2024 Boys Soccer Offensive Player of the Year: Aidan Murray

***ICYMI: Girls Tennis Co-Player of the Year: Sophia Catino***

***ICYMI: Girls Tennis Co-Player of the Year: Hanna Davis***

***ICYMI: Girls Golfer of the Year: Ellie Hildreth***

***ICMYMI: Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Owen Reece***

***ICMYMI: Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Mia Medlin***

Now that most of the fall sports season has come to a close, it’s time to reveal the All-Coastal Preps teams. Over the next week, you will get to know more about the players of the year while also seeing who made first and second team in girls tennis, girls golf, boys and girls cross country, boys soccer and volleyball.

The Coastal Preps Boys Soccer Offensive Player of the Year is senior Aidan Murray from Pender.

Aidan’s Accomplishments

The phrase leave it better than you found it perfectly describes Aidan’s Murray career at Pender. 

Before he arrived, the program had won three total matches in two seasons. Murray was instrumental in turning things around, and in his final season, the Patriots finished 21-6-1 and reached the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time.

Murray led all area players with 89 points by scoring 36 goals and dishing out 17 assists. He finished with at least five points in nine matches and had four hat tricks. 

For his career, Murray finished with 98 goals and 68 assists to help Pender win 65 matches. 

More about Aidan

Favorite Restaurant(s): Zaxby’s

Favorite Movie(s): Dune and Star Wars Series 

Favorite TV Show(s): The Chosen, Outer Banks

Favorite Athlete(s): Cole (cold) Palmer, Jakob Ingebrigtsen

Favorite memory from this season: Winning in the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history. 

Favorite memory from your career: Scoring my first free kick against Trask and hearing the stands chanting my name.

Favorite thing about your school or team: That we are a rag tag team full of people that would never be considered soccer players, but we have fought and worked every day to win the games we knew we were capable of winning. 

Do you have any superstitions or pre-game rituals? If so, what are they?: Not a superstitious guy, but I’ve never played a game without praying beforehand, and that’s something I would never change.

What app on your phone do you use the most?: Snapchat. Second is Retro Bowl

Where is one place you’ve never been that you’d like to visit?: I’d like to go to Yosemite National Park

Are you a planner or do you go with the flow?: Absolutely go with the flow. Never made a plan in my life. 

What is your favorite way to relax?: What’s that?

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly?: Fly absolutely

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?: 1 Corinthians 9:24 – “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

What are 3 things you are grateful for in your life?: Jesus, family, friends/teammates 

If you are hungry for pizza, where are you ordering it from?: Dominoes. They are the number one pizza chain for a reason!

Do you prefer to shop online or in person?: In person, but online definitely has more options.

Have you lived in the same house your entire life? If not, how many houses have you lived in?: I’ve lived in the same house my entire life.

What is one thing you want people to know about you besides being a great athlete?: I truly am nothing without Christ, He has given me meaning. I’ve been shown love because of his sacrifice!