Once again, Panther men’s soccer had some of the best talent in the mountains this year.
At the end of the fall campaign, in which Matt Kolodzik’s team turned in their fifth-straight winning record at 12-8, Mountain Seven Conference coaches gathered for their annual postseason meeting. There five Panthers were selected for the All-M7C team, with four earning All-Region honors from the N.C. Soccer Coaches’ Association. The Press will recount the seasons of these five players below, listed in alphabetical order.
Aaron Jennings
A four-year starter on defense earning his second All-Conference selection, Aaron Jennings was one of Franklin’s unquestioned leaders this fall. A fearless defender with the physicality to challenge attackers and the speed/athleticism to recover if they did break free, for years Jennings’ reliability has allowed Franklin to deploy just three defenders instead of the traditional four, essentially giving them an extra player further up the pitch. The senior finished first on the team with 94 steals on the season, ending his career with a whopping 324, and was also named to the NCSCA All-Region 11 team.
In addition to his play on defense, Jennings has long been a model player for the program, setting an example for younger players with his work ethic and serving as Franklin’s enforcer when matches grew chippy. The younger sibling of former All-Conference goalkeeper Isaac Jennings, Aaron’s graduation marks a sad occasion for the Panthers as the first time in seven years that they’ll be without a Jennings brother.
“Aaron Jennings has been in my opinion just a perennial All-Conference player, and even more than that just an example and a leader on our back line,” said Kolodzik. “He’s always been an outside back or a wing back, but he shifted to the center back position for us about halfway through the conference season. We really struggled through the first half in the conference … but I felt like moving him to center back was one of the things that happened that helped propel us to an excellent second half of our conference schedule, and really helped propel us into the playoffs. … He’s an excellent, excellent player, and an even better young man.”
Josiah Mascorro
A junior in his second year with the varsity team, Josiah Mascorro emerged as one of the team’s top goal-scoring threats this fall. Making his name in wide areas of the pitch, the junior used his blazing speed to stress-test rival defenses, often slipping behind opponents’ back lines for free runs at the goal. He finished fourth among all Panthers with six goals on the year.
When not pressuring goalkeepers one-on-one, Mascorro also excelled at distributing the ball to teammates, finishing second on the team with eight assists and third with 20 total points (with assists being worth a single point and goals being worth two). While attacking is certainly his area of expertise, the junior more than proved his worth as a high defender with 47 steals.
“He’s a player that, you talk about high-pressing, he is that player that will consistently put pressure on a back line. He’s going to push up, and if you got behind him he was gonna catch you,” said Kolodzik. “He’s one of the fastest guys we have on the team, and he can come in, score goals and find that right cross at the right time. He’s an example as far as his attitude and his effort. … Knowing that he’s coming into his senior year now, he can be that leader and be that guy that can help his team step up. Last season I felt like he started coming into his own, especially as the season progressed. He’s just a player that you can trust to put out there and know that he’s gonna make a play.”
Ulises Padron-Perez
A senior earning his second All-Conference and All-Region selections, Ulises Padron-Perez was Franklin’s offensive juggernaut this year. Dazzling fans and beguiling opponents with next-level skill on the ball, Padron-Perez routinely sliced his way through multiple defenders with ease. Despite being the focal point of rival coaches’ game plans for Franklin, the senior led all Panthers with 17 goals on the season.
When opponents did succeed in blocking his path to the goal, Padron-Perez also displayed advanced field vision and pinpoint passing, finishing first on the team with nine assists. When not deep inside the other team’s half, he regularly stressed defenders with perfectly-placed lobs to his teammates from several dozen yards away.
Padron-Perez’s 43 total points were good for second conference-wide behind Pisgah’s Andrew Hardin, who recorded just two more than him with the help of two extra matches. A complete player on both sides of the ball, the senior’s 70 steals were more than any other non-defender, and also earned his second straight All-State nomination.
“With Uli, there are players that come along – and I’m not calling him a ‘generational’ player – but he could be one of those guys that you’d maybe consider that,” said Kolodzik. “Without a doubt he grew every single season, and last season he became a guy that you could look to and know he was going to be a dominant player. Another deserving young man for All-Conference and All-Region, and he was also nominated for All-State. He didn’t get the All-State votes, and a lot of times that comes back to your team – we ended up third place in the conference, but if you’re first place in the conference all of a sudden people consider you a little bit more – but he was just a phenomenal player, and just a joy to coach. He’s the type of player you would pay to see play.”
Jaydon Pevia
As senior classmates, fellow two-time All-Conference selections and career-long defensive partners in crime, Jennings and Jaydon Pevia have long helped form one of the Mountain Seven’s best back lines. A rangy defender with the speed to stay in front of sprinting attackers, Pevia excelled at thwarting breakaway chances at Franklin’s goal, finishing second on the team with 89 steals. Along with Jennings, the senior’s quickness and sure feet have long been a key part of Franklin’s attack-heavy formation.
Upon dispossessing opponents, Pevia turned defense into offense, showing off his skill on the ball with incisive runs up the sideline. After crossing midfield the senior displayed a strong offensive skillset, tying for fourth among all Panthers with three assists and adding a goal.
In addition to their similarities on the pitch, Pevia and Jennings also share long-running ties to the program, as the younger brothers of former All-Conference Panthers Isaac Jennings and Caleb Pevia. With a goalkeeper, three defenders and nine combined All-Conference selections, the four should form a fearsome back line in alumni games for years to come.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but he actually played hurt for pretty much the entire season. He was struggling with a kind of nagging injury, but you wouldn’t be able to tell when he was out there on the pitch,” said Kolodzik. “He was a left back, but we actually shuffled our back line a bit and moved him to right back, and we felt like that was a really big move. … He’s a physical, physical back-line guy – just like Aaron, you’re not gonna get by him very often, and when you do he’s gonna catch you. He is just a very smart, heady player, and we knew that when other teams played us they did not like to face our back line, because those guys were just tough. Very proud of those two guys.”
Frankie Vallez
A senior earning his first career All-Conference and All-Region honors, Frankie Vallez has long been an integral part of Franklin’s success. A Swiss army knife able to play any position on the pitch, Vallez has been an invaluable asset for Panther coaches, even spending time in goal when his top keepers have been injured.
Like Padron-Perez, Vallez was a threat to score from anywhere on the field, often beating opposing keepers with beautiful shots from several dozen yards. The senior tied for fifth on the team with four goals on the season, including the only goal of a 1-0 win over West Henderson Oct. 23. He added an assist for nine total points and 52 steals.
“Frankie was recognized not just by us as a team, but by every team in the conference as a guy that doesn’t fill up the stat sheet – I think he ended up with four goals for the season – but the goals that he scored were all key goals in key matches,” said Kolodzik. “Bigger than that, he was the guy that was kind of that stopgap – we could put him in and trust him to make a good play. Very, very smart player; his field presence is excellent. It’s always been that way, but he really stepped it up this last year as a senior. Just a key part of this team being kind of the glue that held us together, and we were just happy to be with Frankie.”