Hoegg repeats as boys soccer Player of the Year (with All-Area team)

Ricky Hoegg was 13 years old when he was faced with an ugly realization.

It was then, shortly after competing in a Destin soccer tournament, that a young Hoegg was placed in front of a TV screen where images of himself flashed before him. Even now, Hoegg recalls the scenes on that screen with a sheepish grin.

“I was constantly yelling at the referees, my own teammates, other players … fans,” Hoegg recalled. “My coach showed me that I needed to really control myself. From that point on, I’ve gotten a lot better.

“When I was younger, I used to always yell at people,” Hoegg continued. “I never liked anything that was going on. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve calmed down a lot.”

Hoegg, now a junior at Choctawhatchee, has indeed gotten a lot better, both at controlling — or at least attempting to better harness — the competitive fires that rage within him as well as continuing to be one of the premier players in the Panhandle.

Following a sophomore season that saw Hoegg register 50 goals and 13 assists for the Indians in being named the All Sports Association/Daily News boys soccer Player of the Year, Hoegg was even better in 2010, finishing with 40 goals and 26 assists in guiding Choctaw to a 17-3-2 record and an appearance in the Class 4A regional semifinals, one step further than the Indians reached last postseason.

For his play this season, Hoegg has repeated as the Player of the Year.

Hoegg’s arrival to this year’s award followed a different track than a year ago, however. Unlike last season, when Hoegg splashed onto the scene as a scoring dynamo, the Indians’ forward was a well-known commodity heading into this season. What Choctaw coach Chris McDaniel half-jokingly referred to as “superstar” status often times brought with it much more attention from opposing defenses.

“We had talked about it in the summer,” McDaniel said. “I told him, ‘You’re not a surprise anymore, everyone knows who you are. You’re going to have to change your game a little bit.’ ”

That change meant relying — and, to a greater extent, trusting — his teammates more.

“He has the ability to take on two or three people,” McDaniel said. “Now, if he’s drawing three (defenders), he knows somebody has to be open.”

Hoegg’s understanding was reflected in an assist total that doubled from one year ago. And as big of a role as those assists played in Choctaw’s impressive run, it also served to underscore the amount of growth Hoegg himself had experienced.

“When I was younger, all I wanted to do was score,” Hoegg said. “My freshman year playing defense helped me out as far as realizing that getting assists was good, too. Last year, even though I scored a lot, I wanted to get (more) assists. This year, everybody knew I could score, so I figured I could probably feed J.R. (Rynearson) and Mikey (Lightbourne) and everybody else a little better.”

Hoegg’s shift toward assists paid off.

Choctaw enjoyed one of its best seasons in recent memory, marching to its first season sweep of county rival Niceville in five years during a regular season that saw the Indians drop only one match.

Yet as easy as Hoegg made it appear between the white lines, McDaniel pointed to the junior’s tireless approach last offseason as being the foundation for the stellar campaign. Early morning runs, sprints up stadium steps and relentless sessions in the weight room were more than just a means of preparation for Hoegg. They were daily battles that the Indians’ standout approached with the same tenacity he would a game.

“The thing with Rick,” McDaniel began, “it starts in the offseason. We’re running 5 or 6 miles in the heat and he’s always first. He’s a competitor at heart. He’s first in the stadiums, he wants to always lift the most … He wants to be the best.”

Daily News Boys Soccer All Area

Player of the Year: Ricky Hoegg, Choctaw

Coach of the Year: Chris McDaniel, Choctaw

First team

G – Zack Plaice, Niceville

G – Ethan Small, Choctaw

D – Kodie Clay, Choctaw

D – Ronnie Couch, FWB

D – Tyler Roman, Navarre

D – Evan Wright, Niceville

M - Noah Dutram, Niceville

M – Tanner Duttweiler, Niceville

M – Martin Barriga, Choctaw

M – Mitch Hagood, Navarre

F – Ricky Hoegg, Choctaw

F – J.R. Rynearson, Choctaw

F – Andres Garcia, Navarre

F – Spencer Vandecar, Niceville

Second team

G – Drew Conley, Navarre

G – Jose Agular, SW

D – Christian Fulmer, Niceville

D – Haywood McDonald, SW

D – Hudson Pierce, RBCS

D – Landon Scheffler, Navarre

M - John Johnson, Choctaw

M – Nate Jensen, Navarre

M – Anthony Provost, Niceville

M – Amani Beliveau, RBCS

F – Kenny Born, Crestview

F – Pedro Alba, Niceville

F – Mikey Lightbourne, Choctaw

F – Jose Flores, SW

Honorable Mention:

Choctaw: Tyler Boyett, Josh Piovesan, Stephen Quinton

Crestview: Jed Hagedorn, Matt Gallina, Dominque Thomas, Phillip Brady

FWB: Dustin Krohn, Josh Lawless, Bobby Lyerly, Alex Eaton, Brandon Lively, Taylor Clark, Zach Smith, Reese Long

Freeport: None reported

Navarre: Derek Borgesteede, Nolan Smith, Zach Woodson

Niceville: Josh Balciunas, Brandon Curriston, Codey Friesen, Marcos Melecio-Zambrano, Scott Listak, Austin Savage, Jimmy Wonsick

RBCS: Jared Porrata, Billy Thomas

South Walton: Margarito Cedillo, Chase Cox, Wade Howard, Patrick Ryan, Rex Rutledge

Walton: Aaron Elaum, Ryan Elaum, Mikey Kitzler, Lance Pulley, Jamie Sydenstricker, Ricardo Ramirez