The Indian Hill School District celebrates the Indian Hill High School Soccer Team for an undefeated season that culminated with earning the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division III State Championship on Sunday, November 10 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus. The Braves defeated Twinsburg High School (23-0-2) to earn the championship, making school history for the program.
“This State Championship is more than just a win for our team,” said Coach Bryan Daniel. “It is an homage to past generations of Braves, an inspiration to future generations who dream of wearing this jersey, and a love letter to every Indian Hill community member who has ever supported our Braves Soccer Family. That trophy represents more than just the 25 games we played this fall – it is the embodiment of decades of work, growth, unity, and sacrifice by dozens of players, coaches, and families.”
Daniel was named Coach of the Year, his fourth year consecutively to earn that title. Additionally, student-athletes brought home numerous individual accolades, including:
All-CHL (First Team):
• Connor Wilkes - Player of the Year
• Liam Brady
• Brady Evans
• Aiden Faber
• Ernesto Rodriguez-Cayro
• Bryan Daniel - Coach of the Year
All-CHL (Second Team):
• Nate Bunkowske
• Mac Cantwell
• Alex Swallow
All-CHL (Honorable Mention):
• Carter Cushman
• Christian Mangano
All-Southwest District:
• Connor Wilkes - Southwest Division III Player of the Year
• Liam Brady
• Brady Evans
• Aiden Faber
• Ernesto Rodriguez-Cayro
• Bryan Daniel - Southwest Division III Coach of the Year
All-State:
• Connor Wilkes - Ohio Division III Player of the Year
• Brady Evans
• Bryan Daniel - Ohio Division III Coach of the Year
“I am extremely proud of our boys, our coaches, and our entire community for this historic win!” said Indian Hill Athletic Director Brian Phelps. “The grit that our team showed throughout the season and the tournament was rewarded with a state championship. Great teams have great leaders, and our team fits this description perfectly. The state championship is not only for our current players, but also serves as a representation for all of those that have built the foundation of Indian Hill boys soccer.”
“We pride ourselves on being a program where culture matters and where players develop not only into better soccer players, but also into better leaders and better young men, capable of doing great things off the field,” said Daniel. “We had so many players on this team who played much smaller roles last year. Several of our regular starters in Sunday's State Final played minimal minutes on the varsity team last year; a few of them were JV players just a season ago. It is truly a testament to our players' trust in the process and selfless willingness to accept whatever roles the team needed them to play, game in and game out.”
“This season was special for me as a leader,” said Indian Hill High School senior and soccer co-captain Connor Wilkes. “We had seven new starters this year, and to watch them grow as players and teammates was incredible. Over the last four years, we have watched and learned from some of the best teams in program history. To be able to go above and beyond to win a state championship is something that we will always remember.”
“It means everything to me to go undefeated and win a state championship,” said Indian Hill High School senior and soccer co-captain Brady Evans. “It’s something I can only really dream of, especially being a senior. I can finally say that all the hard work and long hours over the last four years has amounted to something historic and is something I am forever proud of.”
“The senior leadership of this team was something the likes of which I've never seen in 19 years of coaching high school soccer,” said Daniel. “This team is a perfect example of what a team can achieve when they play not just alongside one another, but for one another. This season was obviously historic from a soccer standpoint; however, anyone who witnessed this team in action will tell you that what these young men achieved this year was much, much bigger than just soccer. They were warriors every game. They overcame adversity. They thrilled us with their skill. They showed up, game after game, and delivered incredible results. And all of Braves Nation was lucky enough to get to come along for the ride.”
The Indian Hill Board of Education will celebrate the team during their regularly scheduled meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 14, in the Community Room at the District Office. All members of the Brave family are invited to attend.
Photo caption: The Indian Hill High School Soccer Team played an undefeated season that culminated with earning the OHSAA Division III State Championship on Sunday, November 10 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.