11/09/2006

Townsend is the tops

TC West junior adds Mr. Soccer to successes

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle file photo/ Tyler Sipe
Traverse City West junior forward Casey Townsend (11) was named Mr. Soccer after helping lead the Titans to their first state soccer title.

TRAVERSE CITY — A month ago, he committed to the University of Maryland, the defending Division 1 national soccer champion.

On Saturday, he scored the winning goal as Traverse City West won its first Division 1 state soccer title.

Now, Casey Townsend has another reason to celebrate.

The junior standout for the Titans is Michigan's Mr. Soccer. He's the second Traverse City player to win the award, presented by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association. Anders Kelto claimed it in 1995.

"I'm honored," Townsend said. "After we won (Saturday), I thought I had a pretty good shot. But there are a lot of great players. I was just happy to be in the running."

Townsend led the Titans with 26 goals and 11 assists this season.

"He's a special athlete," West coach Jason Carmien said. "He's got that competitive fire ... and that ability to anticipate. His timing is incredible. You see that with the best players in all sports. They're able to read the game at a faster pace than other players. He always seems to be in spots to make plays."

Townsend scored in all six post-season games. He had the game-winner in the semifinals and finals.

"He's hard to stop," Carmien said. "He's a player everybody knew about, but nobody figured out (how to stop). What makes him so dangerous is that he scores goals in different ways. He can run at defenders, he can score out of the air — he scored a lot of goals this season off throw-ins."

Carmien said he was not surprised Townsend won the award — not after the Titans won the state title.

"Normally, the state championship bears a lot of weight (in Mr. Soccer voting)," he said. "And he clearly was the best player in the state tournament."

Townsend acknowledges his teammates helped make the Mr. Soccer award possible.

"I couldn't have won this without them," he said.

Townsend, who's elected to give up basketball to focus on soccer, will play club soccer this winter for Detroit-based Vardar.

"He'll play in some top-level tournaments (with Vardar)," Carmien said.

In addition, Townsend will attend a U.S. national team training camp in California in January.

Townsend was a first-team forward on the coaches Division 1 all-state team. Senior forward Dan Kellogg and senior goalie Jon Nowak were picked to the second team. Midfielder Drew Nichols made third team while Sam Coughenour was honorable mention. Carmien was named Coach of the Year.

Traverse City Central's Matt Grove was also honorable mention.

In Division 2, Petoskey midfielder Adam Batchelor was second team and Clark Hoffman honorable mention.

In Division 3, Cheboygan midfielder Jacob Spence earned first-team honors. Teammate Ben Kurth was picked to the second team as a defender. Elk Rapids midfielder Ian Sliger and forward Garrett Gribi were also on the second team.

Cheboygan's Dan Charboneau, Brandon Richardson and Hayden Herrick; Elk Rapids' Mike Greiner of Elk Rapids; and Harbor Springs' Josh Manker were honorable mention.

In Division 4, Suttons Bay defenseman Ben Darling, Traverse City Christian midfielder Matt Beemer and Northport forward Cody Brown forward were voted on the first team. TC Christian defenseman Mike Rudolph and goalie Eric Pardini, along with McBain Northern Christian forward Matt Boike, were picked to the second team. Earning third-team honors: Leland's Eric Larsen, Forest Area's Jarrod Jones and Suttons Bay's Alex Dingrando.

Honorable mention went to Buckley's Justin Weaver; Forest Area's Tyler Lane; Leland's Brad Dunklow; Northern Christian's Jake Schierbeck; Northport's Ryan Blessing; Suttons Bay's Jesse Wright, Kent Eikey and Matt Ness; and Traverse City Christian's Mitch Wierenga and Eric Hofstra.