Elijah Fenton and Max Wilson snagged one more accolade to add to their list of accomplishments as players for the Durango High School boys soccer team.
The senior duo earned all-state honors for its final season at DHS when the Colorado High School Activities Association released its all-state teams Wednesday.
Fenton was named to the second team for the second year in a row; Wilson was given an honorable mention.
Fenton finished the 2017 campaign with 10 goals and five assists, and Wilson led the team with 16 goals to go with four assists to help the Demons to an 11-3-2 overall record and the 5A/4A Southwestern League title with a 6-1-1 record in league play.
Fenton also was named the league’s player of the year.
“Eli has gotten better consistently over the last four years he’s been with us,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said. “This year, the big thing we talked about was if he could consistently produce and help our young talent become better, and he did that.”
Parker said he was surprised Wilson didn’t make the second team after the stats he put up during his breakout senior season.
“What people don’t understand about Max is he’s always been capable of doing what he did this year,” Parker said. “What a lot of people don’t realize is last year Max actually had a broken back. He played with a stress fracture in his back for all of the season last year, and he still scored nine goals. Max brings the grit and hard work, and Eli brings the consistency of being a top-notch player and we’re going to miss them both.”
Parker was named coach of the year for the league.
Fenton and Wilson were named to the All-SWL first team, along with fellow Demons Trey Furnas and Leland Henikie.
Parker said he was a little disappointed Furnas wasn’t named all-state, again. Last season, the SWL snubbed Furnas and he wasn’t eligible to make CHSAA’s all-state teams, because players must be named to their league’s first team to be considered by CHSAA.
“I was really hoping Trey Furnas would have been on there,” Parker said. “I feel like he was skipped over last year after having 13 shutouts in 15 games. ... I was really hoping he’d get on there.”
Parker added that Henikie may have had a chance to earn all-state recognition had the sophomore not missed time this season with injuries.
Durango junior Jack Beattie and senior Tanas Yoder were named to the All-SWL second team.
The Bayfield High School boys soccer team put together it best season in program history with a 12-4 overall record, a second place finish in the 3A Intermountain League and a state tournament appearance. But not one Wolverine was awarded with all-state honors.
In fact, no player from the 3A IML received all-state honors.
Bayfield senior Tilden Berriman led the league in points (48) and goals (20). His 48 points ranked 23rd in the state, regardless of classification. In Class 3A, he was No. 9 in points and No. 7 in goals scored.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
