Yanez, Johns highlight talented Signing Day class
The results may not have shown on the pitch last fall, but the Ches-Mont League had plenty of talented players committing to play at the Division I level in the Class of 2015 for girls soccer.
Highlighting the class are both Downingtown keepers, Shae Yanez (Downingtown West) and Kaelyn Johns (Downingtown East).
Yanez, an all-state selection, led the Whippets to the Ches-Mont National Division title and earned first team all-league honors. She’s heading to Tennessee as the Volunteers are two seasons removed from a NCAA Tournament appearance. Yanez is listed as a three-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer.
Johns has been a stalwart in goal for Downingtown East in helping the Cougars to a District 1 runner-up finish and a PIAA quarterfinal appearance in 2013. She was a first team All Ches-Mont National selection the last two seasons and listed as a four-star recruit on Top Drawer Soccer.
Johns is part of a strong recruiting class at Dayton, where the Flyers are the defending Atlantic-10 champions and one of the top teams in the conference over the last three seasons.
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West Chester Rustin finished undefeated in the Ches-Mont League season in part to the number of talented recruits the Golden Knights had in 2014.
Striker MacKenzie Moore, who finished tied for fourth in the league with 12 goals, is heading to Marshall. Midfielder Heather Piper is heading to Coastal Carolina after earning Ches-Mont American Division first team honors with Moore.
Alexa Bushey, the Daily Local News player of the year, is heading to Gettysburg while defender Brooke Morgan is playing at West Chester.
Rustin’s four players heading to the collegiate level led the Ches-Mont.
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Nine players have signed with Division 1 schools out of the Ches-Mont. West Chester East’s Hannah Specht and Hailey Stein are heading to Syracuse and James Madison, respectively.
Downingtown West’s Devon Obendorfer is heading to Cleveland State while teammate Amanda Tredway signed with Virginia Commonwealth. Bishop Shanahan’s Katie Kunzman will play for Mount St. Mary’s.
Johns, Yanez, Moore and Piper round out the class.
Specht and Johns were the highest-rated recruits in the class with a four-star rating, accoring to Top Drawer Soccer. Only nine players in the Class of 2015 for Pennsylvania compiled a four-star rating or higher.
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In boys soccer, Unionville was the Ches-Mont’s lone unbeaten team in league play last season, but have a few players still undecided on their collegiate choice.
Sam Alfonsi, the Daily Local News player of the year, will make his decision in the spring along with Andrew Chegia.
The Indians did have one player sign his letter of intent Wednesday as keeper Henry Shafer will play at Colgate. Shafer was a first team All Ches-Mont American Division selection and helped the Indians to a District 1 Class AAA third-place finish and an appearance in the PIAA Tournament.
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West Chester has an impressive class of local talent signing in Kyle Hoops, Nico Meola, James Wood and Sami Phelps. Meola led the Ches-Mont with 17 goals for Kennett last season while Hoops was a Ches-Mont American first team selection and helped Great Valley finish second in PIAA Class AAA last season.
Wood (W.C. Henderson) was the Ches-Mont National Division player of the year along with earning All-State and All-Southeastern Pennsylvania honors at keeper.
Phelps was one of Westtown’s top strikers in 2014. With these four commits, and more local players possibly on the way, the Golden Rams should be a force in the PSAC over the next four years.
