• Girl's Point Leaders (goals/assists): Fogel, Jessica, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) (49/8); Akins, Mackenzie, Lakeside (45/12); Lopez, Jessica, Sierra Vista (33/30); Lopez, Crystal, Canyon Springs (39/5); Dickson, Lauren, Quartz Hill (21/37);
• Boy's Point Leaders (goals/assists): Boateng, Ema, Cate (31/19); Casas, Victor, Coast Union (35/9); STRATTON, DANIEL, Santa Clarita Christian (30/12); Catano, Cody, Ontario Christian (24/17); Schwartz, Avery, Cate (27/11);
• Girl's Leading Keepers (GAA/minutes): Oshima, Katelyn , Walnut (0.0000/480); Smith, Kaycee, Canyon Springs (0.0000/550); Hayes, Malia, Ocean View (0.0567/1410); Ramirez, Rosalma, Sierra Vista (0.1928/1660); Savage, Kaleigh, Cajon (0.2977/1075);
• Boy's Leading Keepers (GAA/minutes): Rodriguez, Moises, Carter, Wilmer Amina (0.2857/560); Meza, Ramon, West Shores (Salton Sea) (0.4051/790); Moran, Victor, Santa Ana (0.4267/750); Dutton, Scott, Pacifica (Garden Grove) (0.5818/1100); Silva, Victor, Valley View (0.5967/2145);

Keeping Talent Sometimes Biggest Challenge

BY TIM DUTTON
STAFF WRITER
tdutton@pe.com
Published: 07 December 2011 06:59 PM
Every boys high school soccer coach wants the most talented players available on his team. But the biggest challenge sometimes can be hanging onto that talent.

Last season, Lakeside coach Colin Gilliland was thrown for a loop when four of his top players came to him after the season opener and said they were leaving to play academy soccer.

Gilliland understood, knowing those players would get more exposure with their academy teams. Later hit with injury issues, he discovered lower-level players who moved up and excelled, helping the Lancers win another Sunbelt League title.

This season, he’s celebrating the holidays a little early. Three of those four players are back, along with an abundance of other talent that should make Lakeside a tough contender in Division 5.

Midfielders Ivan Hernandez and Jonah Rivera, and forward Jesus Herrera are the three players who opted to play for Lakeside after playing academy last year.

“They all came to me and said they wanted to come back and, as seniors, play high school soccer,” Gilliland said.

They’ll join last year’s leading scorer, Oscar Gonzalez, who broke his leg late in the season but is healthy again, and senior captain Cris Rodriguez, who was stellar at midfield.

“He’s (Rodriguez) still going to hold down the middle for us, but we’re going to ask him to do a lot less this year,” said Gilliland, who has that luxury. “Now it’s just a chemistry thing. We had a lot of guys step up last year and they’re still going to play big roles for us.”

On the flip side of the academy soccer issue is Santiago, which won the Big VIII League championship last season. The Sharks knew they were going to lose Player of the Year forward Eric Gonzalez, who is playing for Chivas.

They did not figure on losing six other players who would have been starters this season.

“I think we’re the team that got hit the most,” Santiago coach Rogelio Padilla said. “We’re going to be lacking a lot of varsity experience. But you know what — the season is always up for grabs.

“We’ve got to play with what we have. We’ll see how different guys step up to the challenge.”

That will be true throughout the area, with some teams having more returning stars than others.

Riverside King, which advanced to the Division 2 semifinals last year, has its two leading scorers back in sophomore forward Josue Soto (12 goals) and junior Ricardo Mendez (team-leading nine assists). It will also have 6-foot-3 senior defender Justyn Peeples as a force in the center.

“I have no idea who the league favorite is right now,” Wolves coach Todd Mapes said. “We’re a talented team — I think we’re going to be in every game. There will be a lot of one-goal games.”

King will be challenged by a Riverside Poly team that was rebuilding last year and missed the playoffs but is off to a great start this season, as well as by Corona Centennial, which did make the playoffs.

One of the toughest leagues in the area is the Inland Valley League, which sent five teams to the Division 2 playoffs last season.

Defending champion Moreno Valley Valley View returns five all-league players, including senior forwards Alex Turkson (15 goals) and Miguel Hernandez (13 goals), along with senior goalkeeper Victor Silva, senior midfielder Daniel Roman and junior midfielder Jason Goicochea.

Riverside Arlington, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs and Riverside La Sierra should all be in the fight.

Arlington graduated forward Eddie Morales, who had 17 goals and 10 assists last season, but returns second-leading scorer Jason Canahai. The Lions will move Ivan Hernandez, last year’s goalie, to midfield for his junior year because sophomore Alex Gonzalez is taking over in the net.

“Our young guys are gonna have to learn, but I think we’re a playoff-caliber team,” coach Kevin Watson said. “We’re 5-6 teams deep in this league. Valley View brings a wealth of talent back.”

The Southwestern League figures to be a tough race between defending champion Temecula Great Oak and Temecula Chaparral, with a young Murrieta Valley team hoping to move up.

Fontana shapes up as a powerhouse in Division 3. The defending Citrus Belt League champion Steelers, who lost in the division championship match last year, return a powerful senior trio of forward Jonathan Madrid (15 goals), midfielder Carlos Cruz (seven goals, eight assists) and goalie Angel Ramirez.

“We definitely have a target on our backs,” Fontana coach Abel Soto said. “But we like a challenge — we’ll take them all on.”

Perris Citrus Hill, which finished fourth in the Mountain Pass League and then battled to a stunning Division 6 championship, is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll. League foes Beaumont (third) and San Jacinto (sixth) will make it a tough league race for the C-Hawks.

Rubidoux, which made it to the Division 6 quarterfinals last year, again looks like the team to beat in the Mountain Valley League. The Falcons return junior Diego Cervantes, who had 17 goals last season.
 

Posted: 12/08/2011 12:25:36

 

 

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