The Vikings boys and girls soccer teams made history this year, with both teams winning states. When the All-Gazette team choices came out, it was no surprise that Whitman players swamped the page, with both forward Davey Mason and midfielder Clare Severe named Player of the Year.

Boys Soccer

Mason was a dominant force for the Vikes all season with his brute speed and athleticism. He has the innate ability to beat defenders one-on-one and put the ball in the back of the net, tallying 16 goals and 10 assists.

“It’s an honor to be considered the player of the year,” Mason said. “We’ve had a lot of very good players come through our school who have been named player of the year so it’s really cool to be in the same category as them.”

Midfielder Aaron Tanenbaum, named first team all-gazette, was also a major reason for the Vikes’ success this season. Tanenbaum’s 12 goals and six assists are attributed to his hard-to-stop quickness and technical skill on the ball.

The Mason-Tanenbaum dynamic duo fueled the Vikes’ offensive game, combining for 28 goals on the season.

Midfielder Jeff Rosenberg, named second team all-gazette, helped to create numerous scoring opportunities for the Vikes. Rosenberg’s ability to control the game in the midfield dictated the team’s possessive style of play throughout the season.

The Vikes’ brick wall of a back line stemmed from honorable mentions goalie Ian Atkinson and center back Ryan Rush. Atkinson’s 103 saves on the season and Rush’s lockdown defense were clutch for the Vikes down the stretch of the playoffs.

Girls Soccer

After a repeat state championship win, the girls soccer team’s greatness was reflected not only by their superb play, but also through their recognition by the Gazette.

Several members of the team received high praise by the Gazette annual awards. The coaches of the teams in Montgomery County play a role in who receives these awards.

Head coach Gregory Herbert won Coach of the Year for the second year in a row after leading the Lady Vikes to their second state title under his control.

In addition, winger Clare Severe won Player of the Year, strikers Emma Anderson and Abby Meyers received first team honors, defender Lindsay Witkynd received second team honors and goalie Erin McClanahan and midfielder Kristen Bissell received honorable mentions.

This unprecedented amount of awards was reflective of the team’sdomination throughout the playoffs over all six opponents they faced.

Anderson was excited to receive first team honors; however, she stressed that awards were not the goal of the team.

“It means a lot to me because it’s not a goal that I ever had in mind,” Anderson said. “I think for Clare, Abby, and I, we all had the idea of winning a championship in mind not individual honors. To get this is just a really nice way to end my four years on the team.”

Severe was also grateful, and credited her honor as Player of the Year to her hard work in preparation for the season.

“I’ve been working really hard to try to improve, and this year I think I was much more confident on the field than I had ever been before, “ Severe said.

In addition, Severe thought the lack of a national team player in the league made the award less competitive.

“Also there’s usually a national team player in the county who gets the award, but this year there wasn’t one,” she said.

Despite falling short of receiving first or second team honors, McClanahan was still happy to be recognized with an honorable mention.

“I worked hard on and off season to improve as a keeper,” she said. “I felt more confident in goal and worked well with the back line. I’m happy the coaches at other schools noticed.”