PIAA boys soccer season preview 2025: Meet Butler County’s Top 10 players to watch
Looking back at the 2024 All-Butler County boys soccer team, the star-studded squad was rife with senior talent. That means there are openings for new standouts to catch fans’ attention this season.
Butler County is typically rich with soccer talent. A handful of teams in the area have a chance to make a deep playoff run. The following players are the top players to keep an eye on as the campaign progresses, listed alphabetically:
Gremlins coach RJ Carson described Bell, a second-year captain and also a starter on the football team, as a selfless player who always has helpful input, which will come in handy with an inexperienced bunch.
“He’ll tell me, ‘Hey, what I’m seeing on the field is, this is starting to work, can we go drop the ball back? Can we switch the field?’” Carson said. “That just shows his awareness and his knowledge of the game.”
Coone, an All-Section 1-3A honoree last year, scored the lone goal in the Planets’ WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal win. He plays travel soccer for Beadling SC, an MLS Next member club.
Not only is DeWitt the sort of player that doesn’t quit, but Yellowjackets coach Brad Walker can drop him in wherever, too.
“All over,” Walker said, explaining broadly where DeWitt was stationed last year. “He played every level of the field besides goalie. … He’s Mr. Utility.”
Dittman’s only been playing soccer for two seasons. Carson has noticed increased leadership out of the physical goalkeeper.
“That’s gonna be his big jump this year, is how can he lead a back line? And I’m starting to see a lot more of it,” Carson said.
The Golden Tornado had a rough go of it a year ago, winning just three games. Golden Tornado coach Troy Mohney is hoping Ernst can be a guiding light for Butler this time around.
“His cup soccer team has played in national championship series games, so he’s played at a really high level,” Mohney said. “Hopefully he can lead our Butler group kind of the same way.”
Mendonca is “your prototypical attacking mid. Super creative, good at finding half-spaces, great at moving the ball,” Trojans coach Scott Schlegel said. Mendonca paced North Catholic in goal contributions a season ago.
Schlegel believes every opposing team has to game plan for Mendonca. He leads a crew that has 10 of 11 starters returning.
A returning starter, O’Donnell figures to be an important piece for his team.
"He's got great size, he reads the game really well and he does just a standout job of defending," Raiders coach George Williams said. "And working, not just individually, but with those around him."
Prex's older brother, Tyler, now playing at Mercyhurst, won the Butler Eagle's Boys Soccer Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. It's the younger Prex's turn to make a mark.
Williams described Jacob as a pure striker, saying: "His talent is scoring goals and creating chances to score goals." Williams added Jacob is able to make plays in the midfield.
Shantz has been waiting in the wings behind standout Drew Schedlbauer, who graduated after last season.
“What’s been impressive is his ability to be patient, and when he did get opportunities in the past couple of years ... he took advantage of every opportunity,” Schlegel said.
Schlegel said Shantz is aggressive coming off his line and likes physical contact.
Sutara, the Yellowjackets’ team MVP a campaign ago, was an all-section honoree in 2024. Freeport third-year coach Brad Walker anticipates Sutara leading the crew from the midfield this time around.
“(He) finished, I think, first in assists, second in goals on the team last year,” Walker said. “He kind of glides on the pitch. He’s under-the-radar good.”
