Bee’s Best: Edison punctuates soccer title season with Player and Coach of Year
Elieser Reyes sought out big moments all season for the Edison High boys soccer team. Even his teammates and coach Femi Olukanni expected big things out of him.
Especially after learning from last season’s match against Buchanan, a 3-1 setback for the Tigers.
Reyes took it upon himself to train better in the offseason and get ready for the season.
He knew big things were in store for Edison.
“I felt bad for all our seniors because they wanted it,” Reyes said. “I told my teammates that next year we were going to be in the Valley championship, and we just had to believe in it.”
True to perfection. Reyes and his teammates got in the weight room and had light workouts in July.
It added up to a successful season for the Tigers, including the Central Section Division I championship.
In that match, Reyes took a penalty kick and scored on the free kick to give the Tigers a 3-2 victory over Clovis North.
“It was amazing,” as up to 3,000 were in attendance, Reyes said. “That’s something a high school player dreams of playing in. It was a great experience.”
Reyes finished the season with a team-high 47 goals. He also had 11 assists.
Reyes is The Fresno Bee Player of the Year.
“It’s just amazing,” Reyes said. “I’m very grateful for something like that.”
Tigers coach Femi Olukanni said he will miss Reyes and appreciate his contributions to the program.
He feels Reyes is one of the top players he’s coached after Reyes’ first two seasons were a learning curve.
“Hoping (he) will grow” Olukanni said. “Before, he wasn’t using his left foot to score. Then his junior year, he started using it. This year, he scored with both feet, and his head. He was a master and a great player.”
Reyes will continue his soccer career next season at Fresno Pacific.
“I’m ready,” he said. “I’m preparing myself right. Just great things to come.”
Coach of the Year: Femi Olukanni, Edison
Olukanni looked at how the season ended in 2023-2024 and figured his team would be ready to give it another run.
He was correct about that, but his Tigers exceeded his expectations after winning a section title.
“The guys are more focused this year,” he said. “They wanted it more because we were close last year, but we won our conference and we lost in the playoffs. . They wanted it more this year and they are willing to give everything, and that’s what they did.”
Olukanni has always been successful during his career, back to his playing days at Fresno State.
He wanted to bring what he learned on the pitch to the high school level and have his players learn how to play the game.
The Tigers did everything he hoped they would do with six seniors on the team.
He said the team was one of the best he coached and he gave all the credit to his players and assistant coaches after being named The Bee’s Coach of the Year.
“It means a lot because this is something we’ve been working on for many years,” he said. “We were close a couple times, but we didn’t get there. But this year we got there, and it means a lot to me and the program. This is what we need at this school to help build our program.”
Large School Player of the Year: Nixon Hansen, Jr., Clovis North
He led the Broncos with 27 goals and finished with nine assists for a team-leading 63 points.
Hansen had three hat tricks, including four goals against Buchanan on Feb. 7.
Medium School Player of the Year: Andres Perez, Sr., Lindsay
Perez powered the Cardinals with 37 goals to help them reach the section championship.
He also finished with eight assists.
Small School Player of the Year: Xaidyn Camacho, Jr., Riverdale
Camacho finished with 35 goals to lead the Cowboys in that column.
He also had 24 steals, seven assists and tallied 77 points.
Bee All-Stars
Brando Alvarado, Sr., Selma
Ulises Alvarez, Soph., Corcoran
Wilberto Amador, Sr., Mendota
Gerardo Andrade, Sr., Dos Palos
Alejandro Baez, Sr., Porterville
Jett Baker, Jr., Buchanan
Jesus Bon, Jr., Dos Palos
Carlos Buenrsotro, Sr., Corcoran
Alexy Herrera Caballero, Sr., Chowchilla
Alfredo Cardenas, Sr., Sanger
Jonathan Carrera, Sr., Golden West
Julian Cendejas, Jr., Madera South
Jacob Cunha, Sr., Sierra Pacific
Taylen De Azevedo, Sr., El Diamante
Gabriel De La Fuente, Sr., Lindsay
Javier Duarte, Jr., Riverdale
Alan Enriquez, Sr., Hanford
Caleb Farmen, Sr., Clovis
Diego Figueroa, Sr., Edison
Omar Fernandez, Sr., Golden West
Kevin Garcia, Sr., Reedley
Brayden Garcia, Sr., Buchanan
Josh Gault, Sr., Clovis North
Erlin Gomez, Sr., Mendota
Rafael Gonzalez, Sr., Porterville
Alexander Gutierrez, Soph., Mission Oak
Derrick Green, Sr., Central
Angel Hernandez, Jr., Edison
Mario Hernandez, Soph., Farmersville
Efren Herrera, Sr., Porterville
Vicente Landeros, Fr., Tranquillity
Colin Mayes, Sr., Liberty-Madera Ranchos
Niko Martinez, Sr., Clovis West
Guillermo Martinez, Sr., McLane
Javier Moran, Sr., Clovis North
Flavio Perez, Jr., Parlier
Oliver Protzmann, Jr., Kingsburg
Jonathan Molina-Reyes, Sr., Madera South
Steven Rios, Jr., Reedley
Alexander Rodriguez, Sr., Clovis
Ray Saldana, Sr., Torres
Ryan Sanchez, Sr., Buchanan
Carlos Sanchez, Sr., Tulare Western
David Sandoval, Jr., Reedley
Adam Seechan, Sr., Redwood
Chris Segura, Sr., Clovis West
Ryan Schuh, Sr., Clovis West
Mathew Sumaya, Sr., Sierra Pacific
Anthony Verduzco, Sr., Edison
Cesar Victorino, Sr., Golden West
Christopher Zavala, Sr., Madera South
Anthony Zepeda, Jr., Orosi
