Illini Prairie Conference announces list of top soccer players

The area's best soccer players receives all-conference recognition.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

SJO's Tyler Hess dribbles the ball downfield in the Spartans' home game against Manteno. Hess and two other St. Joseph-Ogden soccer players were named All-Conference this week.
CHAMPAIGN - Fifteen area soccer players earned all-conference recognition from Illini Prairie Conference coaches this week.

St. Joseph-Ogden seniors Tyler Hess and Nicholas Harris, along with sophomore Lucas Stevens, were named to the league's first team.

Four St. Thomas More athletes also earned first-team recognition. Raphael Dongo Kengue, Nicolas Ribeiro O'Grady, Jacob Yeager and junior Will Grissom made the list. Chris Clavey and Noah Schreder earned second-team honors following record-breaking seasons for the Sabers.

Rantoul's Oscar Varela-Echeverria was the only player to receive unanimous recognition from the coaches. Varela-Echeverria was joined on first-team by teammates Manuel Lopez Santiago and Mateo Olivares. Axel Cruz-Robledo and Erick Garcia were named to the IPC second team.

Unity goalkeeper Carter Cromwell received a nod with an honorable mention. The senior was the only Rocket player to garner all-conference recognition.

Below is a complete list of this season's honorees.

2026 IPC Boys Soccer All-Conference Teams

1st Team:
Lucas Beck (Senior, CB, #2) - BCC
Ben Meyer (Senior, Winger, #20) - BCC
Benjamin Dappen (Senior, CM, #10) - BCC
Mason Clark (Senior, CB, #4) - BCC
Leonardo Triveno (Sophomore, Centermid, #14) - BCC
Jonathan Blankenship (Senior, Goalkeeper, #1) - BCC
Jackson Lopotko (Senior, CB, #12) - IVC
Andrew Scheirer (Senior, Midfield, #5) - IVC
Sully Beccue (Senior, Midfield, #7) - Monticello
Oscar Varela-Echeverria (Senior, CM, #10) - Rantoul (UNANIMOUS)
Manuel Lopez Santiago (Junior, LB, #3) - Rantoul
Mateo Olivares (Senior, Winger, #7) - Rantoul
Tyler Hess (Senior, CM, #77) - SJO
Lucas Stevens (Sophomore , Forward, #10) - SJO
Nicholas Harris (Senior, Defense, #4) - SJO
Raphael Dongo Kengue (Senior, F, #10) - STM
Nicolas Ribeiro O'Grady (Senior, GK, #00) - STM
Will Grissom (Junior, CM, #9) - STM
Jacob Yeager (Senior, CB, #11) - STM

2nd Team:
Jack Wyse (Senior, Winger, #7) - BCC
Connor Chalmers (Senior, Forward, #18) - BCC
Aj Toliver (Senior, Midfield/Forward #8) - IVC
Luke Braun (Senior, Striker, #4) - IVC
Landon Applen-Harring (Senior, Defense/Midfield #0) - IVC
Noah Bond (Senior, Defense, #7) - IVC
Gavin Spitzer (Senior, Midfield, #25) - IVC
Alex Kessler (Senior, Defense, #30) - Monticello
Walter Saiger (Junior, Midfield, #27) - Monticello
Steven Bluhm (Senior, Midfield, #6) - Monticello
Axel Cruz-Robledo (Sophomore, CB, #18) - Rantoul
Erick Garcia (Junior, RB, #5) - Rantoul
Chris Clavey (Junior, CM, #14) - STM
Noah Schreder (Sophomore, CB, #16) - STM

Honorable Mention:
Landon King (Senior, Defense/Midfield, #3) - IVC
Carter Cromwell (Senior, GK, #01) - Unity

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