October 31, 2020

By Fred Liggett
[email protected]

A conference championship and earning the top seed in the district tournament is just a couple of accomplishments for the 2020 Lee’s Summit Tigers boys soccer team. One of the team’s senior captains has not only enjoyed his final soccer season in high school on the field but away from all the action won a pretty cool individual honor.

Tigers’ senior goalkeeper Naju Aburas was named a Good Sport by Goodcents staff members and Sporting KC Defender Matt Besler.

Goodcents and Sporting KC teamed up to honor local athletes who epitomize what it means to be a good sport. Staffers were looking at player’s character and how their work ethic shined on and off the team. Ten area athletes were chosen to appear in a commercial featuring all honorees and MLS All Star Matt Besler. The reward for being named a Good Sport is some Sporting KC swag and a year’s worth of free subs.

Lee’s Summit Tigers soccer head coach Dave Wiebenga said of his star goalkeeper, “Has amazing character, a good natured kid and is fun to be around.” Wiebenga went on to say of Aburas, “A big reason for the team’s success the past four years.” Aburas is one of four senior captains for this year’s team.

Naji and his parents filled out the online forms to get the process started on being selected a Good Sport. After being named one of the ten honorees Naji was interviewed and a tv crew shot his part of the commercial. The reaction among his teammates while this was going on was them wondering when we get our Goodcents subs.

Naji and the rest of the Tigers soccer team returns to action on Monday, Nov. 2 when they begin district tournament play being played at Raymore-Peculiar High School.