Readers’ Choice 2018 Boys Athlete of the Year: Bobby Stoyanov

Mountlake Terrace boys soccer coach George Dremousis wasn’t sure if he’d have his star forward for the 2018 season.

After breakout junior campaign and a run to the 2A state semifinals last season, Bobby Stoyanov spent the Fall of 2017 playing for the Sounders Academy and by December was set to attend the Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy in England after graduating in June.

But the Bulgarian-born striker wasn’t satisfied with falling short of a state title and wanted to immortalize himself in the Mountlake Terrace record books after falling four goals short of the school record (32) in 2017.

“I felt like I had unfinished business after last year after we got to the final four and came oh so close to getting that state ring,” Stoyanov said. “And one of my biggest things that made me comeback is I wanted to get the goal-scoring record.”

Stoyanov didn’t get his shot at a state title, but he shattered the school’s goal-scoring record — netting 47 goals to go along with 14 assists.

“I always think about it, honestly,” Stoyanov said. “Once I had the record broken in the middle of the season there’d be times I’d just sit there and be like, “Wow, I’m really doing this. This is something I dreamed about as a sophomore and now it’s really happening.’”

After a record-setting season, the Mountlake Terrace senior, who was name The Herald’s 2018 Boys Soccer Player of the Year, won the fan vote for The Herald’s 2018 Boys Athlete of the Year with 571 (14.84 percent) of the 2,848 votes.

“It’s really cool because Mountlake Terrace isn’t the biggest school,” Stoyanov said. “And to see everyone come together and support me and all that was a really nice feeling, and it means a lot to me and my family.”

Stoyanov accomplished his individual goals this season while taking on a challenge from Dremousis to take on more of a leadership role as a senior on a youth-laden team after the Hawks graduated many key contributers from their 2017 squad.

“This year, (he) could not have been better working with the younger guys and really teaching them,” Dremousis said. “Lots of times I’d let him have a group and practice with some guys and just let (him lead).”

“We had a lot of guys that hadn’t really played varsity that much and hadn’t played in those big moment we were in last year,” Stoyanov said. “… I really took it upon myself to do whatever I could to keep everyone calm, to keep everyone focused and ready for all the big moments.”

South Whidbey’s Lewis Pope (393 votes, 10.21 percent) finished second in the voting and Jackson’s Daniel Arias (276, 7.17) finished third.

Click here for complete results from the online voting