By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
Seven members of the Barton Community College men's soccer team earned All-KJCCC/Region 6 post-season recognition following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Barton placed four total players on the first team, repeat earners on the frontline Loic Kanku and Maxence Voinier being joined by freshman defenseman Sho Kinjo and sophomore transfer midfielder Justin Gomes. Defender Lucas Dos Santos also was selected for the second time, this season as a second team selection as was fellow sophomore midfielder Hugo Pacheco while freshman defender Arthur Onofre landed on the honorable mention list.
The selections helped lead Barton to a second place finish in the rugged KJCCC at 7-4-1, finishing the season in the Region 6/Plains District Championship falling to 5th ranked and the eventual national runner-up Tigers of Cowley College. Completing the year with an overall record of 11-7-3, five results coming to ranked opponents including losses to eventual national champion Iowa Western, final four finisher Indian Hills, and a pair of losses and a tie against the Tigers.
Complete list of All-KJCCC/Region 6 selections
Loic Kanku – 1st Team
Kanku led with 9 goals on just 20 shots on goal, additionally finishing atop the team leaders with 23 total points dishing out a squad fourth best 5 assists.
Landing on the first team as well last year, the sophomore native of Brussels, Belgium, contributed scoring in half of his 22 games played. Posting a pair of three-point outings, one of those coming against Indian Hills, Kanku also registered net shakers against Iowa Western and Cowley, the last giving Barton the lead in the eventual season ending 2-1 loss to the Tigers.
Maxence Voinier – 1st Team
A second team selection last year, Voinier was named first team this year in scoring a second most 7 goals and 22 points while leading the Cougars with 8 assists.
The native of Caumont-sur-Durance, France, continued where he left off last year as a focus of opposing defenses, always a scoring threat with 36 of his 69 shots coming on target and delivered a team high three winning goals.
Earning the KJCCC Player of the Week in each of the first three weeks of the season, Voiner hit the scoring column in six consecutive games to begin the slate, a goal in the first five with his fourth assist in as many games extending the streak.
Sho Kinjo – 1st Team
The freshman defender from Daito, Japan, was a key aspect of the Cougar defense to earn first team honors against the multiple talented pool of forwards in the KJCCC.
Offensively Kinjo also contributed by scoring two goals, most notable his volley in late first half action hosting then No. 7 Cowley sparking the Cougars to a come-from-behind 2-all result.
Justin Gomes – 1st Team
Gomes transferring from Dodge City was perfect timing as the Cougars lost returning honorable mention selection Diego Sano to injury.
Gomes took over the primary midfield position utilizing all three phases of strength, speed, and knowledge to disrupt opponent attacks while orchestrating the Cougars' second ranked offense in the KJCCC. Originally from Paris, France, the dynamic Gomes was the unsung workhorse on the pitch but did have a game winning assist to his credit setting up the go-ahead goal in the team's first meeting with Jefferson College.
Lucas Dos Santos – 2nd Team
A captain and leader on the team, Dos Santos followed his honorable mention selection from his freshman campaign with a second team distinction.
The sophomore from Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil, was not only a staple in the defensive lineup but also a key contributor to set pieces resulting in a team fifth most 11 points coming on 3 goals and 5 assists.
As he helped bail Barton out last season with a big late goal in the National Tournament, Dos Santos again delivered in big spots this season by scoring a 73rd minute goal helping the Cougars survive a first round upset before four days later setting up what would be the game winning road district semifinal win at Jefferson College.
Hugo Pacheco – 2nd Team
Perhaps the most improved returning player in the Cougar lineup, Pacheco earned second team honors from his midfield position.
Often diverting opponent attacks, Pacheco also distributed a team second best six assists while scoring two goals himself during his ten point season.
Delivering his first collegiate assist in an early season victory over Trinidad State, Pacheco's first collegiate goal came on a spectacular full horizontal diving header putting away Voinier's cross in what would be the eventual game winner against Coffeyville.
Pacheco would later deliver additional key tallies in a three game stretch, setting up the game tying goal hosting No. 7 Cowley followed by the game winner strike at Garden City, and capped by the game winning assist at Seward County to conclude the regular season to garner Week 10 KJCCC Player of the Week honors.
Arthur Onofre – Honorable Mention
Sliding under the radar much like Gomes, the freshman from Quimper, France, was another key component in the Cougars' defensive effort.
For his defensive prowess, Onofre was also strategic from the offensive standpoint producing 2 goals and 3 assists including a pair of assists coming in a 3-0 early season win over Jefferson, delivered a back-breaking goal in a 2-0 win at Coffeyville, a needed cushion goal in victory over Dodge City, and helped set up Kinjo's momentum swing goal in the 2-2 tie with No. 7 Cowley.