Co-Lin soccer trio named All-MACCC South Division

JACKSON, Mississippi – Three Co-Lin Wolves have been named Second Team All-MACCC South Division. Those honored are Eli Fratesi (Leland/Washington School), Joel Ibanez (Isle of Man, England) and Lawson Pearson (Wiggins/Stone County High School). In their first year back, the Wolves finished with a 4-7-2 overall record, 1-7-2 in the South Division. 

"Eli was one of the top scorers in the regular season for the conference," said Co-Lin head soccer coach Tom Cosgrave. "He's a natural finisher with electric pace who pounces on defenders' mistakes. He had a great freshman season coming back from a tough surgery from his senior year."

"Joel was our captain and leader from the United Kingdom," said Cosgrave. "He led by example all year on both sides of the ball. He broke down a lot of counters defensively in the middle and was crucial in the buildup going forward with his passing ability. After only having one semester in the States, we are excited about Joel's progress coming back."

"Lawson was lightning quick at outside back who was very tough to beat defensively," said Cosgrave. "He won a lot of his one-on-one match-ups this season when we needed and was a key part of our defense. He has an excellent attitude with everything he does and is a pleasure to coach.

Pearson is dual sport athlete as he played No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles on the men's tennis team.

Soccer returned to Co-Lin after a four-year hiatus. During the hiatus, there was a change to recruiting rules that allowed more international players to join a conference team than had been previously allowed. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pushed back the 2020 season, which normally plays in the fall, to the spring of 2021. The addition of a turf field in H. L. Stone Stadium in August of 2019 gave the Co-Lin program a new home.