Atlanta, Ga. (March 9, 2009) Five players have signed national letters of intent to play soccer in 2009 for Georgia State, head coach Kerem Daser announced this week. All but one are current seniors attending Georgia high schools, while the other hails from Zimbabwe. The five signees are:
Moosah Dowlatabadi, Chattahoochee High School, Alpharetta
Peter Vania, North Cobb High School, Kennesaw
Caleb Kernan, Eastside High School, Covington
Alex Vivanco, South Forsyth High School, Cumming
Victor Nkhoma, Kutama High School, Harare, Zimbabwe
Moosah Dowlatabadi
Dowlatabadi is a very skilled left-sided player that hails from Alpharetta, Ga. He is currently a member of the Chattahoochee High School Team and the Atlanta Fire United U-18 U.S. Developmental Academy Team, coached by former Panther Darren McKune. He has been a member of the Georgia ODP 1991 team for multiple years and in 2005 was a part of the Region 3 Pool. Moosah was also included on Top Drawer Soccer's National “Players to Watch” List.
“Moosah is a very talented left sided player with great technical ability. He has great service out of the back and has a good soccer mind. He has a passion for the game and is a great team player. We are looking for him to come in and battle for the left defender or left midfield positions. He was one of the best left sided players I saw in the south region the last two years,” commented Coach Daser.
Peter Vania
Vania, like Dowlatabadi, comes to State from the very successful Atlanta Fire United U-18 Developmental Academy Club Team. Vania was an influence in helping the team achieve titles at the Georgia State Cup as well as the prestigious Disney Soccer Showcase. The Kennesaw, Ga. native has been a four year starter at North Cobb High School and in his freshman season was voted as the Defensive Player of the Year. Vania was also a multiyear member of the 1991 Georgia ODP team.
“Vania is an outstanding defender who had great success at the high school, club, and Georgia ODP levels. He has good technical ability and great composure with the ball. He is a tough one on one defender and is solid in the air. He has good size which we need next year- but also he has the ability to read the game under pressure. . We are looking for him to come to our squad and become a possible starting central defender for us.”
Caleb Kernan
Kernan is a striker that plays on the AFC U-18 Developmental Academy team. The Oxford, Ga native helped lead the team to the 2007 Georgia State Cup title and also a quarterfinal finish in the Southern Regionals that year. Kernan currently is a member of the Eastside High School Soccer Team and a big part in leading them to a perfect 4-0 start to the season. Kernan played his first two years of high school soccer at Newton High and his sophomore year led the team with 30 goals on the way to be named to The Citizen All-Area team.
“Caleb is a great target forward who can score big goals. He is very good in the air and I love his work rate as a striker up front. Many strikers are good on the attack, but struggling when they have to defend. Caleb is a worker up front that can finish but also put pressure on the other team. He is one of the top forwards in the country and has scored many big goals for AFC lightning in Developmental Academy Team. He is winner who will excel at the next level and I am looking forward to seeing him in the preseason.”
Alex Vivanco
Vivanco is a very technical player that plays his club soccer for Nuno Piteira at the Gwinnett Soccer Association (GSA). The Cumming, Ga. native has been a 3-year varsity member at South Forsyth High School and in 2008 was named the team's Most Valuable Midfielder. Vivanco also spent numerous years as a member of the Georgia ODP 1991 team.
“Alex has great potential to be a top player for us. He is very technical and I am looking for him be a great right side defender or right midfielder. He has good size and has improved a lot in the last year. He is very versatile and can play many positions. He is a player I have known for the last eight years. His father Jose Vivanco is an amazing coach who did a great job teaching him the game over the years.”
Victor Nkhoma
Nkhoma comes to Atlanta all the way from Harare, Zimbabwe. The midfielder played soccer for the Amagedon club team, where he was team captain and in 2007 selected as the team's Player of the Year. He was also selected as the Junior Player of the Year two consecutive years at Kutama High School. In addition to his skills on the soccer field, he was also a member of the cricket provincial team.
“I am looking for Victor to come in and make an immediate impact on our team as a central midfielder. He has all the tools to become a great player for us. He has technical speed, mental speed, and a great physical ability. He can play attacking or defensive midfield and we are looking for him to score or set up goals for our young team next year. He is going to give us great maturity and experience in the middle of the park. He has the ability and vision to control the tempo of the game.”
