M-Soccer: Pair Of Signees Named Gatorade Player Of The Year

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Pair Of Signees Named Gatorade Player Of The Year

May 10, 2011

CHICAGO (SMU) - Two of the SMU men's soccer signees for the fall have been named Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states. Aaron Simmons earned the honor in Texas, while Will Smith received the award for Oklahoma. Over the past two years, the Mustangs have signed five Gatorade Players of the Year.

Simmons, a 6-foot-1 senior midfield and defender from Mansfield High School, recorded 16 goals and 10 assists this past season and has served as team captain the past two seasons. Simmons comes to SMU ranked as the No. 38 recruit in the nation. The District 5-5A Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-District selection, Simmons is a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-18 Men's National Team player pool. He plays club soccer for the Dallas Texans and captained the U16 and U18 academy squads as well as his Dallas Texas '93 team. Simmons led the Texans to the 2009 USYSA National Title. He concluded his prep soccer career with 34 goals and 31 assists.

In the classroom, Simmons has maintained a 3.56 GPA. He has volunteered locally through Home Depot's Community Assistance Program, helping to build playgrounds, and he has also served as a youth soccer coach and referee. Simmons follows current Mustang Zach Barnes, who earned the Texas title in 2010.

Smith, a 6-foot senior forward and midfielder from Norman North High School, has led the Timberwolves to a 15-1 record and a berth in the Class 6A semifinals against Broken Arrow, scheduled for May 10. Smith enters the state final four with 27 goals and 7 assists. The Oklahoman Offensive Player of the Year in 2010, he is a two-time All-Mid-State Conference selection and a Third Team ESPN RISE All-American. Smith plays club for NYSA Celtic '92, where he has served as team captain for the past five seasons, leading his team to the 2010 State title.

Smith has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of an area homeless shelter, an Oklahoma City food bank and Habitat for Humanity. He has also participated in service-mission trips to Mexico to build homes and a school for the underprivileged.

In 1985, The Gatorade Company established an award honoring America's elite high school student-athletes. Now in its third decade, the Gatorade Player of the Year award has become one of the most prestigious accolades in high school sports. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one award-winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school boys football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys and girls track & field. The selection process for Gatorade State and National Players of the Year is administered by ESPN RISE, the multimedia high school division of ESPN, in partnership with The Gatorade Company. All final selection decisions are the result of a collaborative effort between ESPN RISE and The Gatorade Company.

[ClassOf81]

If next year's class is anywhere near the level of Juan Castillo, Robbie Derschang and Zach Barnes, we'll be even better in 2011.

[S....M....U]

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