Introducing the Sun Herald Boys Soccer All-South Mississippi Team for the 2025-26 season
The Mississippi Coast remains a hotbed brimming with soccer talent, as evidenced by the four South State boys champions produced by the region this season.
Chief among them St. Patrick, which brought home its first Gold Ball since 2017. The Fighting Irish lead the honors with Sun Herald Player of the Year Lucas Kurihara and Coach of the Year Ryan Worsham.
Ocean Springs standout Owen Hughes earns the Fan’s Choice for Player of the Year, as well.
Check out the full 2026 Sun Herald All-South Mississippi team here.
Sun Herald Player of the Year
Lucas Kurihara, St. Patrick
Kurihara led the MS Coast in total points with 71 as St. Patrick’s offensive engine during its run to a state title. The junior scored 26 goals and had assists on 19 more.
He helped guide a Fighting Irish attack that averaged 3.7 goals per game. Kurihara was a Mississippi Coast All Star and representative in the inaugural Coast vs Central Showcase.
Fan’s Choice Player of the Year
Owen Hughes, Ocean Springs
Hughes spent the first 11 games of his senior season at center back where he helped the Greyhounds to six shutouts. The Pearl River C.C. commit then moved to striker where he scored 10 goals with 13 assists in just 14 games.
Coach of the Year
Ryan Worsham, St. Patrick
Worsham put his Fighting Irish over the hump this season by winning the Class I state championship and securing the program’s first Gold Ball since 2017.
St. Patrick finished the season with a 23-3 record including a spotless 10-0 in region play.
Sun Herald All-South Mississippi Boys Soccer Team
Mason Bosarge, Bay High: A participant in the Coast All Star Game and Coast vs Central All Star Game, Bosarge was a top scorer in the area, finding the net 29 times and recording assists on 23 more goals.
Keegan Walls, Bay High: One of a small handful in this year’s 20-goal club, Walls scored 20 times and picked up assists on seven more goals.
Zayonte Acker, Bay High: Acker scored 16 goals for the Tigers and contributed with 18 assists.
River Saucier, Bay High: Saucier scored eight goals and recorded 11 assists as a sophomore.
Dontae McInnis, Biloxi: McInnis led the Indians with 21 goals scored and picked up eight more assists as a junior.
Brody Nguyen, Biloxi: The captain helped guide the Indians with seven goals and 10 assists.
Nathan Schruff, Biloxi: Schruff scored nine goals and assisted on another six for the Indians.
Gage Dalferes, Biloxi: A captain defender and MS Coast All Star, Delferes contributed to nine shutouts.
Aaron Villa, Gautier: The senior MS Coast All Star paced the Gators with 12 goals and seven assists.
Eric Robinson, Gautier: The senior helped the Gator offense with 10 goals scored and two assists.
Oliver Everson, Gautier: The senior goalkeeper had 10 shutouts from the net and worked a 0.843 goals against average.
Mason Nguyen, Harrison Central: The Red Rebel scored 15 goals and added five assists as a junior. Competed in the Coast vs Central Showcase.
Braden Olin, Harrison Central: Another Red Rebel in the Coast vs Central game, Olin was a key defender who contributed to eight shutouts.
Braiden Bonds, Long Beach: Bonds led the Coast in goals and was the only area player to top 30 with 31 goals. Bonds is signed to play at Southwest Mississippi C.C.
Addison Carroll, Long Beach: Carroll scored three goals with five assists and eight clean sheets. The Bearcats allowed just nine goals in the 15 games the senior played center back. Carroll was a Coast All Star and is a Holmes C.C. signee.
Gunnar Borden, Long Beach: The junior goalkeeper had 58 saves, kept 11 clean sheets and worked a 1.105 goals against average. Borden was a Coast vs Central All Star.
Daxus Arkin, Long Beach: Arkin is a senior Southwest MS signee who scored three goals and logged assists on seven more.
Clayton Smith, Long Beach: The senior forward contributed to the Bearcat offense with seven goals and five assists.
Taylor Spencer, Ocean Springs: Spencer’s junior campaign saw him score 20 goals with seven assists added. Spencer played in the Coast vs Central game.
Danny Hernandez, Ocean Springs: Another Greyhound in the Coast vs Central game, Hernandez scored five goals and led Ocean Springs in assists with 14.
Cooper Lott, Ocean Springs: Lott is a Pearl River C.C. signee who scored seven goals with five assists as a defender.
Gray Tusa, Pass Christian: Tusa was a key contributor for the Pirates, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 10 more.
Noah Roche, Pass Christian: The Coast All Star led the Pirates with 13 goals and assisted on another five.
Peyton Ladner, Pass Christian: The senior Pirate scored eight goals and led the Coast in assists with 24.
Alexander Coolidge, Pass Christian: Coolidge had 13 shutouts as an eighth grade goalkeeper and averaged 1.07 goals against.
Oliver Lassiter, Pass Christian: Lassiter’s junior season saw him score six goals as a defender who contributed to 14 shutouts.
Payton Taylor, St. Patrick: Taylor scored 14 goals and assisted on another eight. He’s committed to Holmes C.C.
John Dreger, St. Patrick: Dreger had 14 shutouts from the net where he had a 0.773 goals against average.
Gage Anderson, St. Patrick: A Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. commit defender who contributed to 16 shutouts while also scoring four goals with five assists.
Cameron Messer, St. Patrick: The Pearl River C.C. commit scored six goals with 11 assists and was the Coast coaches poll player of the year.
This story was originally published March 29, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
