Inaugural DeKalb All-Star Soccer Kicks Off Today

The DeKalb County Soccer Coaches Association begins its work for more recognition of DeKalb County soccer with its inaugural boys’ and girls DeKalb County All-Star Soccer games today, May 25, at Hallford Stadium in Clarkston. The girls’ game starts at 6 p.m. with the boys set to follow at 8 p.m.

The teams are split between Inside the Perimeter (ITP) and Outside the Perimeter (OTP) squads with players of all grades (9-12) eligible to play.

The ITP girls’ team coached by Trey Palmer of Druid Hills features five players with 11 or more goals this past season including Chamblee’s Taylor Smith (17), Columbia’s Alyssa Cobbs (15), Lakeside’s Katherine Marting (13), Columbia’ Jackie Young (12) and Chamblee’s Claudia Holbrook (11).

Lakeside’s Andrea Thomas and Chamblee’s Smith are two and three on the county’s assists list with 12 and 11 assists, respectively.

Lakeside junior goalie Raliegh Knight was second in goals allowed average with 1.10 per game and will step into the goal for the ITP team.

DeKalb County’s leading scorer and assist leader for 2011, sophomore Kristin Peagler of Southwest DeKalb, leads the OTP team. Peagler led the county with 40 goals and 13 assists on the season.

Peagler’s Southwest teammate senior Jerre Robinson is also on the OTP team after finishing second in scoring with 34 goals and tied for fourth in assists with nine.

Becka Kilbourne will join the Southwest duo on the OTP squad after finishing fourth in the county in scoring with 21 goals.

Miller Grove’s Kendra Monroe and Stephenson’s Malinda Smith join the OTP team after scoring 16 goals each in 2011 and 15-goal scorer Claire Brisse of Tucker rounds out a top group of offensive threats.

The boys’ OTP team features five of the top six scorers in the county from 2011 led by Dunwoody’s Falcundo Gurdit who was second overall with 22 goals. M.L. King’s Kjair Prather (20), Tucker’s Josimar Olmos (19), Arabia Mountain’s Derrick Ikuesan (18) and Stephenson’s Rahman Alarape (17) are the other five in the top six.

Stone Mountain’s Idwar Dikori is the county’s assists leader with 26 and joins Olmos who is the second leading assist man with 19.

Dunwoody’s Gray LaRose leads the county in goals allowed average at 0.70 and will tend goal for the OTP team.

The ITP squad has five big offensive threats that scored 13 or more goals during the 2011 season. Eyal Schecter of Lakeside and Rene Carmon-Alvarez of McNair scored 16 goals each this season and are joined by Cross Keys’ Moises Medina (15) and Jordy Banegas (14) and Chamblee’s Erik Ramirez (13).

Lakeside’s Matthew Peng was third in the county with 15 assists and Schecter added 14 which will bolster the ITP offense.

Druid Hills’ goalkeeper Grayson Waldorf was a top 10 goalie in goals allowed for DeKalb this season with a 2.0 average and steps into the net for the OTP squad.

Admission is $3 per person for the games.

Mark Brock is the Athletics Statistician and Information Officer for DeKalb County Schools Athletics.