If you’ve seen Marcel Berry race down field on yet another creative run, you’ve got a pretty good idea of why he’s the toast of Virginia soccer this week.
Berry, Albemarle High School’s explosive senior forward, was named the Gatorade Virginia Boys Soccer Player of the Year. He is the first ever boys soccer winner from Central Virginia since the award started in 1986. According to Gatorade’s online records, he’s the first ever winner from Albemarle High in any sport.
The award, which in the past has been won at the state level by luminaries like Derek Jeter, Candace Parker, Alexi Lalas and Mark Sanchez, is an incredible honor for Berry.
Berry sparked the Patriots to a state final appearance in 2014 while earning first team All-Group 5A honors and Albemarle currently sits at 12-0-1. Berry is the Patriots’ leading scorer.
“Marcel Berry is very technical and possesses great pace with and without the ball,” said Mountain View head coach Andrew Offneer in Gatorade’s press release about the award. “He commands his opponents’ attention constantly and can punish them when they fail to account for his pace and technical ability.”
He also carries a 3.69 GPA and is headed to William and Mary to play soccer this fall. Academics were also a consideration for the award.
Only four other Central Virginians have won the award in any sport. Chris Long at St. Anne’s-Belfield in 2004 for football, Tyler Stutzman of Western Albemarle in boys track in 2009, Braxton Davenport from Fork Union in 1991 in track and Tom Taylor of Louisa County in baseball in 1989.
