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Sophia Lazari (8) scored 15 goals and added 10 assists in leading Celebration to its first outright Orange Belt Conference title in school history and a 14-win season. PHOTO/CELEBRATION HIGH SCHOOL
Senior striker and team captain Sophia Lazari and head coach Rebecca Camis led Celebration to its first ever Orange Belt Conference championship and a 14-3 overall record, and for that reason they are the Osceola News-Gazette’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
The Storm ended Harmony’s stranglehold on the Orange Belt Conference championship with a 2-1 victory over the Longhorns on Dec. 12. It was the first time in 13 years that the Longhorns failed to win at least a share of the OBC title (10 outright titles, two shares) and was Celebration’s first outright title ever.
Still, the Longhorns (12-4-3) earned the top seed in the district and got their revenge with a 6-0 win over the Storm in the 7A-9, District 9 finals. As the top two schools in the county, Celebration and Harmony lead the ONG All-County team with five selections each.
Joining Lazari (15 goals, 10 assists) on the team were striker Erin Ozyurek (22 goals, 9 assists), wing Anna Balba (14 goals, 6 assists), center back Brana Braga-Matazzinho (3 goals, 7 assists) and sophomore goalkeeper Carly Robbins (48 saves, five shuouts).
Harmony places four seniors and one freshman on the team. Gabriella Guzman is the freshman and will be a force for the Longhorns for the next three years. A forward/midfielder, she slammed home 30 goals and added 13 assists in her first year of varsity competition despite missing four games to injury.
Joining Guzman are senior midfielders Rebekkah Wiles (16 goals, 13 assists), Brynn Magner (6 goals, 20 assists), and Daniella Canizales (7 goals, 10 assists). Centerback Rachael Moynihan was a key defender for the district champions.
Playing in a tough region, Gateway (8-4) made it to the 5A, District 6 semifinals this year and place center midfielder Kim Tavares and striker Nicole Ramirez-Parra, who scored 10 goals this season, on the all-county team.
Named second team All-OBC, Ramirez-Parra was elevated to the ONG All-County first team at the insistence of an opposing coach. “You really need to put her on your first team,” the opposing coach who requested anonymity said. “Too often we try to be politically correct with the mentality that every team needs to have someone on the first team, but there is no question Nicole is one of the best players in the county.”
Poinciana had two players on the team including Valerie Correa, a striker who led the state in scoring with 82 goals and 12 assists. Eagles goaltender Karina Rodriguez posted four shutouts and joins Robbins as the goaltenders on the team.
Rounding out the ONG All-County team were St. Cloud defenders Karen Prado, Delia MacDonald, and Natalia Martinez, and Tohopekaliga midfielder Natalie Ocampo and Melina Swaisgood. Ocampo had 18 goals and eight assists in just 15 games; Swaisgood 98 saves and three clean sheets in goal for the Tigers.
