Levi Tanguay was almost ready to give up soccer.
He was dealing with Osgood-Schlatter disease — which occurs when bones, muscles and tendons grow at different rates during a teenager’s growth spurt — in his knee. It sidelined Tanguay for nearly two years when he was in junior high. A friend and now-teammate, Dillon Tapia, pulled him back in.
“I’m very glad I made the decision to do it,” Tanguay said. “I mean, I don’t know where I’d be if I never did that.”
Four years later, Tanguay is The Aegis 2025 high school boys soccer Player of the Year. The senior striker led Fallston to a state championship game appearance and paced the team with 18 goals, more than his first three high school seasons combined, to go with five assists. He scored both of his team’s goals in a state semifinal victory.
Off the field, Tanguay stepped into a leadership position for the Cougars. He, along with a few other seniors, stepped up in practice when they thought other players weren’t giving full effort or were unfocused on a drill. On bus rides to away games, Tanguay and Fallston’s seniors instituted a strict no-phones policy. For the final 20 minutes of every drive, no player or coach could be on their devices, which promoted more of everything from singing to game planning and fostered an energy that spilled over onto the field.
“We’d see a couple people on their phones, tell them to get off, they would,” Tanguay quipped. “Me and Lucas [Clark] and Ariya [Khairghdam], we talked all the time about how everybody just needs to focus on soccer and bring everything they can to practice. It’s not a time to goof around. So, if we were goofing off at practice, we would set everyone straight, finish the practice, then have a good time.”
Above all, Tanguay was just grateful to spend all four years on the pitch with no more knee limitations. He spent his freshman and sophomore years mostly on junior varsity but was pulled up frequently. He became a regular contributor as a junior, and as a senior, he blossomed into the best player in the area.
The journey is especially special for Tanguay because he remembers when he didn’t have soccer, and all the joy it provides.
“It just felt right,” he said. “The feeling of soccer, it’s like home for me.”
Coach of the year
Christopher Hoover, Fallston
Hoover led the Cougars to a Class 2A state final appearance, the program’s third time reaching the title game in the last six years under Hoover, where they fell to Glenelg. But Fallston’s season was nonetheless filled with memorable wins that no one had a better vantage point for than Hoover.
The Cougars raced to a 9-3 regular season record, which featured a loss to C. Milton Wright in the second game of the year. After reaching the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference title game but losing to Patterson Mill, Hoover’s squad won its next three postseason contests to set up a state semifinal rematch with the Mustangs. There, Fallston needed sudden death penalty kicks but came through in the end with a backup goalkeeper to avenge that regular season loss.
Tanguay scored twice in that win. He’s joined by Ariya Khairghdam and Evan Ring on The Aegis’ All-County team.
All-County boys soccer team
Owen Davis, C. Milton Wright, junior, forward
Matt Deily, North Harford, senior, forward
Kolton Gibson, Patterson Mill, sophomore, forward
Zach Lane, Harford Tech, senior, forward
Grayson McLaughlin, Patterson Mill, senior, forward
Tommy Wysong, John Carroll, junior, forward
Jackson Burke, Patterson Mill, senior, midfield
Tobi Dossou, Aberdeen, junior, midfield
Jacob Gensel, John Carroll, senior, midfield
Ariya Khairghdam, Fallston, senior, midfield
Benedykt Mroz, C. Milton Wright, junior, midfield
Brody Smith, Harford Tech, senior, midfield
Henry Buyse, C. Milton Wright, senior, defense
James Chute, Patterson Mill, junior, defense
Jack Priebe, Harford Tech, senior, defense
Evan Ring, Fallston, junior, defense
Parker Shuelke, Bel Air, junior, defense
Aiden Thiebuad, John Carroll, junior, defense
Liam Carter, John Carroll, senior, goalkeeper
James Richardson, Patterson Mill, junior, goalkeeper
Aiden Sullivan, Harford Tech, senior, goalkeeper
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