The Russellville High School varsity boys’ soccer team had three players selected by the coaches to the 2025 United Soccer Coaches Association Alabama Class 5A All-State team. The teams were announced on May 29.
Junior Hailezgy Solomon and sophomore German Perez led the Golden Tigers on the First Team and senior Manny Ramirez was tapped for the Second Team. The three helped lead the Golden Tigers to a 9-6-3 record, their fifth consecutive area title, and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the AHSAA playoffs.
“I’m really excited for these guys and proud of them. They deserve it,” said Russellville head coach Trey Stanford, who just finished his ninth season in charge of the program. “Every coach is biased. I know I’m biased with my guys, but the coaches don’t pick you unless they really think you’re talented and think you deserve it.”
Solomon, a speedy striker up top, led the Golden Tigers with 10 goals this past campaign. Behind him on the pitch was the versatile Perez, who played on the back line and in the midfield.
“German and Hailezgy, first off, are not only good players, they’re great young men. You won’t find many players or young men better than those two guys,” Stanford said of the First Team duo. “They both work really hard, they practice hard, and they play year round. They both love the game and they’re just absolutely great players.
“It’s always a positive when you can have great young men like that on the field,” Stanford added.
Solomon and Perez are Russellville’s first All-State First Team selections since Emanuel Villegas and Yamilson Velasquez in 2023.
Martinez, a team captain and now a three-time Alabama All-State selection, scored nine goals for the Golden Tigers in 2025. Martinez was a Second Team selection his sophomore season and was an Honorable Mention last year. The striker has been a key player for Stanford’s squad since he hit the pitch as a middle schooler.
“(Martinez) is an all-around great player, and he’s been a huge player since he started playing for us in the eighth grade,” Stanford said.
In an injury plagued season for the entire Golden Tiger team, Martinez’s and Solomon’s selections were especially notable. The pair of strikers battled through injuries for most of the campaign, ensuring that neither put up quite the numbers they were likely capable of producing. Stanford said this just shows the level of respect coaches around the state have for the players and the program.
“Hailezgy sprained his MCL early in the season, and he missed quite a few games and dealt with that all year. Who knows what could’ve happened, but I would’ve loved to have seen what he could’ve done if he had been healthy all season,” Stanford said. “The last few years for Manny, he’s just had some bad luck with injuries. Hamstring, ankle, knee—he’s had to deal with it all.
“Neither of those guys probably had the numbers they could’ve had, even though they did score goals and Manny had quite a few assists,” he added. “I think it shows that they’ve had good numbers and played well in recent years; they’ve played against really good programs and had good games against them, and the coaches see that and recognize that and have a lot of respect for them. They know they’re good players, even if they are banged up.”
Russellville has had at least one all-state selection every year since 2018 and now has 27 First or Second Team Coaches’ All-State selections in program history. Solomon, Perez, and Martinez are not likely to be the last of these. Of course, Solomon and Perez, a rising senior and junior, both have more opportunities to capture individual honors, but Stanford said there are other talented athletes in the program now and coming up that will have their chances, too. He’s looking forward to what is in store for the program in the years to come.
“We’ve got a lot of great players on the team now, and we’ve got some really talented kids coming up. I really think (a state championship) is coming at some point because we’ve got a ton of great, talented kids in this program. I really think it’s there for us,” Stanford said. “We’ve just got to keep working hard—and we will, believe me. The players—you can see it—they really want it, and they’re hungry for it.
“I’m really excited about the future,” he added.
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