You know, you see that sun shining outside and it just makes you want to get the spring sports season rolling.
The plethora of soccer comments are fabulous. And it got me thinking of greats that have gone by through my five-year run in sports.
Here are a few of the boys soccer standouts that I got to see in recent years. This is just one guy's opinion. If you have others, please feel free to add them in the comments section.
Brandon De Serpa, St. Mary's/Eastwood: Perhaps the best pound for pound player to hit the high school loop. Great speed and technically sound. If he was a foot taller, he'd be playing in Europe in some capacity. I'm convinced of that.
Branko Gavric, Eastwood: He was a pretty skinny dude in his first few years with the Rebels. And if memory serves correct, he was a midfielder and striker at times early on. By the end, coach Jaret Brown had him as a defender. Gavric had mad skills and was probably one of the nicest kids I've interviewed.
Alex Ruhe-Lischke, Forest Heights: He had the height and used it to keep the ball out of the Trojans' end. A strong defender who was smart with the ball and delivered perfect passes down field.
Noel Tipovski, Rez: He was like the Ruhe-Lischke of the Catholic league. Tipovski was a leader with the Phoenix and had a competitive fire.
Brandon Carcamo, St. Mary's: One of the more creative players over the years. He sure had some fancy footwork and a knack for scoring goals.
Raphael Goldemann, Bluevale: A quiet guy but the glue in the midfield for Bluevale. The Swiss-born athlete played disciplined soccer and had all the skills in the world.
Mohammed Ahmed, Cameron Heights: A true leader in the midfield for the Gaels. He had some epic clashes with Eastwood back in the day. I never saw him rattled on the field.
Damir Hadziavdic, Forest Heights: Pure offence and could score at will. He went on to star for Laurier and still keeps active in the KDSL at last check.
Others that come to mind: Bart Krasnopolski, St. Mary's; Shomesh Chaudhuri, Elmira; Scott Goldsworthy, Cameron Heights; Jake Inglis, Rez; Scott Carter, St. Mary's; Paul O'Hare, Rez.