Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Campbell's Cerimagic leads the way

In a season that required many players to step into new roles for Campbell’s soccer team, Dzenan Cerimagic was a key contributor.

In his junior year with the Spartans, Cerimagic piled up 26 goals and five assists, and he was named a first-team all-Region 2AAAAAAA selection.

After his successful season, Cerimagic was voted the 2022 Cobb County Boys Soccer Player of the Year by the county’s coaches.

“I can’t speak highly enough about him,” Campbell soccer coach Troy Connolly said. “I mean, obviously, he’s incredible on the field, but he’s a great student, a great kid.”

Along with Campbell’s 16-4-2 regular season, Cerimagic led the Spartans through a deep playoff run in the Class AAAAAAA state tournament, scoring two goals in the team’s quarterfinal win that sent them to the final four.

“I was honestly shocked and surprised, to be honest,’’ Cerimagic said about when he found out about being named player of the year. “Early on in the season, we lost a big player for our team, which meant I had to step up even more to play my role.”

Early in the season, Emory signee Mason Bradford went down with a torn ACL in a club match. After Bradford’s injury, Cerimagic was one of the key players who had to adjust their game.

“A lot of times, you’ll see kids that have that much talent, and they come with attitude and unwillingness to be coached at times, and (Cerimagic) couldn’t be further from that,” Connolly said. “I can’t speak highly enough about his talent, his character, his work rate. It’s awesome to coach a player like him.”

Cerimagic said he was planning to get his college commitment done over the summer, with such schools as the College of Charleston, Kentucky and Northern Illinois recruiting him.

Along with his college offers, Cerimagic said he wanted to try and play overseas, having already played four games with the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

“Since I have dual-citizenship for Bosnia, it makes me eligible to play in some of the European countries over there, which I want to try and see if I can get a professional contract over there,” Cerimagic said.

Cerimagic’s time with the Bosnian team, and his plans to continue to play for the club, have meant a lot to not just him but to his family, including his father, who fought in the Bosnian military.

“My dad was in the Bosnian military and fought for that badge,” Cerimagic said. “When I got to play for that badge, it meant a lot to me and my family as well.”