The 2023 season turned out to be one of the most successful as a whole around Aurora, especially at the end, when two teams made it to the penultimate day.
Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit each made spirited runs to the Class 5A semifinals — both lost in agonizing fashion, the Cougars on a golden goal in double overtime and the Raiders on penalty kicks — but plenty of the talent from both teams boosts the 2023 Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Boys Soccer Team.
The All-Aurora team — which is picked by the Sentinel in conjunction with balloting of city coaches — features a good collection of talent from across the city, as a total of 56 players earned all-conference recognition among the Centennial, City, Colorado and Continental leagues in which Aurora programs played. Twenty-two of those players were first teamers, while 26 more made second teams and nine were honorable mention.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the All-Aurora first team selections:
FORWARD
Jack De Simone, Regis Jesuit, jr.: De Simone was an All-Continental League second team pick for regular season play, but he picked things up in the postseason as he scored four of the seven goals Regis Jesuit had in four playoff games (including the only goal in an upset win over Cherry Creek) to finish with 15 on the season, second among locals and a massive climb from his one goal in 2022 in limited action. In one game head-to-head against another Aurora team, De Simone scored twice against Grandview. The CHSAA All-State second team pick also had four assists for a total of 34 points.
Bentley Sutherland-Arreola, Cherokee Trail, sr.: The Cougars had two talented strikers, who helped the offense increase its production by five goals from the previous season in just one more game. Leading the way was Sutherland-Arreola, an All-Centennial League second team selection who combined size, speed and tenacity. He finished as Cherokee Trail’s top point producer with 21 as he combined a team-high nine goals with three assists. Sutherland-Arreola had hat tricks against Ponderosa and Chatfield and in five games against other Aurora area teams, he finished with two goals (including one in a win over rival Grandview) and an assist. He scored the tying goal for the Cougars in an eventual double-overtime win against Rampart in the 5A second round.
Cesar Romero, Aurora Central, sr.: Romero spent just one season with Aurora Central, but he made a major impact with great speed and composure. He earned Colorado League Player of the Year and CHSAA All-State first team honors with a season in which he accrued a city-best 49 points with an Aurora-high 21 goals, which put him second in all of 5A. Eight of his tallies came in head-to-head matchups with other Aurora programs (Smoky Hill, Vista PEAK Prep, Overland and Gateway twice). Additionally, Romero’s seven assists tied for him for second in Aurora (with sophomore teammate Anthony Cecina Cervantes).
MIDFIELD
Joseph Bennett, sr., Regis Jesuit: Bennett’s play has been noted by league and state coaches for the past two seasons, as he has made two straight appearances on the All-Continental League first team and secured a berth on the Colorado High School Activities Association’s All-State Second Team as a senior. Bennett’s blend of size (at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds) and skills made him a key part of Regis Jesuit’s defensive, while he also contributed offensively with six goals, which was as many as he had in three previous varsity seasons combined.
Anthony Cecina Cervantes, soph., Aurora Central: The Trojans featured Aurora’s most prolific offense with 66 total goals — 14 more than the next-best team — with five players scoring double figures in points. Second on that list was Cecina Cervantes, an All-Colorado League first team selection who racked up 25 points on the combination of nine goals and seven assists. He had multiple goals in a game three times and at least two assists twice, while Aurora Central won every game in which he tallied a point. Cecina Cervantes had a combined three goals and an assist in three games vs. other Aurora teams (Gateway, Smoky Hill and Vista PEAK Prep).
Devyn Mena, sr., Hinkley: The Thunder had a very diverse talent in the middle of the field in Mena, who played his way onto the Colorado High School Activities Association’s All-State Second Team as well as the All-City League first team. A senior captain, Mena paced coach Mimi Holt’s team — which tallied nine more goals than the previous season as as whole — in total points (22), goals scored (9) and assists (6). Of his goals, four of them came in a combined three head-to-head contests against other Aurora teams as he scored twice against Rangeview and once each against Grandview and Vista PEAK Prep.
Marcelo Rios, sr., Cherokee Trail: The Cougars only had to look to the steady Ruiz in high pressure situations and he was instrumental tactically as well for coach Mark Hill’s team. In his fourth varsity season, Ruiz finished with a career-high seven goals, tied his best mark with four assists and accrued 18 points. The All-Centennial League first team performer scored a game-winning playoff goal against Rampart in overtime on a long free kick attempt and also converted an opportunity in the semifinals against Broomfield in a contest the Cougars lost 2-1 in double overtime. The CHSAA All-State second teamer — who also notched four assists — had two goals and an assist in games vs. other Aurora teams.
Charles Sharp, jr., Regis Jesuit: The Raiders were talented at all levels and that included the midfield, where the playmaking Sharp helping drive things offensively for a team that scored the second-most goals of any local program. The All-Continental League first team selection was the only other city player besides teammate Jack De Simone and Aurora Central’s Cesar Romero to get into double figures in goals as he scored 11. His goals were spread among six games, but seven came combined in hat tricks against Chaparral and Douglas County, while he paced his team with five assists as well.
DEFENSE
Xabi Citte, sr., Grandview: Citte has been a regular with the Wolves since their Class 5A state championship-winning season and he was a fixture for a defense that allowed just 22 goals in 16 games on the season. Citte earned All-Centennial League honors for a second straight season and was a first team honoree as a senior, when he also made the CHSAA All-State honorable mention list. A captain on the back line, Citte also took the majority of Grandview’s corner kick opportunities. That helped him register two assists, he had three goals, all of which came in a hat track against Eaglecrest on Oct. 17.
Ladd Hubka, sr., Regis Jesuit: Hubka was an All-Continental League first team performer for a second straight season and at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, helped his team dominate opponents on balls in the air. Hubka’s steady play helped the Raiders put together the stingiest defense in Aurora, as they allowed just 13 goals in 19 games and had 12 shutouts. He also added a goal in a win over Chaparral.
Miles Philson, sr., Cherokee Trail: Philson — who simultaneously was a place kicker on the Cherokee Trail football team during the fall season — was a physical, savvy member of the Cougars’ well-connected back line. An All-Centennial League second team pick as a junior, Philson (a four-year varsity player) moved up to the all-league first team in his final season. He also contributed a goal and a pair of assists.
GOALKEEPER
Nikhil Patel, sr., Grandview: Patel made a splash as a sophomore when he was in the nets on the Wolves’ run to the Class 5A state championship and he remained a reliable staple of the teams’ defense as a junior and senior, when he was selected to the All-Centennial League first team. He was in nets against six Aurora teams and in those games, he had clean sheets in three of them, while he allowed a total of five goals (two apiece against semifinalists Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit) and made 26 saves.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-AURORA BOYS SOCCER TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Forward — Jack De Simone, jr., Regis Jesuit; Cesar Romero, sr., Aurora Central; Bentley Sutherland-Arreola, sr., Cherokee Trail; Midfield — Joseph Bennett, sr., Regis Jesuit; Anthony Cecina Cervantes, soph., Aurora Central; Devyn Mena, sr., Hinkley; Marcelo Ruiz, sr., Cherokee Trail; Charles Sharp, jr., Regis Jesuit; Defense — Xabi Citte, sr., Grandview; Ladd Hubka, sr., Regis Jesuit; Miles Philson, sr., Cherokee Trail; Goalkeeper — Nikhil Patel, sr., Grandview
SECOND TEAM
Forward — Samuel Addai-Opoku, sr., Hinkley; Fabrice Nyonkah, sr., Gateway; Vincent Tchoumba, soph., Cherokee Trail; Midfield — Kewin Bonilla, jr., Gateway; Peter Eugenio Deras, jr., Cherokee Trail; Mathew Calzontl, sr., Vista PEAK Prep; Alex Kedzierski, soph., Grandview; Stefan Zehnacker, jr., Regis Jesuit; Defense — Adriano Brandes, sr., Grandview; Ariel Gamboa, sr., Rangeview; Walker Gibbons, sr., Cherokee Trail; Joe McMillan, sr., Overland; Goalkeeper — Blake Garrett, sr., Cherokee Trail; Thayer White, jr., Regis Jesuit
HONORABLE MENTION
Abdu Ahmad, sr., Overland; Jareth Almaraz-Muro, soph., Vista PEAK Prep; Francisco Beltran, sr., Gateway; David Betancourt, sr., Vista PEAK Prep; Ernesto Burciaga, sr., Hinkley; Sebastian Campos, jr., Regis Jesuit; Daniel Darling, sr., Eaglecrest; Angel Flores, soph., Vista PEAK Prep; Christopher Flores, soph., Vista PEAK Prep; Daniel Flores Rios, sr., Eaglecrest; Reed Garcia, jr., Regis Jesuit; Gabriel Garcia Nava, sr., Aurora Central; Blake Gonzalez, soph., Rangeview; Dominic Gonzalez, sr., Eaglecrest; Allan Granados, jr., Rangeview; Irvin Gutierrez, sr., Vista PEAK Prep; Ryan Harcrow, sr., Rangeview; Giovanni Herrera Quezada, jr., Aurora Central; Kaelan Higgins, jr., Grandview; Bertra Ishimwe, sr., Aurora Central; Keegan Jones, jr., Cherokee Trail; Israel Martin, jr., Vista PEAK Prep; Nahoum Mesfun, jr., Gateway; Joseph Miranda Miranda, soph., Overland; Yadier Morales Lucio, jr., Aurora Central; Leonardo Munguia, sr., Rangeview; Blair Nelsen (GK), jr., Eaglecrest; Darian Puentes, jr., Rangeview; Emiliano Rice, sr., Hinkley; Damian Rios, soph., Vista PEAK Prep; Francisco Rivera Bustillos, sr., Smoky Hill; Marco Rodriguez, sr., Rangeview; Israel Tetteh, fr., Vista PEAK Prep; Kevin Torres, soph., Smoky Hill; Jael Valdez (GK), fr., Hinkley; Miguel Vazquez-Ojendiz, jr., Aurora Central; Everett White, jr., Regis Jesuit