Marietta High’s Landon Koscho (17) battles for possession of the ball during a district final soccer match against Chillicothe this season at Logan. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

DEVOLA — Marietta head coach Todd Morris believes Landon Koscho is one of the best soccer players in Marietta High School history.

Now, Koscho has been recognized as one of the best players in the state of Ohio.

Koscho, the Tigers’ senior captain, was named first team All-Ohio in Division III by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association.

Koscho is just the fourth Marietta boys player ever to be named first team all-state, along with Wes Riley (2010), Jake Craven (2019) and Max Threatt (2023).

“I’m asked all of the time by people and players, ‘Who’s the best ever to play at Marietta?’ or ‘Who was better, this guy or that guy?'” Morris said. “I don’t do GOATs, and I don’t do comparisons as it is so difficult to compare eras, but I can say that no one has ever done it any better than Landon for this program.”

Koscho scored 11 goals in 2024. He also tallied 22 assists, which tied the single-season school record. A four-year starter and three-time captain, Koscho finished his career with 28 goals and 43 assists, second all-time in program history.

“The stats that he put up do not tell the story of his overall impact on the game, as Landon’s play in the midfield and his ability to control the tempo of matches was critical to the style of play that we want to play as a program,” Morris said. “So creative with the ball at his feet, great vision, great passer of the ball, incredible work rate, so unselfish. Such a great honor for Landon to receive to cap off his high school career. What a pleasure to work with and coach the last four years.”

Koscho was named second team All-Ohio after his junior season, so climbing the ranks to first team was something he put his mind to coming into his senior campaign.

“It’s been something I’ve been working toward for a while after getting second team last year,” Koscho said. “It’s a big accomplishment. I’m pretty good friends with Jake Craven, who won it when he played. He was a mentor to me growing up. For me to accomplish something he did, was a big deal to me. It was a goal I set for myself at an early age.”

Along with the statewide awards, Koscho is also a four-time all-conference honoree, a four-time all-district honoree, a Twin State League Player of the Year and Southeast District Player of the Year.

“All those individual awards are nice, but I’m just happy to be a part of the team,” said Koscho, who doesn’t plan to play at the college level. “I know it sounds cliche, but I couldn’t have done it without my coaches and teammates. Also the community, parents and everyone who put everything together — it all had a huge role in me being the player I was.”

Koscho helped lead Marietta to a 14-4-2 record this year. The Tigers eventually fell to Chillicothe in the district final.

He made an impression on the coaching staff right off the bat as a freshman, earning a starting spot on the 2021 team that went unbeaten in the regular season. During Koscho’s career, the Tigers went 59-11-8, won three league titles, were district runners-up twice and won the district crown in 2023.

“That’s the standard at Marietta, to get to the district ‘ship and win it,” Koscho explained. “That’s what we did. That’s one I’m definitely proud of.”

The Tigers will miss not only Koscho’s skills, but his presence on the pitch.

“What a phenomenal season, phenomenal high school career,” Morris said. “The leadership that Landon displayed as a captain on and off of the pitch cannot be praised enough, and was important to the overall success that the program had as a whole. I believe he understood and modeled ‘playing for the crest’ maybe more than anyone who has ever worn the armband in the past. I love the way he approached the game and the way he approached his role.”

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@newsandsentinel.com.