On the field, Stephanie Apodaca’s teammates called her “the General” of Rancho’s girls soccer team.
The senior midfielder’s leadership was key to the Rams’ second straight Northeast League title and playoff win.
For inspiring that run, Apodaca was named Northeast League Player of the Year, as voted on by league coaches following the regular season. The distinction also earned her spots on the All-Southern Nevada and All-Sunrise Region teams.
“She was a team captain, and at practice and at games, she took the leader and led by example,” Rancho coach John Besancon said. “She’s a natural leader. She’s a true leader on the field.”
Apodaca, who plans to go to college in Australia in the next two years, had seven goals and eight assists this season. But her contributions often went further than the box score.
“She never quit on anything,” Besancon said. “Even when games got tough, she stayed with it.”
Rancho also placed Rachael Wiltshire, Megan Aoyama and RaeAnn Wiltshire to the All-Southern Nevada team.
Rachael Wiltshire, a senior goalkeeper, posted 11 shutouts to anchor the Rams’ defense.
“They’ve been the core the whole season,” Besancon said. “We started with a lot of injuries, and RaeAnn in the center of the defense really solidified the defense. They were all willing to do whatever it took.”
Desert Pines’ C.J. Johnson was named Northeast League Coach of the Year after leading the Jaguars to a postseason berth.
Kayla Varner of Green Valley was named Southeast Player of the Year, and Liberty’s Eric Rolwing took Coach of the Year.
Southwest Player of the Year went to Bishop Gorman junior Haley Wingender, while Clark’s Liz Case was named Coach of the Year.
Palo Verde swept the major awards in the Northwest League, with Lauren Kaskie earning Player of the Year honors and Frank Messina being named Coach of the Year.
Class 4A Girls Honors
All-Southern Nevada
Stephanie Apodaca, Rancho; Rachael Wiltshire, Rancho; Megan Aoyama, Rancho; RaeAnn Wiltshire, Rancho; Sarah Cook, Las Vegas; Brynn Bowden, Las Vegas; Yesenia Gex, Las Vegas; Alexis Sama, Eldorado; Sabrina Justica, Eldorado; Briseida Perez, Desert Pines; Kayla Varner, Green Valley; Cassidy McLean, Green Valley; Alyssa Rodriguez, Green Valley; Nicole Westover, Green Valley; Kaitlyn Fahrner, Coronado; Kathleen Cuevas, Coronado; Breanna Robinson, Coronado; Susan Melian, Tech; Rachael Montoya, Tech; Madison Chavez, Liberty; Kierra Phelps, Basic; Meghan Brascia, Bishop Gorman; Haley Wingender, Bishop Gorman, Mia Moore, Bishop Gorman; Charlotte Brascia, Bishop Gorman; Azucena Bernal, Clark; Kealani Chaidez, Clark; Rachel SooHoo, Clark; Markie Henderson, Spring Valley; Leslie Carroll, Spring Valley; Phonsavon Phanthip, Desert Oasis; Lauren Kaskie, Palo Verde; Alyssa Kleiner, Palo Verde; Tatiana Pagan, Palo Verde; Sila Tuiofea, Palo Verde; Stacie Gubler, Palo Verde; Falon Miller, Arbor View; Taylor Bonetti, Arbor View; Tara LeBaron, Arbor View; Bethanie Skelton, Centennial; Faith Johannes, Centennial; Dallas Gunny, Shadow Ridge.
All-Sunrise Region
Apodaca, Rancho; Rac. Wiltshire, Rancho; Aoyama, Rancho; Rae. Wiltshire, Rancho; Chanel Eliason, Rancho; Cook, Las Vegas; Bowden, Las Vegas; Gex, Las Vegas; Jessica Reynoso, Las Vegas; Sama, Eldorado; Justice, Eldorado; Brandy Sanchez, Eldorado; Perez, Desert Pines; Vanessa Gomez, Desert Pines; Varner, Green Valley; McLean, Green Valley; Rodriguez, Green Valley; Westover, Green Valley; Erika Hanuscin, Green Valley; Fahrner, Coronado; Cuevas, Coronado; Robinson, Coronado; Danielle Schumacher, Coronado; Melian, Tech; Montoya, Tech; Alex Guzman, Tech; Chavez, Liberty; Alexia Gonzalez, Liberty; Kierra Phelps, Basic.
All-Sunset Region
M. Brascia, Bishop Gorman; Wingender, Bishop Gorman, Moore, Bishop Gorman; C. Brascia, Bishop Gorman; Allie Arguello, Bishop Gorman; Bernal, Clark; Chaidez, Clark; SooHoo, Clark; Henderson, Spring Valley; Carroll, Spring Valley; Phanthip, Desert Oasis; Kaskie, Palo Verde; Kleiner, Palo; Pagan, Palo Verde; Tuiofea, Palo Verde; Gubler, Palo Verde; Kori Jeffries, Palo Verde; Miller, Arbor View; Bonetti, Arbor View; LeBaron, Arbor View; Lauren Shadel, Arbor View; Skelton, Centennial; Johannes, Centennial; Siena Drizin, Centennial; Gunny, Shadow Ridge; Taylor Lopez, Shadow Ridge.
All-Northeast League
Apodaca, Rancho; Rac. Wiltshire, Rancho; Aoyama, Rancho; Rae. Wiltshire, Rancho; Chanel Eliason, Rancho; Hannah Hanselman, Rancho; Cook, Las Vegas; Bowden, Las Vegas; Gex, Las Vegas; Reynoso, Las Vegas; Andrea Vidales, Las Vegas; Sama, Eldorado; Justice, Eldorado; Sanchez, Eldorado; Teresa Barajas, Eldorado; Perez, Desert Pines; Gomez, Desert Pines; Jackeleen Pelaez, Desert Pines
Player of Year–Stephanie Apodaca, Rancho
Coach of Year–C.J. Johnson, Desert Pines
All-Southeast League
Varner, Green Valley; McLean, Green Valley; Rodriguez, Green Valley; Westover, Green Valley; Hanuscin, Green Valley; Kayla Anderson, Green Valley; Fahrner, Coronado; Cuevas, Coronado; Robinson, Coronado; Schumacher, Coronado; Aubrey Madden, Coronado; Mellan, Tech; Montoya, Tech; Guzman, Tech; Patty Martinez, Tech; Chavez, Liberty; Gonzalez, Liberty; Paige Terlizzi, Liberty; Ashley Munson, Basic; Courtney Anderson, Silverado; Dominique Clough, Foothill; Catherine Contreras, Del Sol; Phelps, Basic
Player of the Year–Kayla Varner, Green Valley
Coach of Year–Eric Rolwing, Liberty
All-Northwest League
Kaskie, Palo Verde; Kleiner, Palo Verde; Pagan, Palo Verde; Tuiofea, Palo Vere; Jefferies, Palo Verde; Jordan Fleming, Palo Verde; Miller, Arbor View; Bonetti, Arbor View; LeBaron, Arbor View; Shadel, Arbor Vieew; Amberly Halstead, Arbor View; Skelton, Centennial; Johannes, Centennial; Drizin, Centennial; Danielle Farano, Centennial; Gunny, Shadow Ridge; Lopez, Shadow Ridge; Megan Cice, Shadow Ridge; Brooke D’Onofrio, Cimarron-Memorial; Jennifer Ramirez, Cheyenne; Olivia Hicks, Legacy; Evelyn Murillo, Mojave; Gubler, Palo Verde
Player of the Year–Lauren Kaskie, Palo Verde
Coach of Year–Frank Messina, Palo Verde
All-Southwest League
M. Brascia, Bishop Gorman; Wingender, Bishop Gorman; Moore, Bishop Gorman; C. Brascia, Bishop Gorman; Arguello, Bishop Gorman; Kaylee Vitale, Bishop Gorman; Bernal, Clark; Chaidez, Clark; SooHoo, Clark; Pleckoo, Clark; Nathalia Both, Clark; Henderson Spring Valley; Carroll, Spring Valley; Delaney, Spring Valley; Alyssa Gomez, Spring Valley; Darien Walker, Sierra Vista; Lynsey Hutchins, Desert Oasis; Josie Dean, Durango; Phanthip, Desert Oasis
Player of the Year–Haley Wingender, Bishop Gorman
Coach of Year–Liz Case, Clark
