Youth Int'l, More State Champs Join Inaugural Roster
Asheville, N.C.-born defender Clayton Butler joins Malawian midfielder Tazizwa Kasambara and Trinidad and Tobago forward Josiah Wilson
BENTONVILLE - A youth international and two more high school state champions were announced to the inaugural roster Friday for NWACC Men's Soccer in 2026.
Head coach Dean Johnson announced the signings of Malawi-born midfielder Tazizwa Kasambara; his high school teammate Clayton Butler, a defender from North Carolina; and forward Josiah Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago.
Kasambara and Butler join five Rogers Heritage High School alums announced last week as players who join NWACC after winning their high schools' first-ever state title.
With the additions, the 2026 roster now stands at 25 ahead of the season's start in August.
ABOUT CLAYTON
Butler comes from Asheville, N.C., where he attended Christ School in nearby Arden. He led the Greenies to their first-ever state title as a senior with the 2025 NCISAA 4-A state championship and kept opponents to just five goals on the year, the lowest total in the NCISAA.
"Clay came and played for me at MLS Next Fest and gathered a lot of attention from some big programs," Johnson said. "He will bring great composure to our back line."
The 6'2" center back was named one of the 20 Western North Carolina boys soccer players to watch for his senior season in 2025-26 by the Asheville Citizen Times. Butler also played club soccer with Highland FC in Asheville.
ABOUT TAZIZWA
Also a part of the historical state title-winning team at Christ School, "Taz" Kasambara is a midfielder originally from Blantyre, Malawi, the southern African nation's second-largest city.
"Taz is very versatile in the midfield and can slot in multiple roles for us throughout the year," Johnson said.
A midfielder most comfortable in an attacking role, Kasambara stands 5'8" and made a name for himself at Christ School in two seasons as an elite passer.
Like Butler, Kasambara was placed on the 2025 Carolinas Athletic Association All-Conference team. His nine assists on the 2025 season ranked second-best in the conference, just one below Greenies teammate Wyatt Campbell.
ABOUT JOSIAH
Wilson has been a fixture in Trinidadian youth football, earning caps at the CONCACAF U-15 Championship in 2019, the CONCACAF U-17 and the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in 2022.
He also came off the bench for his senior national team debut in a friendly match with Guyana, helping the team win 2-1 in the 2024 home contest.
"Josiah will make an immediate impact," Johnson said. "He brings great experience from the Carribean and is a very versatile attacking threat."
The youth Soca Warrior also has club-level CONCACAF experience, having made appearances in the 2025 Caribbean Football Union Club Shield and the 2024 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup. With Police FC, he made three Caribbean Cup appearances, two of which were starts; after joining AC Port of Spain for the 2025 season, he scored once in two starts in the CFU Club Shield.
CURRENT SQUAD
Goalkeepers (2): Jack Munson, England; Nicolas Moreno, Arkansas
Defenders (7): Brandon Lawson, Arkansas; Evan Rees, Wales; Ethan Twine, Wales; Oliver Okeh, England; Jack Peters, England; Ivan Contreras, Arkansas; Clayton Butler, North Carolina
Midfielders (9): Damian Carranza, Arkansas; Byron Adams, England; Tino Le, Vietnam; Jack Bagnall, England; Alan Mendoza, Missouri; Jorden Moore, Louisiana; Christian Soto, Arkansas; Francesco Turbati, Italy; Tazizwa Kasambara, Malawi
Forwards (5): Aukele Paikuli-Campbell, Hawai'i; Jodon Grey, Jamaica; Hari Lambe, Wales; Kyan Okoli, England; Josiah Wilson, Trinidad and Tobago
MORE INFO
More signings will be announced soon and will be released on social media @NWACCMsoccer and at NWACCEagles.com online. The 2026 NJCAA Region 2 Schedule is available to view now here.
