March 26, 2005

Delatte, Tizzard, Caropino receive Parish Boys Soccer Awards

By Eric LeBlanc
Sports Editor
(Photos by CLAUDE ADAMS & ERIC LEBLANC)

The St. Charles Herald-Guide would like to congratulate the Destrehan and Hahnville boys soccer teams for their great seasons and would like to recognize the accomplishments of a few players. Every player on these two teams deserves praise, but these three players stood out above the rest as deserving of our Parish Offensive MVP, Parish Defensive MVP and Player of the Future awards.

The winners are:

Boys Offensive MVP: Donald Delatte

The Destrehan Wildcats took a new approach to soccer this year, and it paid off to the tune of a district championship. The team employed a multi-pronged offensive attack, but the strongest of those prongs was Donald Delatte.

Delatte was again a scoring machine for the Wildcats this year after claiming this award last season. He led the Wildcats to a district title and a playoff berth. He was also named District Offensive MVP and River Parishes Player of the Year. He also garnered a spot on the All-Metro Team.

Delatte, a junior, still has an incredible future ahead of him at Destrehan and if he so desires, beyond.

Boys Defensive MVP: Kyle Tizzard

For the first time in four years, a Destrehan Wildcat has won the Boys Defensive Parish MVP Award. And the player who broke Hahnville’s stranglehold on the award, also put a stranglehold on opposing defenses.

Tizzard was a brick wall on defense this year, stopping many attacks along with his fellow Destrehan defenders. He was also a force on offense with his long-distance throw-ins that could put the Wildcats in scoring position from seemingly almost midfield.

Tizzard was also named District Defensive MVP and was named to the All-River Parishes Team.

Boys Player of the Future: Nick Caropino

With several players emerging for both teams in the underclassmen ranks, it was hard to choose a player of the future. With talents such as the Wildcats’ Luis Valladares and the Tigers’ Devin Samaha and Early James, boys soccer in the parish will continue to succeed into the future.

But one player stood out on Hahnville’s defense. Nick Caropino was the backbone of a tough Tiger defense and likely will continue his success throughout the next three years.

As a freshman, Caropino played like an upperclassman on a young team that needed leadership. He was also named to the All-District Team and was one of only two Tigers selected to the All-River Parishes Team.

Eric LeBlanc can be reached at EricL@heraldguide.com or at (985) 758-2795, ext. 219.