As he prepares to begin his senior year at McCallie, Drew Viscomi is still being honored for his junior soccer season.
The most recent award for the dominant forward came this week as he was named to the All-America team for the Spring 2016 season.
The highly-respected Top Drawer Soccer listed Viscomi as one of five second-team forwards out of 25 total players from across the nation who were chosen to receive the top honor.
Already committed to play soccer at Northwestern University, Viscomi’s standout junior season saw him earn his second-consecutive all-state selection. He broke a 19-year Blue Tornado single-season scoring record with 30 goals, in addition to making six assists against a highly competitive schedule that included matchups with seven defending state champion teams.
Viscomi, who carries just shy of a 4.0 GPA at McCallie, has spent his summers volunteering with inner-city soccer ministries and training with the National Premier Soccer League’s Chattanooga FC, which won the South Region championship on Saturday to advance to the national semifinals. Blue Tornado coach Chris Cushenbery said Viscomi’s character and dedication have contributed to his accomplishments both on and off the field.
“I've been coaching Drew since he was in seventh grade, and what impresses me most is that his desire to grow in character and academic achievement matches his on-field drive and record of accomplishment,” Cushenbery said. “Drew pursues excellence in every area of his life and that's something we value a ton. That culture piece is big, trying to make this the best place to play instead of just trying to win. We want this to be an environment where everyone maximizes their potential and we are seeing that happen. We've had seven different players earn first team all state honors in the last two years. That's unprecedented, and Drew has done a ton to help make that happen."
In the last two seasons, Viscomi has helped Cushenbery’s teams to a 29-4-4 record, and back-to-back Division II-AA Mid-East Region titles, but disappointing losses in the state semifinals both seasons have left the Blue Tornado hungry for a state championship. With an All-American leading a group of 10 returning starters next season, McCallie will surely be a favorite to claim that title, something that Viscomi said is a much bigger goal than any individual achievements.
"It's a huge honor and blessing, but it definitely wouldn't have been possible without such a talented team, and a coach that has invested so much time into my growth,” Viscomi said. “But at the end of the day, me being an All-American wasn't our goal. We set out to make McCallie the best place to play high school soccer in the country, and I'm determined to help our team get there next year."
(E-mail Jaime Barrett at jaimenbarrett@gmail.com)