Ron Oakley has seen a lot of good players come through Athens during his tenure as head coach.

Sean O’Connor is as good as any that have come through the program over the past decade. The rising senior is the News Courier’s 2017 Player of the Year in Limestone County.

It’s quite an honor for the box-to-box midfielder, who receives the honor during a season in which three players scored 35 goals or more in the county. Elkmont’s Daniel Valencia (42 goals), Tanner’s David Pizano (36 goals) and Jose Moreno (35 goals) were all worthy candidates.

“He’s gotten consistently better. He’s started every match since he was a freshman,” said Oakley. “He was one of the best we had since he joined the team. He has a great passion for the game. It wouldn’t matter what you were playing, you would want him on your team.”

On the soccer field, O’Connor was a force to be reckoned with for the Golden Eagles, scoring 12 goals and setting up 11 others. The junior midfielder led Athens out of a competitive area and back to the playoffs this season.

Standing 5-foot, 6-inches tall, O’Connor consistently won midfield battles with players larger than him.

“His grit and determination is what set him apart. His savvy for the game is certainly beyond what most people have,” said Oakley. “His understanding of the game is great. He knows what needs to happen and does it without thinking. People will try to mark him and knock him off the ball and he just keeps going.”

Paired with rising junior Walter Dubon, the duo formed a formidable partnership in central midfield. Many of O’Connor’s goals and assists came from set piece opportunities. The biggest of those came in a must-win area game against Florence at the end of the regular season.

Just moments after hitting the crossbar from a long-distance shot, O’Connor’s free kick from 25 yards out hit the cross bar again and bounced back to teammate Stephen Phraner, who scored with 30 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

“Every game we’ve won, he’s had an impact,” said Oakley. “He understands the game so well, he positions himself where he needs to be. He has that experience that puts him in those positions.”

O’Connor excels in the classroom just as much as he does on the field. The rising senior is second in his class out of more than 250 people. While he has the talent to play soccer collegiately, O’Connor will likely have his pick of academic scholarships to chose from.

Coach of the Year

Elkmont head coach Dustin Pounders is the News Courier’s pick for Coach of the Year in Limestone County. The first-year coach led Elkmont to a 15-2-2 record, including the program’s first Limestone County Championship.

“I had an idea that we would be pretty good when I got the job,” said Pounders. “They let me know real quick how good they were. We were area champs last year and then Limestone County Tournament champs this year. We progressed pretty well as the season went on I thought.”