Omar HernandezAfter helping Dalton High School to a 23-0 state-championship season and setting a school record with 64 career assists, Wake Forest signee Omar Hernandez was selected as the Gatorade National Soccer Player of the Year on Tuesday.
Hernandez, honored for his sport at Tuesday's Best of Preps banquet, was pivotal in a perfect season as he scored 16 times and assisted 17 goals for the Catamounts.
The perfect blend of power and precision. Watch below to learn how Omar Hernandez outplayed thousands of elite high school athletes to become the 2018-2019 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year! #GatoradePOY https://t.co/os5gsqgOvL pic.twitter.com/0f8oCNDz7a
— Gatorade (@Gatorade) June 11, 2019
"Omar is a great young man and definitely deserves this honor," Dalton coach Matt Cheaves said. "He is an outstanding soccer player, but he also excels in the classroom. I always tell people, everybody likes Omar. Even after games, opponents would always come out of their way to talk to him."
Hernandez will get to fly to Los Angeles to attend the ESPY Awards on July 10. He will be honored there with other sports' Gatorade top national picks.
A two-time Gatorade state player of the year, he finished with 78 career goals for Dalton, which ranked first in the country in the USA Today Super 25 and Top Drawer Soccer FAB 50 polls.
"Omar leaves as a part of group which set a strong legacy," Cheaves said. "This team had outstanding leaders and a great work ethic. They made history this year."