Newton Citizen

CONYERS - Salem's Jordan Young has pulled off a unique hat trick.

The high-scoring Lady Seminole senior picked up her third Girls Most Outstanding Player honor on this year's 2009 8-AAAA All-Region Soccer Teams, which are selected by the region's coaches.

Young, a Georgia signee, scored 20 goals and added 13 assists for Salem, which claimed its fourth straight 8-AAAA crown this spring.

The Lady Seminoles, who posted an 18-4 record and advanced to the Class AAAA Final Four for the second consecutive season, dominated the selections with three players on the first team, three more on the second team and two honorable mention picks.

The Heritage girls, who finished as the 8-AAAA runner-up to Salem, placed three on the first team and three on honorable mention. The Rockdale girls had one first-team selection.

On the boys side, Heritage led the way with five honorees, two on the first team, one on the second team and two on honorable mention. Salem placed four on the team, a pair of first-team picks and a pair of honorable mention selections.

Besides Young, Salem defender Ashley Parker, Salem midfielder Taylor Gates, Heritage keeper Melissa Drish, Heritage defender Lindsay Sutton, Heritage midfielder Constance Bates and Rockdale midfielder Nicole Young were all named to the girls first team.

Parker, a junior, played a key role in a Salem defense that surrendered only 21 goals in 22 games. Gates, a junior, was the Lady Seminoles' leading scorer with 24 goals and 14 assists.

Drish, a junior, battled back from an ankle injury to allow only 10 goals in 12 games for Heritage, recording five shutouts and posting a goals against average of 0.83. Sutton, a junior, was a key cog in the Lady Patriots' defense, which allowed only 16 goals in the regular season. Bates, a senior, tied for the Heritage team high in goals with 10 while adding three assists.

Nicole Young, also a junior, led Rockdale in scoring with 15 goals and six assists.

Salem defender Brittany Whitson, Salem midfielder Ashley Miller and Salem forward Brittany Beaumont were second-team selections.

Whitson, a junior, was a standout defender on a Salem team that recorded 11 shutouts. Miller, a junior, chipped in 13 goals and 10 assists for the Lady Seminoles. Beaumont, a senior who has signed with Clemson, added 11 goals and 11 assists for Salem.

Heritage's Arielle Gunderson, Salem's Emily Boggus, Heritage's Shealy Kulp, Salem's Shelby Boggus and Heritage's Michelle Borg were all honorable mention.

On the boys side, Heritage keeper John Barnes, Salem defender Garrett Wallace, Heritage midfielder Tyler Peoples and Salem midfielder Kwasi Yankey were first-team picks.

Barnes, a senior, recorded a 10-4 record in goal, helping Heritage earn the No. 2 playoff seed in 8-AAAA. Peoples, a sophomore, paced the Patriots in scoring with 10 goals and three assists.

Wallace, a senior center back, was the heart and soul of the Salem defense until his season was cut short by a knee injury in the 13th game. Yankey, a junior, led the Seminoles in scoring with nine goals and five assists.

Heritage defender Paul Bates was the only second-team selection. The senior played a key role in a Patriots' defense that allowed only 13 regular-season goals.

Salem's Trent Carpenter, Heritage's Josh Alexy, Heritage's Oscar Corona and Salem's Naveed Khan were on the honorable mention.

Habersham Central's Nolan Hemmer was voted the Boys Most Outstanding Player.

Jeff Gillespie can be reached at jeff.gillespie@rockdalecitizen.com.

SideBar: 8-AAAA All-Region Soccer

· Boys Most Outstanding Player: Nolan Hemmer, Habersham Central

· Girls Most Outstanding Player: Jordan Young, Salem

BOYS

First Team

· John Barnes, Heritage, Keeper

· Newt Turk, Habersham Central, Defender

· Sawyer Hemmer, Habersham Central, Defender

· Garrett Wallace, Salem, Defender

· Nolan Hemmer, Habersham Central, Midfielder

· Tyler Peoples, Heritage, Midfielder

· Taylor Klepal, Loganville, Midfielder

· Kwasi Yankey, Salem, Midfielder

· Ben Ortman, Madison County, Forward

· Juan Vargas, Habersham Central, Forward

· Braxton Hudson, Clarke Central, Forward

Second Team

· Stephen Daniel, Loganville, Keeper

· Johnny Striepen, Clarke Central, Defender

· Conor Lockridge, Loganville, Defender

· Keith Ogino, Loganville, Defender

· Paul Bates, Heritage, Defender

· Griffin Vincent, Winder-Barrow, Defender

· Adam Erickson, Clarke Central, Midfielder

· Stephens Brown, Habersham Central, Midfielder

· Tom Lingard, Clarke Central, Midfielder

· Alfred Nagbe, Winder-Barrow, Forward

· Adam Porter, Apalachee, Forward

Honorable Mention

Trent Carpenter, Salem; Demritrius Fuhr, Monroe Area; Edward Ameyaw, Apalachee; Josh Alexy, Heritage; Brandon Brooks, Habersham Central; Nestor Garcia, Apalachee; Juan Benavides, Clarke Central; Oscar Corona, Heritage; Naveed Khan, Salem; Holland Carmichael, Loganville

GIRLS

First Team

· Melissa Drish, Heritage, Keeper

· Lindsey Sutton, Heritage, Defender

· Ashley Parker, Salem, Defender

· Amber Burgess, Apalachee, Defender

· Tandy Turk, Habersham Central, Midfielder

· Constance Bates, Heritage, Midfielder

· Nicole Young, Rockdale, Midfielder

· Taylor Gates, Salem, Midfielder

· Ashley Wassel, Clarke Central; Forward

· Jordan Young, Salem, Forward

· Ashley Veilleux, Loganville, Forward

Second Team

· DJ Dowdy, Habersham Central, Keeper

· Jordan Draughton, Loganville, Defender

· Abby Trevino, Clarke Central, Defender

· Brittany Whitson, Salem, Defender

· Kayla Hutchins, Loganville, Defender

· Anna Hill, Apalachee, Defender

· Lauren Cunningham, Habersham Central, Midfielder

· Tori Klingensmith, Loganville,

Midfielder

· Ashley Miller, Salem, Midfielder

· Brittany Beaumont, Salem, Forward

· Megan Helm, Loganville, Forward

Honorable Mention

Hannah Holmes, Apalachee; Arielle Gunderson, Heritage; Georgia Stepp, Winder-Barrow; Tiffany Eberhard, Clarke Central; Emily Boggus, Salem; Joni Burrell, Habersham Central; Shealy Kulp, Heritage; Shelby Boggus, Salem; Sarah Booth, Winder-Barrow; Michelle Borg, Heritage