The Post's All-Queens boys soccer honors

It was agonizingly close to a banner season for Queens boys soccer teams this year. In the CHSAA, St. Francis Prep was upset by Iona Prep in the Class A intersectional semifinals and then lost to Chaminade in overtime for the state championship.

Neighboring Francis Lewis reached the PSAL Class A final for the third time in four years, but fell short again, this time in penalty kicks to Beacon. Queens A West champion John Adams, Bayside and William Bryant also reached the quarterfinals, proving the borough’s depth.

All-Queens Player of the Year: Rodolfo Paguada, John Adams

Brit Worgan

John Adams senior Rodolfo Paguada is The Post's All-Queens Player of the Year.

Damion Reid

Christ the King's Ovid Cusu is The Post's All-Queens Coach of the Year.

His first two years were as a complimentary piece to dynamic finishers, as a central midfielder rather than an all-out attacker. That role changed this fall and Podolfo showed he was more than up to the task, scoring 31 goals -- 26 during the regular season -- to leads John Adams to the Queens A West crown and guiding the Spartans to the PSAL Class A quarterfinals.

The undersized but dynamic striker was at his best late in matches, winning several games with his feet, including the Spartans’ playoff opener over Lehman with two goals and an assist after halftime of a 3-2 victory and saving the division crown with two goals in a 2-all draw with William Bryant.

“Out of nothing, he came in and gave us hope,” John Adams coach Alex Navarrete said.

One of the city’s few superstars who doesn't play club soccer, Paguada is also a leader because of his solid academic standing (he has an 80 average) and humble and quiet persona. He was the team’s unquestioned leader, but acted like the final man on the bench in practice.

“He’s a humble kid that doesn’t talk,” Navarrete said. “He just wants to play soccer.”

All-Queens Coach of the Year: Ovid Cusu, Christ the King

It was a bold decision, one questioned by many other CHSAA coaches. Ovid Cusu was moving Christ the King up to Class A and it was believed the Royals would struggle. But Cusu had his extremely young team believing from the first practice that they could surprise the league and quiet the naysayers.

Christ the King did that and more, finishing a respectable 7-10-0 and third place in Brooklyn/Queens, ahead of established programs Holy Cross and Xaverian. The Royals even reached the Class A quarterfinals, losing to eventual champion Iona Prep in overtime. Now, Christ the King is on the soccer map and its thanks to Cusu.

First Team

D Sebastian Altomarino, Archbishop Molloy

His string of city championships ended at three, but that doesn’t mean Altomarino didn’t have a successful season. A co-captain of Archbishop Molloy, the senior not only anchored a stout Stanners defense, but he was also their vocal leader, guiding Molloy to the Class A semifinals.