ESA junior striker Parrish Anderson had a season for the ages.

Anderson scored an incredible 71 goals on the season to help the Falcons claim the Division IV state championship, and Falcons coach J.B. Brunet isn’t sparing in his praise for the offensive standout who was chosen as the Most Valuable Player on The Daily Iberian’s Best of the Teche Boys’ Soccer Team for the 2017-18 season.

“He’s the best in the state, in any division, and it’s not even close,” Brunet said. “People don’t understand how hard it is to score 71 goals, at any level.”

Anderson earned Division IV All-State Offensive MVP honors, was the district’s Offensive MVP and also had 15 assists on the year.

He heads a Best of the Teche first team, selected by the sports staff of The Daily Iberian, that includes four of his teammates, along with three Catholic High players, two from Westgate and one from New Iberia.

Brunet was named Coach of the Year after the Falcons went undefeated, finishing the regular season 19-0-1 before winning four straight in the playoffs, including shutouts in the last three games — 8-0 against Glenmora, 5-0 against defending champion Newman and 5-0 against Northlake Christian, the latter game in the state finals at the Ragin’ Cajun Soccer and Track Complex in Lafayette. The semifinal game against Newman was a rematch of the 2017 finals won by the Greenies, 1-0.

While Brunet can appreciate the state championship, he reiterated as he’d said earlier in the playoffs that his goal for the Falcons isn’t any number of wins or championships, it’s to help his players become the best they can be.

“When you look at Hunter (Ardizone) and (Matthew) Pisani and some of the seniors we had, they’ve all improved a lot” through the years, the coach said. “Winning the state championship’s going to be big for everybody.”

Pisani, a senior striker, and Ardizone, a senior midfielder, also were named to the Best of the Teche first team. Junior defender Will Cowan and senior goalkeeper Adam Dakin round out the ESA contingent.

Catholic High’s Ben Tarantino, Steven Champ Jr. and Sam Robichaux also were named to the first team, along with Westgate forward Connor Scott and defender Brad Somsy and New Iberia center back Seth Landry.

Pisani was a first-team All-State pick and the overall district MVP after scoring 21 goals with 13 assists. He will play soccer at Spring Hill College starting in the fall.

“I think Matthew Pisani’s fantastic,” Brunet said. “He’s been up for a lot of honors.”

And while Pisani will get a lot of accolades because of the goals he scores, the coach said Ardizone is more under the radar yet equally important because of how he understands the game and the way Brunet wants it played. He will play at Hanover College.

“Hunter is very important to me in terms of how he plays, within the system,” Brunet said.

Cowan, the state defensive MVP, played striker for the previous two years but adjusted to playing defense this year

Dakin was part of a defense that allowed only 13 goals all season and earned first-team All-District and All-State honors. That is a credit to the entire team, the coach said, not just the back line or the keeper.

“Experience is I think the No. 1 thing (for Dakin),” Brunet said. “It’s always difficult to sell a goalkeeper (for honors). When he was called upon he was fantastic. Adam was a big leader even if a lot of people were not seeing it.”

Tarantino shared district defensive MVP honors with Cowan. Robichaux was another standout in goal for the Panthers. CHS statistics were not submitted.

Scott scored 25 goals with six assists and was first-team All-District and second-team All-State. Somsy had one goal and six assists and earned first-team All-District and second-team All-State honors. The two were considered for MVP honors.

Landry played several positions and earned second-team All-District defensive honors for the Jackets.

“He is an all-around player that can play any position that the team needs,” NISH coach Casey Friend said. “He was vital to our success this year.”

Honorable mentions to the team include Erath senior defensive mid Coty Bruno (3 goals, 6 assists), senior defender Tristan Soudy (4 goals, 5 assists), senior goalie Cole Jordan (90 percent saves) and senior defender Logan Broussard; NISH goalkeeper Angel Rosas (5 shutouts, 2nd team All-District); Westgate forward Charlee Nitchin (8 goals, 7 assists, 1st team All-District), midfielder Chris Heron (6 goals, 2 assists), goalie Javon Marks (79 saves), wingback Trevor Carriere (7 goals, 5 assists), defender Isiah Pickney, defensive midfielder Dremone Bonyaseng, wingback Holden Bulliard (3 goals, 3 assists), defender Jessie Badeaux and defensive midfielder Lucas Theall (2 goals, 2 assists); Catholic High’s Mikey Pope and Jason Van Duzee; ESA junior midfielder Tommy Burns (33 assists, 1st team All-District, 1st team All-State) and junior defender Nathan Mouton (1st team All-District and 2nd team All-State); and St. Martinville junior Beau Courville, junior McKenzie Melancon and senior Dylan Wilmore.