Casper's Ethan Leslie is the 2026 Gatorade Wyo. Boys Soccer POY

Capped by one of the best performances in a state championship match, Kelly Walsh forward Ethan Leslie (#8) was chosen as the 2025-26 Gatorade Wyoming Boys Soccer Player of the Year on Friday. In its 41st year of honoring the best high school athletes in the nation, The Gatorade Company released this year’s award winner. Leslie is the second winner from Kelly Walsh Buffalo High School. He joins Zach Johnson, who won the honor in 2007-08.

CASPER'S ETHAN LESLIE EARNS 2026 GATORADE WYOMING BOYS SOCCER HONOR

Leslie led the Trojans to the 2026 Class 4A state championship last month, where he scored all four goals in a 4-1 victory over two-time defending champion Jackson. That stopped the Broncs’ 51-game unbeaten streak. Leslie helped Kelly Walsh to a 17-2-2 record this past season. He scored 31 goals and dished out 10 assists. Ethan’s a longtime USYS West Region Regional ID Camp invitee and played for the Wyoming 307 Select team from 2017-2025.

Leslie has volunteered locally on behalf of TOPSoccer, a U.S. Youth Soccer program serving young athletes with physical and intellectual challenges. He has also donated his time to the Wyoming Sports Ranch and Jae’s Boot Foundation in addition to serving as a youth soccer referee and coach. An All-State punter for the Trojans’ football team, he launched a car-detailing business with a friend in 2024, which continues to operate today. Ethan maintained a 3.2 GPA in the classroom. He signed to play soccer at Casper College starting in the fall.

Chris Stier, head coach at rival Natrona County High School in Casper, praised Leslie as an obvious pick for this honor.

“This is an easy recommendation for me for Gatorade Player of the Year: Ethan Leslie of Kelly Walsh High School is my top choice. He just led his team to a state championship, scoring all four goals in the title game against the defending state champs. He’s the all-time leading goal scorer at his school, and his playing ability is at a level you just don’t see from many high school players in Wyoming.”

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This award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. It distinguishes Leslie as Wyoming’s best high school boys’ soccer player. He is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award, which will be announced later this month.

Ethan joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Boys Soccer Players of the Year Orion Ostheimer (2024-25) from Buffalo, Teddy Opler (2023-24) of Jackson, Cheyenne Central’s Logan Custis (2022-23), and Charlie Hoelscher (2021-22) of Jackson, among the state’s list of former award winners.

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.

Information from a release by The Gatorade Company was used in this story.