Dillon Powers, whose Andromeda team won the 2008 US Youth Soccer Under-17 national championship and led Plano Senior High School to the 2009 Texas Class 5A state championship, is the 2008-09 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Powers, who will play for Notre Dame, recently returned from representing the USA at the U-18 Lisbon International Tournament in Portugal and is part of the U-20 team headed to Egypt at the end of June.
 
"Dillon is very quiet, very unassuming, very shy off the field, but on the field, he's an impact player," said Gary Williamson, the North Texas director of coaching.  "His range of passing and his pass selection is spot on.  He can get out of tight spaces.  He's got a very powerful shot.  He's just on a different level.  His soccer IQ is up there along with his natural ability. Technically, tactically, physically and mentally, he's got the edge."

Powers joins Lee Nguyen (2004-05, Plano East HS, Plano) and Nick Garcia (1996-97, Bishop Lynch HS, Dallas) as the only other Texans to earn Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors.

GATORADE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
2008-09  Dillon Powers
2007-08 Chris Agorsor
2006-07 Brayan Martinez
2005-06 Eric Alexander
2004-05 Lee Nguyen
2003-04 Patrick Phelan
2002-03 Greg Dalby
2001-02 Jordan Harvey
2000-01 Ned Grabavoy
1999-2000 Alecko Eskandarian
1998-99 Kyle Martino
1997-98 Nick Downing
1996-97 Nick Garcia
1995-96 Andy Kirk
1994-95 Pierre Venditti
1993-94 Andriy Shapowal
1992-93 Mike Fisher
1991-92 Matt McKeon
1990-91 Claudio Reyna
1989-90 Todd Haskins
1988-89 Chris Henderson
1987-88 Lyle Yorks
1986-87 John Gwin
1985-86 Kevin Hundelt