All Western Conference '25-'26 Nominees

Johan has been a four year starter for the Ravens.  His first game for us came in October of 2022 in a preseason game when he played center back against Tampa Prep, the then-reigning state champions.  With Johan's leadership in the back, Alonso went from getting blown out the year before to tying Tampa Prep 1-1.  We knew then that Alonso would never be the same.  Johan quickly moved to midfield and forward and just a few weeks later, Johan scored one of the greatest goals in Alonso history against Calvary Christian leading us to a last second victory against the Warriors (though he did so from a defensive position).

After the Ravens suffered a disappointing 2023-24 season, Johan came out of the gates firing in the 2024-25 season.  He was named captain as a junior and helped lead us to our first Regional Quarterfinal since 2008.  This season, as our sole returning captain, Johan was instrumental in leading us to our first postseason victory in over a decade and back-to-back regional tournament appearances.  

Johan was named to the Westen Confrence American Division Second Team in his Freshman and Sophomore years.  Last year and this year, Johan was named to the First Team.  He also will play in the the Hillsborough County v. Pinellas County All-Star game, being the only player from Alonso selected this year.  We will deeply miss Johan on and off the field and wouldn't be surprised to see him on a college or professional team in the future.  We'll be watching.

Jalen makes up a core of five seniors who have been with us for all four years (Maurcio Caro being the fifth).  He was named co-captain this year and deservedly so.  His leadership came shining through in ways that did not seem obvious to the outside world.  The prime example of this was that he took it upon himself to gather the team before every game and lead the team in a prayer.  This move immediately united the team who, regardless of religious affiliation, took a moment to bow their heads and hope for a safe (and successful) outcome for the players.  No doubt, this tradition will carry forward into next season and the seasons to come.

Jalen was the consummate right winger.  His speed and ability to make perfect centering passes separated him from the pack.  He also came up with crucial goals.  The best example of this was his goal against Plant in the District Semifinal this year which gave us a 2-0 lead propelling Alonso to its first postseason victory since 2012.

This is Jalen's first nomination to the Western Conference All-Star Team and he did so in style by being named to the first team.  We do not know how we will be able to look at that right side of the field again and not see that flashy hair running up and down the pitch.  We are so grateful for the four years that Jalen gave us and wish him the very best.

"Kras" is the silent killer on our team.  Originally a right midfielder, we converted him to right back in his sophomore year because of his incredible ball handling abilities.  He is very quiet...until he's not.  Kras is one of our most versatile players, being able to switch from right back to center midfield seamlessly.  Kras was named co-captain this year and his leadership has been stellar.  

A large part of our success over the last couple of years has been because of our backs making overlapping runs.  Kras and Luciano have been the pair of wing backs most responsible for keeping pressure on our opponents on the offensive side of the field.  These are the players that could be the hardest to replace going forward.  Defenders do not get a lot of love when it comes to All-Star nominations, but Kras and Luciano stood out so much that their contributions could not be overlooked.

Kras also scored some momentous goals in his time at Alonso.  This year, he scored a blistering shot from 25 yards out against Steinbrenner to help propel us to our first victory over them in years.  Like Jalen and Luciano, this is Kras's first nomination to the Western Conference All-Star team.  He has helped Alonso rise from relative obscurity to a team that is now feared in Hillsborough County and his absence will be felt deeply.  We wish him the best of success.

Luciano rounds out the four captain on our team who were all nominated to the Western Conference All-Star team.  Luci is the jokester of the team.  When everyone is tense, Luci is there to ease the tension.  He was named co-captain this year along with Johan, Jalen and Kras.  He never once complained in his four years at Alonso and always showed up ready to work hard.  

Luci has an absolute cannon of a left foot and at least once a season, he would crank a shot from 35-40 yards out and hit the upper right hand corner.  His corner kicks were also deadly and he scored a couple inswingers from the corner over his time at Alonso.  As part of the original tandem of wing backs who could control the ball like midfielders, Luci helped turn a defensive formation into an attacking one in a matter of seconds.  Perhaps the best example of this came against Robinson in our home opener when his give and go and cross into the box allowed the Ravens to rally from a goal down to win in dramatic fashion.

This is Luciano's first nomination to the Western Conference American Division All-Star team and, like all of the other nominees from Alonso, he absolutely deserves it. We will miss Luciano, his skills, his canon and his comedy more than we can possibly say.  We know that he will go far and we wish him well.