt Shehab, senior, Northville

M – Kellen Larson, senior, Detroit Catholic Central

M – Evan Thornton, senior, Brother Rice

M – Caedmon Whipple, sophomore, Plymouth Christian Academy

D – Joey Weertz, senior, Plymouth Christian Academy

D – John Dickmeyer, senior, Walled Lake Northern

D – Matt Meilinger, senior, Birmingham Groves

D – Ryan Kientz, senior, White Lake Lakeland

GK – Finn Hounsell, sophomore, Detroit Country Day

HONORABLE MENTION

F – Marco Palushaj, senior, Northville

M – Alex Greene, senior, Plymouth

M – Tripp Gaffney, senior, Birmingham Seaholm

M – Chase Henderson, sophomore, Birmingham Seaholm

M – Wesley Hart, senior, Canton

M – Stephen Brentano, junior, Detroit Country Day

M – Andrew Brentano, junior Detroit Country Day

D – Evan Miller, senior, South Lyon East

D – Nick Settle, junior, Northville

D – John Lee, senior, Cranbrook

GK – Joe Farah, junior, Birmingham Seaholm

GK – Aaron Walenciak, senior, South Lyon East

Coach – Kyle Karns, Salem

SPECIAL MENTION

F – Will Oglesby, senior, Bloomfield Hills

F – Mark Musai, senior, Salem

F – Jordan Scott, senior, Plymouth Christian Academy

F – Dominic Hannawa, sophomore, Walled Lake Northern

F – Benne Lemke, sophomore, Westland Huron Valley Lutheran

F – Jesse Stewart, senior, Livonia Clarenceville

F – Atanas Popov, senior, Salem

F – Ian Mendoza-Garceia, senior, Wayne Memorial

F – Andrew Adragna, senior, South Lyon

F – Jacob Hemker, junior, South Lyon

M – Aiden Miller, junior, Westland Lutheran

M – Matt Johnson, senior, Plymouth Christian Academy

M – Owen Hickey, junior, Walled Lake Northern

M – Mateo King, senior, Birmingham Groves

M – Mario Blum-Alexander, senior, Birmingham Groves

M – Brett Russell, junior, Birmingham Groves

M – Orfan Adil, senior, Livonia Churchill

M – William Aljets, freshman, Livonia Churchill

M – John Napieralski, senior, Livonia Franklin

M – Carter Mroz, senior, Livonia Stevenson

M – Nathan Riehl, senior, Novi

M – Alex Green, senior, Plymouth

M – Jack Kroll, senior, Salem

M – Jesus Valasquez-Cervantes, senior, Wayne Memorial

D – Yuya Nakijima, senior, Northville

D – Moreno Scaccia, senior, Northville

D – Kenan Hadzic, senior, Livonia Clarenceville

D – Christian Presley, senior, Canton

D – Alex Eby, sophomore, Detroit Country Day

D – Gabe Hunter, senior, Detroit Country Day

D – Tyler Watson, senior, Walled Lake Northern

D – Reese Austin, senior, Canton

D – Elliot Cialone, senior, Canton

D – Stewart Johns, junior, Livonia Churchill

D – Connor Dzngel, senior, Livonia Churchill

D – Colin Whitney, senior, Livonia Stevenson

D – Ben Wilson, junior, Livonia Stevenson

D – Masaharu Kimura, junior, novice

D – Antoine Kondracki, senior, Novi

D – Rohan Parikh, senior, Plymouth

D – Dylan Clayton, senior, Salem

D – Bill Broucek, senior, Salem

D – Jovani Martinez-Perez, senior, Wayne Memorial

D – Carter Wisley, sophomore, Westland John Glenn

GK – Owen Boukalik, senior, Northville

Coach – Collan Baker, Plymouth Christian Academy

Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter @folsobrandonj.