FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – Coming off a third-straight trip to the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals, Fort Hays State head men’s soccer coach Brett Parker has announced his 2017 signing class. The Tigers have signed eight individuals that will join the team for the fall season.
“We had very specific goals with this class,” said Parker. “We feel like we have addressed the holes created by our graduating class. The players coming in should add to our returning group to give us the talent necessary to keep progressing as a team.”
The class includes six freshmen and a pair of junior college transfers. Parker added, “This group of incoming players certainly raises our talent level and gives us depth at almost every position for 2017 and beyond.”
Santiago Agudelo | Frisco, Texas Richland College 6-2 190 Forward
Santiago Agudelo comes to Hays from Richland College as a junior transfer. The forward scored 31 goals and made 12 assists in just 25 career games for the ThunderDucks. Agudelo previously played for the USSDA FC Dallas Academy. “Santy is one of the best goal scorers in the country and should be a big addition to our attack this fall,” said Parker. “With our losses to graduation, we knew that adding a proven goal scorer was a major priority and Santy is exactly the type of player we wanted to help take our program to the next level.”
Ross Boyd | Topeka, Kan. Washburn Rural HS 5-8 145 Midfielder
Ross Boyd joins the Tigers after earning first team all-state honors as a senior at Washburn Rural High School. A four-year letter winner for the Blues, Boyd also earned first team all-league and all-city honors while named Centennial League Player of the Year in 2016. He picked up all-state second team accolades as a junior. The midfielder was an alternate for the 2016 High School All-America game. He finished his high school career with 28 goals and a school-record 46 assists. “Ross is a player that we’ve wanted at FHSU for a few years and one of the top players in the state of Kansas,” said Parker. “He has the technical ability, athleticism, and competitiveness to be a big time player in our program.”
Abdoulaye Cisse | Dallas, Texas Eastern Florida State 5-11 170 Forward
Abdoulaye “Yaya” Cisse joins the squad after playing two seasons at Eastern Florida State College, helping the Titans to the 2015 NJCAA national semifinal. The forward netted nine goals and added nine assists in 35 games at EFSC. He has also played club soccer for both FC Dallas and Pride FC. “Yaya is a player that we recruited out of high school and we’re very excited to finally have him at FHSU after playing for a great program and coach at EFSC for the last two years,” said Parker. “He is a very dynamic and versatile attacking player that can play a number of roles. Adding Yaya to our roster is another major step forward for our program.”
Jared Crist | Overland Park, Kan. Blue Valley Northwest HS 6-0 175 Defender
Jared Crist comes to FHSU from Blue Valley Northwest High School, earning two letters for the Huskies. The defender competed for the USSDA Sporting Kansas City Academy for two seasons of his high school tenure, also playing for Sporting Blue Valley 99. “Jared has all of the tools to be a big-time central defender,” said Parker. “He has great experience from his time with Sporting KC Academy and Sporting Blue Valley. He is already physically ready to compete at the college level and we expect him to come in and compete for playing time as a freshman.”
Antonio De La Torre | Dodge City, Kan. Dodge City HS 6-3 165 Forward
Antonio De La Torre joins the three-time Central Region champions after earning three letters at Dodge City High School. He was an all-state selection in 2016, helping the Demons to an undefeated state championship season. “Antonio is a very crafty player with a unique skillset for his height,” said Parker. “He is very good one-on-one, regularly beating defenders in space with his skill and athleticism. He comes from a championship program at DCHS and we feel his best days are ahead of him.”
Caden Frank | Omaha, Neb. Millard West HS 6-3 190 Forward
Caden Frank signed with the Tigers after playing at Millard West High School for four seasons. The forward heads into his senior season after earning a pair of honorable mention all-state awards, helping Millard West to the state championship as a sophomore. He won a pair of Nebraska State Cup championships with his club team, Sporting Omaha FC 98 Elite. “Caden is the type of forward we’ve lacked in our program for several years,” said Parker. “At 6’3″, he has the potential to be a physically dominant player at our level. His potential is unlimited and we are looking forward to him developing in our program.”
Benjermin Granillo | Garland, Texas Lone Star HS 5-7 150 Defender
Benjermin Granillo joins the Tiger family after playing for two-time USSDA national champion FC Dallas Academy. He made seven starts while playing in 19 games in 2015-16 and has appeared in 12 matches so far this season. “Benji comes from the best youth academy in the country where he has been a member of two national championship teams,” said Parker. “He has a winning mentality and professional approach that will make for a seamless transition to the college game. Benji is a very tenacious and attack-minded defender that will fit into our system very well at FHSU.”
Noah Harris | Broken Arrow, Okla. Broken Arrow HS 5-10 160 Midfielder
Noah Harris will play for the Tigers after a four-year career at Broken Arrow High School. He was team captain his senior season, helping the Tigers to a pair of state quarterfinal appearances and one semifinal run. He was also team captain for TSC Porto and coach Christian Porto. “Noah is a player who we became familiar with through our camps here at Fort Hays State,” said Parker. “We are very excited to have him join our program. He is an extremely hard-working individual that has the ability to play several positions at our level. We look forward to seeing him develop in the years to come.