Rancocas Valley tops all-star soccer list

Rancocas Valley ended the season as The Inquirer's No. 1 ranked South Jersey boys' soccer team. That's why it's no surprise that the Red Devils have the heaviest representation on The Inquirer's first-team all-South Jersey squad.

Three members of Rancocas Valley are on the first team, led by Inquirer South Jersey player of the year

Ryan Finley.

Also from Rancocas Valley is senior forward

Blake Fink

and junior defender

Manny Payton.

Fink teamed with Finley to give Rancocas Valley the area's most explosive scoring tandem. He had 27 goals and 11 assists. Never afraid to take defenders on, Fink also possesses a powerful shot. He will continue his education and soccer career at Lafayette.

Payton made the difficult move from forward as a sophomore to sweeper this year. He showed great instincts in the back and was a major contributor to a defense that allowed 17 goals and just one in five postseason games. Rancocas Valley had 15 shutouts and did not allow a goal in the final four playoff games.

Joining Finley and Fink on the forward line is Willingboro senior

Ansger Otto,

a magician with the ball. Otto combined great ball control with one of the hardest shots around to record 47 goals and 11 assists in 18 games.

Otto is looking to continue his career in college and is considering Villanova, Monmouth, Rider, Rutgers-Camden, Marist, Lincoln and Mercer County College.

Three seniors earned first-team spots at midfield:

C.J. Finley

of Burlington Township,

Ryan Gordon

(Cherry Hill West) and

Alex Rodier

(Williamstown).

Few players meant more to their team than C.J. Finley. The senior had 14 goals and seven assists for a Burlington Township team that scored 30 goals all season. He also scored all four goals in Burlington Township's first two playoff wins, over Spotswood and Rumson-Fair Haven.

Finley is looking to be an engineer and is considering Rutgers-Camden, Elizabethtown and Drexel.

Gordon helped lead West to the Olympic Conference Patriot Division title. He contributed 21 goals and 14 assists and scored in many of the big games. Gordon was the lone scorer in a 1-0 opening Group 4 win over Washington Township and added a goal in the next game, a 2-1 Group 4 quarterfinal victory over Lenape. He is looking to continue his career and major in engineering. He is considering Drexel, the College of New Jersey and Haverford.

Rodier was a force at midfield for Tri-County Royal Division tri-champion Williamstown. Extremely effective in the air and with great field vision, Rodier had 14 goals and 16 assists for the Braves. He plans on continuing his soccer career: Rider, Rutgers Camden, Stevenson, Villanova and Rowan are among his possible choices.

Besides Payton, the other first-team defenders are Highland's

Kevin Davis,

Delran's

Bobby Allibone

and Eastern's

Adam Hutchinson,

all seniors.

Highland's Davis is a four-year starter who played midfield as a junior but moved back to sweeper this season. He had four goals and four assists and was especially dangerous on restarts. Also a good student, he has earned a soccer scholarship to Loyola of Maryland.

Allibone was the leader of a Delran team that was the Group 2 co-state champion, along with Cliffside Park. As the sweeper, he helped Delran record nine shutouts. The Bears allowed 11 goals during the final 17 games of the season.

Allibone had two goals and two assists, and he scored the game-winner to snap a 2-2 tie in Delran's 4-2 state Group 2 semifinal win over Middle Township.

A true ironman, he played 1,754 minutes this season. Allibone has not made a college decision, but he said he was seriously considering West Point.

Eastern's Hutchinson helped the Vikings win the Olympic Conference American Division for the first time since 1985. More of a classic stay-at-home defender, he helped the Vikings record 13 shutouts.

Hutchinson has not decided on a college but is looking to play at the next level. Drew and Rutgers are among the schools he is considering.

The goalie is West Deptford senior

Ryan Gill,

who helped the Eagles win the Colonial Conference Liberty Division, their first division title since 1985.

Gill recorded nine shutouts this season and had a goals-against average of under 1.00 in 58 career starts. Very quick off his line, he is also a strong punter.

He is looking to continue playing soccer and one of the colleges Gill is considering is Southern New Hampshire.