SAN DIEGO, Feb. 10, 2015 — The Blue Chip Report hosted its 8th Annual Blue Chip Banquet this week at the San Diego Sports Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, San Diego.
The Blue Chip Banquet’s main event was the recognition of the Southern California Player of the Year in both football and soccer. Hundreds of high school athletes were nominated from all across Southern California for this honor. The Blue Chip Report’s panel of judges, comprised of former college and pro players and high school and college coaches from both sports, selected the following winners:
For football, the Blue Chip Report selected Kyle Thompson as the Southern California Player of the Year. Thompson currently attends Christian High School in El Cajon, CA. The 6’4″ junior is viewed by many as the leading punter in California and is rated as one of the Top 5 punters in the nation from the class of 2016. The Patriots’ star helped lead Christian High School to a CIF city championship in the fall of 2014. Known as a duel threat in punting and place kicking, Thompson was a key part of the Patriots’ success, posting huge numbers in San Diego County and topping the leader board in average distance-per-punt, average distance-per-kickoff and total extra points.
For soccer, Wake Forest-bound Roman Martin was named the Southern California Player of the Year. The 6’1″ senior from the La Jolla Country Day School has been one of the consistent leaders across the Southland in goals and assists this season. Martin has helped pace La Jolla Country Day to one of their best records ever and a first-place, mid-season ranking in their CIF division. The Torrey’s triggerman also has played more than 100 matches for foreign clubs in both Europe and South America, and Martin’s reputation as an exciting midfield playmaker is credited in large part to his international experience. Martin was a two-sport Division I recruit in both soccer and football and last fall chose to dedicate himself to soccer and play for the Demon Deacons, one of the top Division I soccer programs in the country, where he is expected to be an impact player. Recently, Martin was named Athlete of the Week by the U-T San Diego, National Player of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer, and Star of the Month for greater San Diego by the U-T San Diego and San Diego Hall of Champions.
At the banquet, the Blue Chip Report also recognized more than 15 young athletes for their sports accomplishments. The keynote speaker was Ky Snyder, Executive Director of Athletics at the University of San Diego.
About the Blue Chip Report: Covering prep football and soccer, the Blue Chip Report is the leading source in Southern California for top prospect identification and recognition. The Blue Chip banquet is held annually to honor young athletes of today who hold the greatest promise of future growth, development, and productivity as NCAA Division I players in football and soccer. Follow the Blue Chip Report on Twitter @bluechipreport.