After Summit Country Day claimed a repeat state championship and St. Xavier, Kings and Covington Catholic reached the championship game in 2025, it’s nearly time to kick off the 2026 high school soccer season.
With last year’s crop of seniors moving on, Greater Cincinnati teams are looking for fresh faces to take on bigger roles as leaders and athletes.
The Enquirer is continuing its class-by-class breakdowns with the top incoming juniors. After standout sophomore campaigns a year ago, these players will be expected to shoulder more responsibilities as upperclassmen.
Here are some of the top juniors to watch this upcoming season.
Mesfin Brown, Campbell County
In his sophomore season, Brown was already a leader for the Camels. He led Campbell County with six goals and was second with three assists, earning first-team 10th Region honors. After turning in an 8-1 record against 10th Region opponents last season, Brown should have the Camels right back in contention in 2026.
Beckett Brinkman, Summit Country Day
Summit Country Day won its second consecutive state title in 2025, and it did so with a ton of underclassmen talent. Brinkman was one of four sophomores to earn first-team all-city honors for the Silver Knights, finishing second on the team with eight goals and leading Summit with eight assists. Though some critical seniors departed in the offseason, Brinkman and his cohort of rising juniors will bring more than enough experience to keep the Silver Knights as serious three-peat contenders.
Forrest Cloran, Summit Country Day
Another junior Silver Knight, Cloran turned in three goals and five assists during the 2025 title run. The midfielder was an all-district selection in addition to a first-team all-city selection.
Cooper Gastright, St. Henry
As a sophomore, Gastright was a key initiator for St. Henry on offense. He led the Crusaders with 10 assists and also scored eight goals, good for second on the team. The all-city second-teamer should have a great deal of statistical consistency, with all but two members of the offense coming back in 2026.
Zac Linenkugel, St. Xavier
Linenkugel was a consistent all-around weapon for the Bombers on their way to the state championship match. Despite being listed as a defender, he scored five goals and added three assists to the offensive effort. In his primary position, he helped St. Xavier allow just 24 goals all season. The second-team all-city selection should be prepared to keep St. Xavier in contention in Division I once again.
Landon Miller, Mason
As a sophomore forward, Miller was already the clear second option for the Comets. He scored 10 goals with three assists as he earned second-team all-city honors. If Mason is going to repeat as Greater Miami Conference champions, it will be Miller’s scoring prowess keeping the Comets on top.
Isaiah Rodgers, Summit Country Day
The third of four Summit Country Day first-team all-city juniors, Rodgers was a reliable attacker in 2025. He ended the season with seven goals and five assists and he’ll be critical to continued offensive success for the Silver Knights in 2026.
Ian Shinkle, Batavia
Shinkle was already the go-to guy for Batavia in 2025. He led the Bullogs with 16 goals, good for third in the Southern Buckeye Academic and Athletic Conference. He was named to the all-city second team, but alongside a young returning Batavia squad could have a much higher ceiling in 2026.
Braxton Spinnati, New Richmond
Spinnati proved himself to be one of the top defenders in Cincinnati as a sophomore. He was selected as both an all-district and all-city first-team honoree and will be a key force as New Richmond looks to improve on an 8-10 season in 2025.
Sam Viltro, Summit Country Day
The final member of Summit’s all-star junior quartet, Viltro helped anchor the Silver Knights’ defense. His efforts were especially noticeable in Summit’s playoff run, as the defense shut out its first five opponents before limiting Milford Center Fairbanks and Ottawa Hills to a goal apiece in the semifinals and finals. He was named to the all-district team and the first-team all-city.
Chase Wagner, Harrison
Wagner was a key contributor to the Wildcats’ offense in 2025, finishing third on the team with five goals and tying for most assists with four. He earned second-team all-city recognition for his efforts, pushing Harrison to an 11-5-4 record. The Wildcats lost in the playoffs to eventual state finalist Kings. He’ll almost certainly play a larger role in 2026 as the Wildcats’ top two scorers graduated last year.
Other names to watch
Jacob Bailey, Walnut Hills; Abel Bracken, Seven Hills; Brody Boyers, Newport Central Catholic; Ian Darnell, Newport Central Catholic; Byron Garcia Fernandez, Purcell Marian; Andrew Green, Newport Central Catholic; Graham Kern, CHCA; McLane Krieg, Villa Madonna; Alex Lopez, Sycamore; Ryan Pavlisko, Cincinnati Country Day; Brady Smith, Loveland.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top juniors in 2026 Cincinnati high school boys soccer preseason
Reporting by Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
