Journal presents its 2024 All-Metro soccer teams

James Yodice James Yodice James Yodice Journal Staff Writer

Published December 15, 2024 - 5:04 a.m. Modified December 19, 2024 - 6:42 p.m.

Here is the first of the Albuquerque Journal’s All-Metro fall sports teams.

We have 44 of the best boys and girls represented on our teams, 11 boys/girls on our first teams and 11 more on our second teams.

All-Metro volleyball and football teams are planned for next weekend.

BOYS: It’s extremely rare that this can be said, but probably the most elite scoring talent in the metro area this season was a Rio Grande Raven.

Senior Leonel Bencomo Zarate was one of a couple of players who benefited from New Mexico United’s decision to allow their Academy members to compete with their high school teams this fall.

Rio Grande vs Atrisco — Rio Grande’s Leonel Bencomo Zarate, center, celebrates a goal against Atrisco Heritage Academy in an Oct. 2 match. Bencomo Zarate has been named to the Journal's All-Metro soccer team.

He was a goal-scoring machine for Rio Grande, with 36 tallies, and he was an all-region selection by the United Soccer Coaches.

Also up front on our first team are senior Justus Mason of Hope Christian (22 goals, 13 assists), and senior Aaron Meserve of Rio Rancho, who had 20 goals and a dozen assists in an excellent campaign for the Rams.

The midfield is anchored by the only junior to be found anywhere on the first team, La Cueva’s Winston Starr (18G, 20A), who like Bencomo Zarate was an all-region choice by the United Soccer Coaches. Starr, also like Bencomo Zarate, was with NMU’s Academy but was able to compete for the Bears this fall.

Two mids from Class 4A state champion Albuquerque Academy also can be found on the first team in Grady Gilchrist (22G, 21A) and Townes Richardson (10G, 12A).

There is also a second Rio Rancho Ram, and a second Meserve brother, in the midfield: Sean Meserve, who had a school-record 26 helpers during the season.

St. Pius was one of the most stingy defensive sides in the state, and the Sartans show well here on the AJ’s All-Metro group on the back end and in goal.

Senior Frank Barela surrendered only seven goals to New Mexico opponents this year, and he’s in net. In front of him on our first team are two of his teammates, Julian Lovato, a player his coach, AJ Herrera, calls the best defender in the state, and Tim Dyson.

Jaziel Molina of Atrisco Heritage rounds out our back line, and our first team.

GIRLS: The most agonizing decision to be made this year was who to pick as the first-team goalkeeper. There were two truly excellent options in Hope Christian’s Dylan Rees and Eldorado’s Caitlin Sanchez.

The Journal went with Sanchez, who yielded just 11 goals in just over 1,600 minutes in net for the Eagles. Her goals-against average was a stout .409. The United Soccer Coaches named Sanchez one of its All-Region players for New Mexico.

Two other athletes on that region list also can be found here on the Journal’s first team.

The first of them is La Cueva senior forward Leah Barone, who scored 24 points and had 16 assists for the Bears in their Class 5A state championship season.

Barone is joined up top by Volcano Vista sophomore Kasey Sandoval (24G, 19A), and also Hope Christian junior Hailey Sanchez (22G, 13A). Sandoval is the third New Mexican to be all-region with the USC.

Hope Christian’s Hailey Sanchez (19) dribbles the ball downfield during the Nov. 9 Class 4A girls state championship match at the UNM Soccer Complex. Sanchez has been named to the Journal's All-Metro soccer team.

The Huskies, who won state in 4A for the fourth consecutive year, also had a first-team player in midfielder, junior Mason Ricker, who dished out an astonishing 37 assists, a number that ranks her among the top in the country.

La Cueva leads the first team with three representatives. Joining Barone is senior midfielder Makayla Chavez (16G, 7A) and senior defender Sasha Lucero, the Bears’ most versatile player who could also play both midfield and forward equally well.

The other two first-team mids were of the attacking variety — senior Bridget Hurley of 3A state champion Sandia Prep (28G, 11A), and sophomore Maddilyn Garcia of St. Pius, the Sartans’ leading scorer (24G, 14A).

With La Cueva’s Lucero on the first-team back line are Eldorado senior Olivia Wills and Albuquerque Academy senior Reily Cates.