The 2024 fall soccer season was one for the record books. Leland, Suttons Bay, and Glen Lake competed at the highest level all season long with no shortage of highlights and upsets during the 2024 season. The Lakers, Comets, and Norsemen proved they can hang with anyone in the state on the soccer pitch with their excellent play. The Leelanau Enterprise Soccer Dream Team was voted on by coaches Rob Sirrine (Leland), Len Mankowski (Suttons Bay), Jared Boynton (Glen Lake), and sports editor Brian Freiberger.
MVP: Brian Mosqueda
Leland junior Brian Mosqueda claims the MVP crown for his dominant play that led the Comets all season long.
“(Mosqueda) is the most technical player on our team. I’ve never seen anyone who can get the ball off his foot when he has two or three guys on him and always gets out of the situation and makes a pass with excellent vision,” Leland coach Rob Sirrine said. “(Mosqueda) can ping a ball 30 yards to someone’s feet. He’s a real leader on the field … you can pass him a ball that is too hard or a couple of yards away, and he’ll just get it and won’t let anyone get it. He’s got like a gravitational field around him somehow.”
Mosqueada found the net and found his teammates often, with eight goals and 11 assists on the season.
The junior will take the memories made with the seniors and his favorite moments when hanging out with the team off the field.
“I would say on the field it would probably be just us playing around teams, and off the field, we had good team dinners every once in a while that we are always playing FIFA, and it was always a good time,” Mosqueda said.
The junior will look to improve in all areas of his game for his senior season.
“Try to get sharp with passes, take more shots, get better defending and attacking overall, and just try to improve everything,” Mosqueda said.
Landon Allen
Leland senior Landon Allen came on strong this year and scored in the biggest games against the best teams when the Comets needed it most.
“I think this year has been our best year in terms of teamwork and the most talent even though we went out regional finals,” Allen said. “I’m going to always remember the boys I played with and I’m going to carry that with me.”
Allen had a dominant presence and was one of the fastest guys on the team, with a sniperlike shot. The senior was third on the team with 14 goals and tied first with 13.
He scored four goals against Tawas in the regional semifinal and had two other hat tricks throughout the season.
“Right from the beginning of the season, he was on fire,” Leland coach Rob Sirrine said.
Allen’s favorite moment was playing with his cousin, Colby Connor. He assisted him on a goal this season, and the two hugged afterward, representing the growing friendship within the family.
Colby Connor
Leland senior Colby Connor claims his spot on the dream team because of his speed and change of pace, which could take over games at any moment.
“(Connor) is one of those guys that can open up a game, and we’ll miss him as well,” Leland coach Sirrine said.
Connor provided a balanced option for the Comets with nine goals and eight assists.
Connor and his cousin Landon Allen grew over the season, which led to good chemistry on the field.
“We never honestly liked each other for a while, and recently, we got close and built our relationship,” Connor said.
Trey Roman
Leland senior Trey Roman is the brains of the Comets back line the entire year from start to finish. He was passionate about shutting down all of the best players in 2024.
The Comets only allowed nine goals scored on them all year.
One was on a penalty kick, and three were on corner kicks. Only five goals were allowed in regular match play.
The Comets defense represented one of the most dominant defenses in MHSAA history, claiming a top-10 defense all-time in the state.
Even from the defensive position most of the time, Roman scored once and found his teammates three times.
“(Roman) is probably our team’s most knowledgeable about soccer. He organized the back line this year, the entire year from start to finish, and shut down whatever the best players were on the teams that we played,” Leland coach Rob Sirrine said.
Ignacio Creamer
Leland junior Ignacio “Nano” Cream has been making his name known on the pitch in 2024.
“(Creamer) is one of those guys that has a desire to win,” Leland coach Rob Sirrine said. “He’s got a competitive spirit that’s unmatched.”
The junior will return with his unmatched lefty foot and can play anywhere on the field. During the regional final game, he played on the left outside back to help the team get the ball on the offensive end.
“(Creamer) has a great shot and is selfless as well. He’ll pass the ball if to create a goal-scoring opportunity for our team,” Sirrine said.
Nano thanks the senior class for the leadership they brought to the team.
“I’m going to take the memories we had together as a team and the good games we always had fun in the game,” Creamer said.
Creamer is ready to uphold the Comet’s high expectations next year.
Ravello Smith
Leland junior goalkeeper Ravello Smith had a dominant season, leading him to be named all-region as the second-ranked goalie in the region. He was considered first despite the loss in the regional final.
“I’ll take the memories with my closest friends. We’ve grown up together playing soccer pretty much every year,” Smith said.
Smith will continue to improve consistently and be a better teammate and competitor in 2025.
Ravello allowed 0.38 goals per game this season with 12 shutouts and only allowed nine goals across 22 games.
Liam Waskiewicz
Leland senior Liam Waskiewicz is an athlete who can play any position, such as an attacking midfielder or outside back.
“(Waskiewicz) is one of the guys who are in the best shape on our team in terms of fitness,” Leland coach Rob Sirrine said.
Waskiewicz was the second leading goal scorer after Adrian Spencer. His vertical was often displayed, flying through the air to head the ball for a scoring opportunity.
“(Waskiewicz) is another kid that will be missing and just a passionate kid who loves the game,” Leland coach Rob Sirrine said.
Waskiewicz appreciates his teammate’s hard work all season.
“We expected to win a state championship, and I feel anything short of it was almost a disappointment, but we shouldn’t feel that way because we did have a great season in one of the best teams in a long time,” Waskiewicz said.
Waskiewicz will miss playing the game more than anything. He will take with him the lesson of perseverance in life.
“I feel we were the better team, but sometimes it doesn’t go your way. I’ll always know that you must keep working hard no matter what, and something will eventually come,” he said.
Max Waldrup
Leland senior captain Max Waldrup was named all-state along with his teammates Brian Mosqueda, Nano Creamer, and Landon Allen.
Waldrup is the first two-year captain and four-year starter who has played in all big games for the Comets over the past four years.
“(Waldrup) is a responsible leader with a great work ethic. Last year, we had him playing up top, and he scored many goals … Max’s attitude is whatever works for the team, and he wants to help us win. He let go of some of the glory (scoring goals) because he thought it would benefit the team. Walrus is a great guy and a great leader. He’s gonna be missed,” Sirrine said.
Ezra Belanger
Glen Lake sophomore Ezra Belanger led his way to the dream team by leading the Lakers all season long.
Belanger grew into a leader and gelled well with the young Glen Lake team, with one senior graduating.
“If he went, our team went. He would score goals against quality opponents … (Belanger) was always a high output kind of guy,” Glen Lake coach Jared Boynton.
Belanger feels like the season went great, as the team is growing and improving.
“It just felt good to win some games this year,” Belanger said. “I’m planning on attending some soccer camps, and a lot of people are going to improve a lot, and I think next year it’ll all come together,” Belanger said.
Sawyer Homa
Glen Lake sophomore Sawyer Homa also dominated the pitch and led the team in goals and assists.
“(Homa) is off the charts with his raw talent, and when he decides to work, he’s hard to stop. (Homa) is hard to guard when he’s making runs,” Glen Lake coach Jared Boynton said.
Homa’s favorite moments of the season include winning the district semifinal 7-4 over Pentwater.
“Then off the field, there were trips into town, getting food and hanging out at each other’s houses and doing stuff as a team like that,” Homa said.
About the results this season: “Everybody really wanted to get better, and we played well together, and I think that just made it for a great year as a team,” Homa said.
Isaac Martin
Suttons Bay sophomore Isaac Martin earned his spot on the dream team for his mentality and ability to control games throughout the 2024 season.
Martin was a tough defender and worked hard night in and night out. Martin played center back in critical games against tough opponents. During the overtime in a pre-district game against Benzie, Martin held down the fort during the crucial overtime period.
Martin had 10 goals and nine assists on the season and was second on the team in total points. Martin is expected to be a team leader over the next two years of his high school career.
“I want to improve my leadership skills, guide people in the right direction, improve the soccer program at Suttons Bay, improve my leadership role, and be the person that people can look up to,” Martin said.
HONORABLE MENTION
Several players across all three teams earned honorable mention nods for their efforts this season.
Eli Ulbrich
With his presence, the tall kid in the back, or Eli Ulbrich, set the tone for the Comets back line.
Ulbrich earned his spot on the dream team because of his dominance and his role in the back line that only allowed nine goals this year.
“He’s the big kid in the back. I call him a Viking ... He shut down one of the best players in the state during the regional final game,” Sirrine said.
Adrian Spencer
Leland junior Adrian Spencer was the Comet’s leading scorer this year with 16. He was lethal as a starter, came in as a sub, and scored important goals all season. Spencer scored twice against WMC in the first match and possesses a hard shot with impeccable touch.
“(Spencer) is one of our most technical players with an eye for the goal. I’m glad he’s coming back next year,” Sirrine said.
Spencer will take with him from the 2024 regional final loss as a learning experience.
“I felt we could have done better, but we just fell short,” Spencer said. “I will remember how it felt after losing, and I don’t wanna feel that again. I want to go out there and win next year.”
Spencer’s favorite moments throughout the season were getting closer to his teammates and connecting with underclassmen through soccer.
“I wasn’t always close with all my teammates, and I feel like this year, the bond grew,” Spencer said.
Julian Calderon
Suttons Bay sophomore Julian Calderon scored at will during the season with 14 goals and five assists with 19 total offensive points in 2024.
Calderon had five game-winning goals and two hat tricks.
“If you give (Calderon) a second, he’ll pick you apart because he can kick it with the outside of his foot; he can kick it with the inside. He’ll give you a little left-toe poke and do all kinds of different ways to score … (Calderon) will be one of the players that leads us in the future,” Suttons Bay coach Finn Mankowski said.
Honorable Mentions
Glen Lake players Hunter Cox and Ollie O’Neil earned the recognition through their play.
O’Neal, who played center back, was a bullet running across the pitch and played a physical role that made opponents pay.
“If we had a difficult team to play against, he probably might be the one that’s gonna find the back of the net for us against good teams too, not just lower quality teams,” Boynton said.
Other Suttons Bay honorable mentions include James Licht, Shane O’Boyle, Ty Brenner, Graham Martin, Anthony Forton, and Connor Sahs.
“We have a sophomore class that is the biggest in numbers and a very talented group, so we’re excited about the future,” Len Mankowski said.
