Chandler Peterson couldn’t have been a more obvious choice.
ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Platte County junior Chandler Peterson works to control the ball in a September game against Rockwood Summit at Pirate Stadium. Peterson scored 61 goals this season and made the Missouri State High School Soccer Coaches Assocaition all-state list in Class 3 for a second straight year.
For the second straight year, Platte County’s dynamic playmaker earned a spot on the Missouri State High School Soccer Coaches Association all-state list. Peterson moved up from honorable mention in Class 3 as a sophomore to first team as a junior after a record-setting season.
In 2016 Peterson scored a school-record 61 goals, moving past Ian Malburg’s mark of 43 during a four-goal performance against Grandview on Thursday, Oct. 13.
In a breakout season, Peterson more than doubled his previous career total for goals. He goes into his senior season with 91, ranking only behind Malburg’s career total of 135.
Making the move from attacking midfielder to lone target up front this year, Peterson quickly set out on a record pace for scoring and finished with a pair of goals in a 3-2 loss to Kansas City East in a Class 3 sectional. He broke a tie with former Kickapoo star and current Major League Soccer player Jack Jewsbury for third in state history in a single season.
Peterson averaged 2.35 goals per game, a mark that ranks fourth in state history for a single season.
In addition to the all-state honor, Peterson received co-offensive player of the year in MSHSSCA’s Kansas City region. He led the Pirates to a 17-9 record and their second trip to the playoffs in three seasons.
ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Park Hill South senior defender Colton Smith (4) heads a ball against Rockhurst in a Class 4 quarterfinal in November.
Park Hill South (20-3-2) finished No. 6 in the final MSHSSCA Class 4 poll along with three all-state honorees in a balanced season for a huge senior class.
Colton Smith, Ryan DiBernardo and Tyler Pisoni — three of the Panthers’ 19 seniors — were honored with DiBernardo making a second straight appearance. They were part of a third straight district title and back-to-back trips to the Class 4 quarterfinals, both ending with 1-0 losses to Rockhurst.
A mainstay on the defensive backline, Smith played in all 15 cleansheets this season, nine in Suburban Conference Red Division play. Park Hill South has won 31 straight league games, allowing just three total goals in that span dating back to the final game of the 2013 regular season.
Smith also earned co-defensive player of the year honors in MSHSSCA’s Kansas City Region. He scored one goal and had one assist.
DiBernardo and Pisoni were both second-team picks at forward, part of a balanced offense that featured a trio of high-scoring forwards and a group of versatile midfielders.
DiBernardo led Park Hill South with 16 goals to go with eight assists, which ranked only behind midfielder Dan Geary’s nine. DiBernardo earned second-team honors this year after being an honorable mention selection as a junior.
Pisoni made his all-state debut with 13 goals (second to DiBernardo’s total) and five assists. Nylo Clarke, another senior forward, and Geary also had double-figure goal totals for the Panthers this season.
Park Hill senior Jackson Foutch, a three-year starter, also made the Class 4 second team on defense.
A centerback all three seasons, Foutch made 69 career starts and scored the first two goals of his career this season. He had two assists as a junior.
Foutch played on a strong defensive line that produced seven shutouts this season, leading Park Hill to the Class 4 District 16 championship game. The Trojans lost to Oak Park in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw.
ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Park Hill South senior Ryan DiBernardo looks to dribble past a pair of Rockhurst defenders.
SOCCER POSTSEASON HONORS
MISSOURI STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE
CLASS 4
First team
D — Colton Smith, sr., Park Hill South
Second team
D — Jackson Foutch, sr., Park Hill; F — Ryan DiBernardo, sr., Park Hill South
Honorable mention
F — Tyler Pisoni, sr., Park Hill South
CLASS 3
First team
F — Chandler Peterson, jr., Platte County
MSHSSCA ALL-KANSAS CITY REGION
CLASS 4
D — Colton Smith, sr., Park Hill South; Jackson Foutch, sr., Park Hill; Josh Wood, sr., Park Hill South. MF — Turner Hall, sr., Park Hill South; Nico Bosmediano, sr., Park Hill. F — Tyler Pisoni, sr., Park Hill South; Ryan DiBernardo, sr., Park Hill South
Co-defensive player of the year — Colton Smith, sr., Park Hill South
CLASS 3
M — Mason Hays, sr., Platte County; F — Chandler Peterson, jr., Platte County
Co-offensive player of the year — Chandler Peterson, jr., Platte County
ALL-CLASS 4 DISTRICT 16
First team
D — Aaron Simpson, so., Park Hill; MF — Nico Bosmediano, sr., Park Hill; GK — Stefan Derra, so., Park Hill
Second team
D — Jackson Foutch, sr., Park Hill; Jack Austin, so., Park Hill. MF — Paulo Murguia, sr., Park Hill
ALL-CLASS 4 DISTRICT 15
First team
GK — Noah Brizendine, sr., Park Hill South; D — Colton Smith, sr., Park Hill South; F — Tyler Pisoni, sr., Park Hill South; Ryan DiBernardo, sr., Park Hill South
Second team
D — Noah Anderson, sr., Park Hill South; MF — Turner Hall, sr., Park Hill South; F — Nylo Clarke, sr., Park Hill South
ALL-CLASS 3 DISTRICT 16
First team
F — Chandler Peterson, jr., Platte County. MF — Mason Hays, sr., Platte County. D — Zach Rolofson, sr., Platte County; Cole Wedekind, jr., Platte County. GK — Bailey Ride, sr., Platte County.
Second team
MF — Sam Stuteville, sr., Platte County; Blake Cochran, so., Platte County; Colton Grisham, so., Platte County. D — Carter Hays, fr., Platte County; Conor Hunt, so., Platte County.
ALL-SUBURBAN CONFERENCE GOLD DIVISION
ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Park Hill senior defender Jackson Foutch watches his free kick go into a wall of defenders during the Class 4 District 16 championship game last month in Kansas City, Mo.
Second team
D — Jackson Foutch, sr., Park Hill; MF — Nico Bosmediano, sr., Park Hill
Honorable mention
D — Aaron Simpson, so., Park Hill; Jack Austin, so., Park Hill. MF — Paulo Murguia, sr., Park Hill
ALL-SUBURBAN CONFERENCE RED DIVISION
First team
GK — Noah Brizendine, sr., Park Hill South. D — Noah Anderson, sr., Park Hill South; Colton Smith, sr., Park Hill South; Jacob Wicks, sr., Park Hill South. MF — Turner Hall, sr., Park Hill South; Dan Geary, sr., Park Hill South. F — Ryan DiBernardo, sr., Park Hill South.
Second team
F — Nylo Clarke, sr., Park Hill South
Honorable mention
D — Joshua Wood, sr., Park Hill South; F — Tyler Pisoni, sr., Park Hill South
ALL-SUBURBAN CONFERENCE BLUE DIVISION
First team
F — Chandler Peterson, jr., Platte County. MF — Mason Hays, sr., Platte County. D — Zach Rolofson, sr., Platte County; Cole Wedekind, jr., Platte County. GK — Bailey Ride, sr., Platte County.
Second team
MF — Sam Stuteville, sr., Platte County; Blake Cochran, so., Platte County; Colton Grisham, so., Platte County. D — Carter Hays, fr., Platte County; Conor Hunt, so., Platte County.
Honorable mention
MF — Hans Thyssen, so., Platte County; Trent Hynes, sr., Platte County; Spencer Klopfer, jr., Platte County
Co-player of the year — Chandler Peterson, jr., Platte County
Goalkeeper of the year — Bailey Ride, sr., Platte County