Finalists Named for Boys Soccer Player of the Year
The Georgia soccer community announced this week the six athletes who will contend for the prestigious Boys Soccer Player of the Year award, a title that has become a benchmark for elite high school talent across the state.
A Heisman‑Style Selection Process
The field was trimmed from an initial pool of eighteen nominees to a final shortlist, and the selection was made by an internal voting panel that will now employ a Heisman‑style ballot to decide the ultimate winner.
Each of the finalists brings a distinctive profile, ranging from dominant midfielders to prolific forwards, and their statistical outputs reflect the competitive depth of the region.
Ridge Cole, a junior midfielder from Lumpkin County, enters the conversation with fifteen goals and four assists, underscoring his dual threat on the offensive end.
Eli Cooling, a senior forward from Franklin County, leads the pack with twenty‑eight goals and ten assists, having already earned Region Player of the Year honors and a spot on the first‑team All‑Region squad.
Pierre Kouadio, a senior central midfielder from Stephens County, combines ten goals with sixteen assists and boasts a career tally of thirty‑five goals and twenty‑eight assists, while also earning first‑team All‑Region recognition.
Kainen Shirley, a senior striker from Union County, has posted twenty‑three goals and ten assists, positioning him as one of the most lethal finishers in the final slate.
Fabricio Turner Sandoval, a senior forward from Tallulah Falls, contributed twelve goals and twelve assists and was named to the first‑team All‑Region list, while teammate Bushy Turnquest, also a senior forward from Tallulah Falls, recorded twenty goals and five assists and earned a second‑team All‑Region nod.
The voting panel, composed of coaches, former players and media representatives, will cast ballots that mirror the Heisman process, weighing not only raw numbers but also impact, leadership and clutch performances. The winner will be revealed at a ceremony later this month, capping a season that has already highlighted the state’s emerging soccer stars.