ADAMS TWP — It may be the offseason for high school soccer, but the honors keep rolling in for the Mars boys team.

The Planets won their second straight WPIAL Class AA title in November and finished with an overall record of 22-2.

At the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-Star banquet last month, head coach Chris Knauff received the WPIAL Class AA Coach of the Year Award, while senior forward Ryan McKenzie became the first soccer player in Mars history to be named to the PSCA all-state team.

The 2009 season was Knauff's third as head coach of the Planets after two stints as an assistant totaling three years.

"It's definitely a show of respect," said Knauff, who has compiled a record of 61-9-3 since 2007. "I was in the running for the award the last couple of years and it's nice to get it.

"There's a lot of great coaches in the WPIAL, so it's definitely an honor," he added.

Soccer has come a long way at Mars from the time Knauff played for the Planets.

He was a center-midfielder and a senior captain before graduating in 1999.

"Our goals were very different back then," said Knauff. "We were just hoping to make the playoffs.

"It was a good experience, but it doesn't compare to where the program is at now."

It was Knauff's father, Dave, who inspired his son to become a coach.

"I played club soccer throughout my youth and my dad was always my coach," Knauff said. "After games, he would talk strategy with me and I always wanted to throw my two cents in. Even back then, I kind of felt like I was an assistant coach, even though I wasn't."

Knauff knows the success of any high school program begins long before the players reach the varsity team.

"I was one of the first players to come up through the club teams and go on to play for the high school," he said. "Now, the numbers at the youth level are quadruple what they were when I was a kid.

"Those kids have good coaches and that's a big reason why we're having more success at the varsity level."

Knauff was assisted in 2009 by Chris Frank and Steve Perri.

McKenzie was one of the players that took Mars from being a good program to a perennial power.

He scored 34 goals and added 15 assists this past season, earning Butler Eagle Boys Player of the Year honors for the second straight season.

For his career, McKenzie scored 78 goals and contributed 45 assists.

Along with winning the WPIAL title the last two years, he played in the PIAA title game as a sophomore in 2007.

"Our goal was to get back there the next two years," said McKenzie. "All the guys on the team, we motivated each other to get better."

The University of Pittsburgh recruit has been working on his soccer game since he was just four years old.

Baseball and basketball took up some of his time in the past, but soccer was his sport of choice.

"I stopped playing basketball after my freshman year and baseball after my sophomore year," said McKenzie. "I didn't stick with soccer because it was my best sport, but because it was my favorite sport.

"All of my good friends played soccer. But I do plan to play baseball this spring."

McKenzie was scheduled to sign a letter of intent to play at Pitt earlier this week.

"I like the city atmosphere," McKenzie said. "And the program seems to be on the rise."

Though his playing days are far from over, McKenzie isn't ruling ouMt following Knauff's path and becoming a coach one day.

"I can't imagine that I wouldn't have something to do with soccer after college," he said. "And coaching would be a great way to stay involved in the game."

Mars' Tim Vandall, Christopher Karns, Tanner Panza and Jack Leslie were honored as WPIAL all-stars at the banquet.