BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University men's soccer head coach
Jason O'Keefe and the coaching staff are excited to welcome the addition of Alex McGrath to the 2018 recruiting class
Thanks to the addition of McGrath, the Mountaineers now have 14 student-athletes for the recruiting class, giving the Apps four defenders, two goalkeepers, six midfielders and two forwards.
"This is another great class for us here at App State," head coach
Jason O'Keefe said. "All of these players have one common trait, and that is they are winners. They come from winning environments and have the mentality we are looking for. I want to thank Dan Louisignau and Shaun Utterson for working tirelessly to help deliver this 2018 class. This will be another deep class which will help us continue to move this program forward. It addresses our needs for some more goal scoring punch, athleticism, versatility, and a high soccer IQ. These young men are all scholar athletes and will represent App State tremendously well in the classroom, on the soccer field, and in the community. We're expecting to sign three more student-athletes, which only raises the profile of this skilled signing class. We can't wait to blend this group with our returning team and get to work. We are very excited for the future of App State Soccer.
Alex McGrath | 5'9 | Midfielder | Durham University | County Durham, England
The future Mountaineer played his ball at Whitworth Park under Russell Braithwaite in 2013 and Chris Moore at Durham University. While at Durham from 2015-18, McGrath was the team captain during the 2017-18 seasons, starting in 11 matches with one goal, four assists en route to being named Player of the Year. With Whitworth, he was the team captain and graduating Sportsman of the Year. Born on May 12, 1997, McGrath is the son of Ian and Elaine McGrath. He'll major in exercise science. He enjoys playing cricket and golf, and he works as a DJ in his spare time.
O'Keefe on McGrath
" Alex is a very experienced and mature player from Durham Academy in England. He is a two-way midfielder, which has a great technical foundation, high soccer IQ and competitive spirit. McGrath will help our program from day one. We are very excited to have Alex join our program."
Dimitris Moraitakis | 5'9 | Midfielder | AEK Athens FC | National Team of Greece U17 | Nea Genia Ziridis, Athens
Moraitakis brings an attacking and scoring ability that could help App in 2018. He played in Greece where he helped his team earn second and fourth in the National School League. For the AEK Football Club under George Simos, his squad recorded a fifth-place finish in the Superleague, while recording a top-11 placing in the Elite Neon Cup. He averaged 10 goals and eight assists per year in his time with with AEK FC. Dimitris was also a member of the National Greece U17 team, where he recorded seven international appearances. He was born on Aug. 11, 2000 He is the son of Evangelos Moraitakis and Galateia Stefanou. Has one sibling, Nikolas Moraitakis.
O'Keefe on Moraitakis
"Dimitris is a skilled attacking player. He has great vision to see things and make plays for himself and others. We are looking forward to working with him as we continue to develop our style of play and know he will bring some creativity and flair which will improve our attack and goal scoring ability. He has competed at the highest levels in Greece and those experiences will help him transition quickly to the college game."
Christian Licea | 6'0 | Defender | Montverde Academy | Lutz, Fla.
Playing under Mike Potempa at Montverde Academy, Licea enjoyed a successful high school career where he helped his team earn back-to-back national championships in 2017 and 2018. He played his travel ball under Joel Harrison for Tampa Bay United. He was born on May 13, 2000. He is the son of Carlos and Angie Licea, and has one sibling, Alex. He will major in business and hopes to start his own company after graduation. He enjoys soccer, music, lifting, snowboarding and rock climbing.
O'Keefe on Licea
"Christian is a versatile player from Montverde Academy where he was part of the SIMA program ran by Mike Potempa and coached by Kevin Varnado. He is a winner and will help immediately from day one with his competitive spirit."
Philipp Paulin | 5'8 | Midfielder | UVB Vöcklamarkt | Oberweis, Austria
Paulin played ball for his club team under Jürgen Schatas, scoring five goals last season. He contributed to a second-place finish with Linz in the U16's in the Youth Bundesliga. He was born on Jan. 21, 1998. He is the son of Thomas and Renate Paulin and has one sister, Caroline. His major is undecided. He enjoys playing soccer, hanging out with friends, photography, playing Fifa and traveling. His dad played in the first-ever professional soccer league in Austria.
O'Keefe on Paulin
"Philipp is a versatile left sided player who can play as a winger or left back. He likes to be aggressive and attack so in either position in our style of play he will cause problems for the opponent. He has a good skill set and technically will help our team from day one. We are excited to start working with Philip as we feel he will be a great addition to a very strong nucleus of players for the next four years."
Aldo Tarantini | 6'1 | Midfielder | Houston, Texas | Bellaire
The future Mountaineer was a two-year letterwinner at Bellaire High School under the tutelage of Harrison Douglas. Tarantini was lead the team in his junior season with nine goals starting in all 12 games, which led to a first-team all-district selection. In travel ball, he played under Bruce Talbot/Carl Fleming for Texas SC. In addition, he represented two travel teams in Venezuela with the U-14 Da Fratelsa Sport squad and the U-16/U-18 Metropolitanos program. Aldo is the son of Miguel Tarantini and Ana Pacheco. He has one sister, Sofia. His hobbies include spending time with his friends and family and playing video games. He intends to major in international business.
O'Keefe on Tarantini
"Aldo is a versatile player who will come in and compete for multiple positions. He is mature and will bring a professional mentality from day one. He is playing at a high level being coached by Bruce Talbot and Carl Fleming with the Houston Texans SC Club, so he will be prepared when he arrives."
Charlie Baird | 6'1 | Forward | Nottinghamshire, England | Outwood Academy (Portland)
Baird enjoyed a successful high school and club career where he was the most-captained student-athlete in five seasons. Baird was also named the Most Valuable Player and reached the quarterfinals in the North Nottinghamshire Cup under Mark Wolverson and showed off his scoring skills where he averaged two goals per game. The future Mountaineer played for Worksop Town FC, which is one of the oldest soccer clubs in the world. Born on Sept. 23, 1998, Baird is the son of Andy and Helen Baird. He has one brother (Samual). His hobbies include golf and cricket. He is a part of sports leaders and received the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Baird will major in international business.
O'Keefe on Baird
"He is a player with a nose for the goal and has played at the highest levels in England with Worksop Town FC and Harrogate Town FC U-21's. He has great experience and great success in the classroom. Charlie can score goals in bunches in a variety of ways. His soccer IQ combined with his competitive spirit will be an integral part of our future success."
Parker Cross | 5'5 | Defender | Cary, N.C. | Panther Creek High School
A two-time letterwinner at Panther Creek, Cross garnered numerous and individual awards. Cross' combined 38 goals and 14 assists in his sophomore and junior seasons led to an all-conference nod in both campaigns while being named all-state in his junior year. The awards didn't stop there as he received the team's Most Valuable Player Honor in his sophomore season. The Mountaineer commit led the conference in goals his junior year as well. Playing with his current club team, NCFC Academy in the U-19 Division under John Bradford, Cross has scored two goals thus far. Cross was born on Sept. 7, 1999. He is the son of Brian and Brittany Cross and has three brothers, Caleb (20), Jaden (16) and Cody (14).
O'Keefe on Cross
"Parker Is a versatile player who can play in the midfield or the back line coming out of NCFC USSDA Academy. He is a very gritty player that has a competitive side which we love. He is a technically gifted player that will make an immediate impact on and off the field here in Boone."
Alex Hernandez | 5'6 | Midfielder | Asheboro, N.C. | Asheboro
Did his damage playing on the club circuit where he shined under Adam Reeke and Andy Butler at USSDA Fusion. He scored a total of 25 goals in three seasons including a career-high of 12 scores in the 2014-15 season. Hernandez helped lead his team to a national cup final in 2014 on top of an ODP first team selection in 2014. His effort didn't go unnoticed where he was a National Training Center Invite all four years. While at Asheboro High School, he excelled off the field as he accumulated an impressive 4.67 GPA, was a junior Marshall and posted straight-A's his freshman, junior and senior year. Also, he was 18th in his senior class, was a youth leader for the Sons of King Ministry, a volunteer in the Special Olympics and a young life participant. Hernandez was born on Sept. 16, 2000. He is the son of Silvia Karina Hernandez and has six siblings (four sisters, two brothers).
O'Keefe on Hernandez
"Alex is a talented midfielder with the versatility to play in any MF role coming out of the NC Fusion USSDA Academy. He has excellent quickness and technical ability to carry the ball, pass it or get off shots. He has a great work ethic and attitude. We look for Alex to come in and help continue to establish a style of play with his high soccer IQ."
Camden Holbrook | 6'2 | Forward | Cary, N.C. | Green Hope High School
Playing under the tutelage of David Corsbie, Holbrook amassed several big-time awards in his high school at Green Hope including the most recent North Carolina High School Gatorade Player of the Year last season. After being named all-conference in his sophomore campaign, Holbrook had a breakout junior year where he was named Conference Player of the Year, first team all-conference, first-team all-region, and state. In four years, he tallied 31 goals and 10 career assists. He played his club ball with
Parker Cross on the U-19 NCFC Academy under John Bradford. Born on Jan. 2, 2000, Holbrook is the son of Jay and Michelle Holbrook. He has two siblings, MacLean and Catherine.
O'Keefe on Holbrook
"He is a tall, athletic and versatile player coming out of the NCFC USSDA academy, and can make significant contributions in the attacking third. He has scored and helped create goals at every level, and we look forward to him doing the same here in Boone over his four years."
Jacob Madden | 6'2 | Goalkeeper | Round Rock, Texas | Lonestar SC USSDA Academy
Madden played his ball with the Lonestar SC USSDA Academy under Ron Dennie. Madden is a stout goalkeeper that kept opponents in their tracks. Madden spearheaded Lonestar's U-18 team to its best record in club history including a No. 1 ranking in the country for multiple weeks. The future Mountaineer posted a 13-4-2 mark in 19 starts. He ended the season with five shutouts, a plus-14 goal difference, and a winning .680 winning percentage. Born on Aug. 25, 1999, Madden is the son of Stephen and Kathy Madden. He has four siblings, Hannah, Zachary, Leah, and Josiah.
O'Keefe on Madden
"He is a GK who has an excellent pedigree coming out of Lonestar SC USSDA Academy. Jacob is athletic, has great feet, ability to make routine and spectacular saves. As a starter last year, his team was ranked in the top 10. He has a winning mentality and will do whatever is necessary to make a save and get a result for his team."
Mason Robicheaux | 6'2 | Defender | Mandeville, La. | St. Paul's School
From the Bayou in Mandeville, the future Mountaineer endured a successful high school career both individually and as a team with a national powerhouse in St. Paul's. In 2017, he was named to the Great Western Lotto All-Tournament Team and then earned a nod on the 2018 Louisiana Athletic Association All-Star squad. Robicheaux helped St. Paul's capture two state champions on top of a No. 1 ranking in the country according to
maxpreps.com. The 2018 signee amasses a stellar stat line of 15 goals and 18 assists as a defender. Playing for the CYSA Gunners in club ball, he was a team captain and a three-time Louisiana State Champion while competing in the Southern Regional Tournament for three consecutive seasons.
O'Keefe on Robicheaux
"Mason is an athletic and technically gifted versatile player who can play in the MF or the back line coming out of the high-powered St. Paul's high school program which is coached by Sean Moser. He is looking to captain the team for his fourth straight and program's fifth straight state championship. He has played club for Mandeville and Covington."
Austin Shuping | 6'0 | Goalkeeper | Chapel Hill, N.C. | Chapel Hill High School
Shuping is a two-year letter winner at Chapel Hill High School where he played under Jason Curtis and Davis Boyle. He also played for Adam Gal while at R.J. Reynolds. Shuping helped Chapel Hill advance to the NCHSAA 3A State Title game. He also started his freshman season between the posts at R.J. Reynolds. While playing for the NC Fusion Academy U-19 squad, head coach Adam Reekie selected Shuping to be a part of the leadership group. Before his playing time with Fusion Academy, Shuping played for the USA Gold Team that made it to the Jefferson Cup and CASL Showcase.
O'Keefe on Shuping
"Austin is a goalkeeper with tremendous upside coming out of the NC Fusion USSDA academy program. He has been to several camps here at App State over the past two years and has shown a lot of growth and development each time we saw him. He has shot-stopping ability and demonstrated great leadership on and off the field."
Wyatt Williams | 6'4 | Defender | Wilmington, N.C. | John T. Hoggard/Wilmington
All through high school and club ball, Williams and his teams have been nothing short of triumphant. Williams was a three-time all-conference member while being named all-region as a senior and a two-time honoree of the Wilmington Star-New All-Area team. He showed excellent leadership on and off the field as he was named the team captain in his senior campaign. He improved every year since his sophomore season, scoring a combined eight goals in his junior and senior campaigns. En route to a 21-2-1 record and 13-0-1 conference mark, his high school was an eastern regional semifinalist and a MEC champion. In his junior senior, he notched a personal-high four scores and helped qualify for the state tournament. Playing his club ball for the Wilmington Hammerheads, he contributed to a state cup title in 2016 and was a Disney Showcase finalist on top of capturing the 2016 Jefferson Cup championship. In 2017, he added more team hardware with a Cup Group title. Not only is Williams successful on the field, but he is successful off the field where he has a whopping 4.8 GPA, is part of the Beta Club and the National Honor Society. Also, he the Spanish Club President. His sister, Bailey, is the catcher at Emory and Henry. His other sister, Lindsey, plays soccer at Carson-Newman. Williams was born on March 31, 2000. He is the son of Greg and Peggy Williams. Wyatt has two siblings, Bailey and Lindsey.
O'Keefe on Williams
"Wyatt is a 6'4 defender with a tremendous air game and potential to become a force in the Black and Gold over his four years. He has a good passing range and is a stellar 1v1 defender. Wyatt captained his John T. Hoggard high school team to the fourth round while winning an NC State Cup championship in 2016. He is coming from the 99 Wilmington Hammerheads which is coached by Zach Haines. He is the definition of a student-athlete participating in the International Baccalaureate program at Hoggard while playing his soccer at a very high level. "
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Ibrahim Zaitawi | 5'8 | Midfielder | Lexington, N.C. | Ledford High School
Zaitawi played his soccer at Ledford High School and his club ball under Adam Reekie for NC Fusion. Zaitawi was born on Aug. 27, 2000, and his the son of Amal Salah. He has two siblings, Eassa and Layla.
O'Keefe on Zaitawi
Ibrahim is a versatile midfielder who can also drop a line deeper if needed. He is coming out of the NC Fusion USSDA academy. He is a tenacious player that does not back down from anything. He also has technical ability to make plays and not just break them up. He has great potential to lead and will do so from day one on campus with his tremendous work rate and competitive spirit. He has great ambition and has been taking a full load of college-level course.
