by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Junior midfielder Thomas Dix of Northampton and his coach Chase Baxa received top honors in Region 1A boys soccer last week.
Announced June 2, the all-region team included five Northampton players and seven West Point players on the first team. The two dominated regional play with the Eastern Shore’s Northampton edging Tidewater District’s West Point, 3-2, in triple overtime in the Region 1A tournament championship. West Point went on to finish as the state runner-up, losing to Galax, 2-1. Galax eliminated Northampton, 2-1, in a state semifinal.
Dix was named the regional player of the year and Baxa, coach of the year.
In the Northern Neck District, Rappahannock named four players to the all-region first team in junior forward Luis Martinez-Silva, senior midfielder Brian Lopez, junior defender Juan Dominquez and sophomore defender Chase Wallace.
The 16-member first team included only players from West Point, Northampton and Rappahannock.
Lancaster, which advanced to the regional quarterfinals, had sophomore forward River Diaz named to the second team. Other Northern Neck District players named to the second team were Westmoreland senior forward Daniel Solorzano, junior midfielder Curtis Shannon and junior defender Isaac Esmacher; and Rappahannock junior forward Alexis Godinez, sophomore goalie Keighlyn Setzer and junior midfielder Christian Patton.
In the Tidewater District, Middlesex named three to the second team in senior forward Marek Hanscom, senior defender Ichi Layne, junior Wyatt St. Louis and junior midfielder Nielson McMinn.
