Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add a player.
The Enquirer is taking a look at position groups in soccer as the 2025 high school season rapidly approaches. Teams play their first regular-season games in mid-August.
We have listed some top defenders and goalkeepers this month, and now it’s time for some offense.
Midfielders are the most versatile players on a soccer team. Some are point guards for the offense and lead the attack in playmaking and scoring, while others focus on defense and play back to support the backliners and goalkeeper.
In soccer, the line between a midfielder and a forward can be blurry. A lot of high school players are listed as both, and some play both over the course of a single game depending on who else is on the pitch.
For this list, if players are listed as both, we did our best to put them in the proper category. If a top player isn’t listed here, they will likely be included with forwards next week, as that list will focus on top goal-scorers.
Be sure to vote for your favorite players in ballots posted under the lists.
Who are the top midfielders to watch in Greater Cincinnati boys soccer?
Luke Beatty, McNicholas
The senior had four goals and two assists for the Rockets, who were 9-10-2. He was first-team all-league in the Greater Catholic League-Coed.
Riley Cunningham, Fairfield
The senior was first-team All-Greater Miami Conference last year after being one of the team’s top scorers with five goals and three assists. An all-district honoree, he is also a key player on the basketball team.
Brady Dorko, Anderson
The junior helped the Raptors to a 12-3-4 record last season and the Division II regional finals. He was first team all-league in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference after posting six goals and a team-high nine assists.
Aidan Gross, Mariemont
The senior is a three-year starter for the Warriors, who were 15-3-1 last year and second to Division III state champion Indian Hill in the Cincinnati Hills League.
Blake Koch, West Clermont
The senior can play a variety of positions and plays defense in club ball. However, he was the Wolves’ leading scorer last fall with eight goals and six assists. He was first-team all-league in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference and first-team all-district.
Karson Lang, Moeller
The senior was the team’s leading scorer last season with 10 goals and six assists, helping the Crusaders to the Division I state semifinals. He was first-team all-league in the Greater Catholic League-South and an all-district and all-state selection. He had five goals and 15 assists in 2023 as the Crusaders finished as state runner-up.
Colt Long, Badin
The senior has been a regular for the Rams since his freshman year. He was second on the team in scoring last season with eight goals and five assists, helping the team finish 11-4-5.
Gavin Money, Fairfield
The senior was first-team all-league in the Greater Miami Conference after posting four goals and four assists, helping the Indians finish in fourth place in the league.
Bailey Sims-Sharpe, Oak Hills
The senior was first-team all-league in the Greater Miami Conference, scoring two goals for a team that struggled offensively with 15 total goals in the 2024 season. He also played some in goal.
Logan Thoss, St. Henry
The senior was a Northern Kentucky all-region selection as a defender, helping the team allow a goal per game in a 13-7-2 record. He was also a key contributor on offense with four goals and a team-high seven assists.
Other midfielders to watch in the 2025 season
Zach Arnold, Kings; Henry Brown, Mariemont; Forrest Cloran, Summit Country Day; Caleb Fulton, Roger Bacon; Griffin Lyons, Mariemont; Sam Wik, Kings.
Who are the 2025 top midfielders to watch in Cincinnati girls soccer?
Audrey Anthony, Lakota West
The senior was one of the team’s leading scorers with six goals and three assists, helping the team tie for third in the Greater Miami Conference. She was first-team all-league.
Nina Brandon, Anderson
The junior was the team’s second leading scorer last year as the Raptors finished with an 18-1 record and lost in the Division II regional semifinals. She had 11 goals and six assists and will look to step up after the graduation of Liberty signee Lauren Flax. She is ranked 67th in Ohio in the junior class. She was first-team all-league in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference and an all-district selection.
Reagan Buchert, Conner
The senior helped the Cougars to a 22-3-1 record last season and the Ninth Region finals. They beat Notre Dame in the regional tournament for the first time in team history. Buchert, a Tennessee-Martin commit, had two goals and five assists and was named first-team all-state in Kentucky.
Allyson Canham, Mason
The junior helped the Comets to a 14-5-2 record and second place in the Greater Miami Conference. She had seven goals and 10 assists to rank as the leading scorer on the team. She was first-team all-league and all-district.
Chloe Dunford, Waynesville
The senior was the Spartans’ leading scorer last year with 28 goals and nine assists, helping the team to a 17-4 record and Division IV regional runner-up to state champion Summit Country Day. She was Southwestern Buckeye League-Buckeye player of the year, an all-district pick and a United Soccer Coaches All-American honoree. She has 45 career goals and 29 assists.
Olivia Maddox, Purcell Marian
A veteran of club soccer, the senior joins the varsity program for her senior year, playing for new head coach T.J. Bailey. She is drawing heavy interest from multiple Division II, III and NAIA schools.
Mylee McAdams, Lawrenceburg
The versatile senior midfielder was a key part of the Tigers’ Class 2A state championship team that finished 22-1. She had three goals and three assists for the season, and converted a penalty kick to help Lawrenceburg win the shootout in the state championship game. McAdams was the District 4 Midfielder of the Year in Indiana and is a team captain on her club teams.
Emma O’Brien, Indian Hill
The junior helped the Braves to a 12-5-2 record. She was first-team all-league in the Cincinnati Hills League and an all-district honoree. She is mainly a defensive midfielder who helped the team allow only 15 goals for the season, but also posted three goals and five assists on the offensive end.
Abby Smith, Harrison
The senior helped the Wildcats to a 17-2-1 record and the Division II regional semifinals. She tied for team leadership with 11 goals and led the Wildcats with 16 assists. She was co-player of the year in the Southwest Ohio Conference with teammate Shelby Piepmeier, who graduated, and an all-district selection.
Miller Spreen, Mariemont
The senior has been a regular contributor for the Warriors since her freshman year. Last year, she had 10 goals and 22 assists, helping the team finish 15-2-2 and tie Madeira for the Cincinnati Hills League championship. She was first-team all-league and an all-district and all-state selection.
Mia Stevens, Summit Country Day
The senior was the team’s leading scorer last season as the girls finished 22-1-1 and won the Division IV state championship. She had 23 goals and 13 assists after a sophomore season, when she had 15 goals and seven assists, helping the team win a state title. She has committed to Ohio State. Stevens was first-team all-league in the Miami Valley-Scarlet, and the district and Ohio Division IV player of the year. She was also named an All-American.
Other girls soccer midfielders to watch in the 2025 season
Leaha Compton, Fairfield; Teena Erras, West Clermont; Ella Folke, Conner; Kiera Gregory, Williamsburg; Zoey Sandker, Bethel-Tate; Ashley Sweatay, Conner.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top boys, girls midfielders to watch in Cincinnati high school soccer ahead of 2025
Reporting by James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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