When the season started, Camden soccer coach Chuck Leslie wanted Chris Lawson to take over as sweeper for his defense.

Lawson did not want any part of it. Rather, he wanted to play the position he held the previous season — goalkeeper.

Photo Illustration by Justin Falls (ENLARGE)

Chris Lawson

"He decided to stay right where he was at," Leslie said. "He wanted to prove he was worthy of that position."

Did he ever.

After winning a school-record 15 games — 11 by shutout — and allowing .91 goals per game for the season, Lawson not only proved a capable goalie, but earned The Daily Advance Soccer Player of the Year honors for 2007.

Leslie says Lawson practiced as hard as he played in the games, and he expected his teammates to do the same.

"He was an individual who was first to practice many times and the last one to leave," Leslie said.

That dedication paid off more as the season went on. After a brutal stretch of bigger schools to start the year, the Bruins swept through the Albemarle-Atlantic Conference competition and three rounds of the 1A state playoffs.

"He had an excellent ability to read attacking teams and pre-position the defensive players to neutralize their attack," Leslie said. "He's highly respected by his teammates."

In four games in the playoffs, Camden allowed just three goals, two coming in the state semifinal loss to the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Two of those games were shutouts.

"He would come up to me before the games and say, 'Don't worry, Coach, I've got the team's back. Today's our day,'" Leslie said. "That's the way Chris went into the game every day. He played with total confidence as the keeper and he was an excellent team leader."

Charlie Blackwell

Camden

Senior

Led Bruins in goals with 16

Zach Leslie

Camden

Senior

Set school record with 22 assists

Ben Molthen

Camden

Senior

Had 13 goals, nine assists

Nick Tuck

Camden

Junior

Anchored the Bruins' defense

Luke Hudson

Northeastern

Senior

Led Eagles with 12 goals

Will Stevenson

Northeastern

Senior

NHS team MVP, All-NCC pick

Brandt Weilbacher

Currituck

Senior

Anchored the Knights' midfield

Evan Singlar

Currituck

Junior

Knights' top offensive threat

Corey Sackrison

Edenton

Junior

Scored six goals, had 11 assists

Campbell Brown

Edenton

Junior

12 saves per game, 6 shutouts

Chris Edmundson

Edenton

Sophomore

Center defender had five assists

Jonathan VanHorn

Perquimans

Senior

All-conference for three years

Jared Craig

Pasquotank

Senior

Four-year player led defense

Joseph Deaver

Pasquotank

Freshman

Speedy attacker big Panther threat

Andrew Wilkins

Pasquotank

Junior

Big leg for Panther defense

Honorable mention

Casey Clark Northeastern

Kyle Craft Northeastern

Michael Dunn Camden

Hunter Newbern Currituck

Andrew Womble Pasquotank