Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
Prattville’s boys’ soccer team had one of the best seasons in the history of the program. The Lions won the Class 7A Area 5 Championship over Thompson, Hillcrest Tuscaloosa, and Tuscaloosa County. The Lions went 18-4-1 with a whopping 13 shutouts in 23 contests. The Lions defeated Hoover in the Class 7A Playoffs and advanced to the Class 7A quarterfinals. They finished the season ranked as #3 in Class 7A in the final post-season poll, ranked only behind the two teams that competed in the state championship. Further, Prattville was ranked #5 in the “Super Poll,” which includes teams from all seven classifications in the state. As a result of that success, Elmore Autauga News has named Head Coach Trevor Ledkins as the Autauga County Soccer Coach of the Year.
“I am honored to be selected as Coach of the Year,” said Ledkins. “The senior leadership and my assistant coach, Colin Salle, were a huge part of our success. Knowing when I challenged my players during training and games that they were going to step up to the challenge, it made it a really fun team to coach. Coach of the Year is definitely a team award and having great players, great assistant coaches, and great parent support were all key components to our success.”
Four of Ledkin’s players were selected to the All-State teams by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Ben Green was named to the 1st Team Super All-State, made up of all players in the state regardless of class. Adam Green was named Class 7A 1st Team All State, and Austin Ledkins and Levi Smith were both named Class 7A 2nd Team All State.
The Lions were led by a strong senior class. And their successes on the field resulted in a record eight seniors signing college scholarships to continue their soccer career beyond high school, a testament to the strength of the soccer program.
“Having eight senior college soccer signees is amazing,” said Ledkins. “These signees have also had great coaching and training in club soccer to develop them for the college level. These players set a standard of excellence for our program that all of our underclassmen can strive to achieve. Not only did they reach high athletic achievements, but also high academic achievements. I am extremely proud to have been able to coach these outstanding young men.”
