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Iowa high school boys’ soccer 2024: Gazette area players and teams to watch
Multiple 2023 state qualifiers return the talent to get back to Cownie Soccer Park this spring
Ryan Pleggenkuhle
Mar. 26, 2024 6:15 pm, Updated: Mar. 26, 2024 6:34 pm
Here’s a look at Gazette area players and teams to watch during the 2024 Iowa high school boys’ soccer season.
Boys’ soccer 2024: Gazette area players to watch
Andre Fuentes, sr., North Fayette Valley — A Class 1A first-team all-state midfielder, Fuentes led the TigerHawks with 12 goals in 2023.
Aidan Neumann, sr. Cedar Rapids Prairie — Neumann earned second-team all-state (Class 4A) honors last season and was the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division Goalkeeper of the Year with a save percentage of 88.5 percent.
Eddie Petersen, sr., Iowa City Regina — Petersen earned Class 1A second-team all-state honors as a midfielder with 12 goals in 2023.
Flori Gembo, sr., Iowa City Liberty — Gembo was the second-leading scorer (16) on last year’s Class 3A state championship team.
Gavin Lewis, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie — Lewis was a first-team all-state (Class 4A) and all-conference (MVC Mississippi) midfielder in 2023. He led the Hawks in goals scored (10).
Joe Hamann, sr., West Branch — Hamann earned honorable mention honors in Class 1A after leading the Bears with 26 goals — good for 14th in Iowa among all classes.
Kaleab Wendy, sr., Iowa City West — A Class 4A second-team all-state forward, Wendy led the Trojans with 15 goals.
Keegan Conway, jr., Solon — Conway was a second-team all-state midfielder in Class 2A last season. He was second in goals scored for the Spartans (7).
Kyler White, jr., North Fayette Valley — White earned Class 1A first-team all-state defense honors for the TigerHawks last season.
Jack Hoover, sr., Iowa City Regina — A Class 1A second-team all-state midfielder, Hoover led the Regals in goals scored with 16.
Mason Eggelston, jr., Williamsburg — Eggleston collected several honors last year, including second-team all-state (Class 2A) and first-team all-conference. He was also named Wamac West Player of the Year.
Boys’ soccer 2024: Gazette area teams to watch
Iowa City Liberty — Last year’s Class 3A state champion will look to defend its title. The Lightning started 2-7 before hitting their stride, winning 11 of their last 12, with the final a 5-0 victory over Norwalk. Liberty lost several key scorers from 2023, but second-leading scorer Flori Gembo returns.
Iowa City West — The Trojans were Class 4A’s runners-up after a 2OT loss in the championship game against Johnston. West brings back leading scorer Kaleab Wendy and several key returners.
Marion — The Wolves reached the Class 3A state semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Iowa City Liberty last year. Marion returns a number of key players, including Jordan Fischer, Cole Angell and Grayson Kirsch.
Center Point-Urbana — The Stormin’ Pointers made it to the Class 1A state quarterfinals before losing to Sioux City Heelan. Experience will be in CPU’s favor in 2024 as four of its top five scorers last season were juniors.
Iowa City Regina — The Regals’ 2023 season ended in a Class 1A state semifinal match decided in penalty kicks, losing to eventual Class 1A state champion Western Christian. Regina’s top three scorers, a senior trio of Jack Hoover, Eddie Petersen and Quinn Warren, return in hopes of making another state tournament run.
West Liberty — Offensively, the Comets were unmatched in 2023, leading the state in goals scored (127), 15 more than the next closest team. They fell to Regina in the first round of the Class 1A state tournament, 2-1. They’ll be without top scorers Juan Mateo and Joshua Zeman, but double-digit scorers Bruce Songa and Uriel Andrade return.
Cedar Rapids Prairie — A couple of all-state performers return to the Hawks’ lineup this season (Gavin Lewis and Aidan Neumann). Prairie finished the 2023 season 15-3 and lost to eventual state champion Johnson in the Class 4A state semifinals.