COMPETITION IN BAY AREA IS WIDE OPEN
Soccer is having a bit of a moment in the Bay Area.
The Earthquakes recently hired former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena. NWSL expansion side Bay FC reached the playoffs in its first year and took league runner-up Washington to the brink in a quarterfinal matchup.
At the high school level, the Bay Area produced some of Northern California’s top teams last season as six were placed in the strongest bracket for the NorCal playoffs.
St. Francis, which won the Central Coast Section Division I title, was seeded No. 1 in the eight-team regional tournament, followed by No. 3 San Ramon Valley, No. 4 Archbishop Mitty, No. 6 Leigh, No. 7 Amador Valley and No. 8 Carondelet.
Three Bay Area teams advanced to the semifinals, where Mitty edged St. Francis 3-2 and SRV fell 2-1 to second-seeded Del Oro-Loomis.
Could this season be just as strong?
Mitty won the NorCal title in penalty kicks and should contend once again, as it usually does under longtime coach JT Hanley. The Monarchs return junior Murphy Walsh, an all-West Catholic Athletic League midfielder last season, to lead the charge for a repeat.
St. Francis brings back all-league players in junior defender Caitlin Motil and senior forward Kamryn Rosa.
SRV won the North Coast Section Division I crown last season but lost its all-league senior trio of Ella Beardslee, Sami Schulze and Lauren Kealy.
St. Francis’ Kamryn Rosa (9) scores a goal in the second half against Archbishop Mitty during the Central Coast Section Division I girls soccer championship at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
IS EBAL DEEPEST LEAGUE?
The East Bay Athletic League sent nine of its 10 teams to the NCS playoffs last season. San Ramon Valley got hot late and won the NCS Division I title over Carondelet. The Wolves have not had a losing season under coach Mark Jones since he took over in 2009. … Carondelet has made it to the NCS Division I title game three straight years and won the championship in 2022 and 2023. Cal Poly commit Samantha Walker will attempt to lead Carondelet to its third NCS Division I title in four years. … Amador Valley won the EBAL regular season and tournament titles last season. Washington-bound midfielder Maylen Montoya is the reigning EBAL player of the year. She will return for her senior season as the Dons aim to make another run at a CIF NorCal title. … Illinois State commit Sophia Carbone earned all-EBAL second-team honors last season and will be a key player for Monte Vista this winter. The Mustangs finished 12-4-3 and were the No. 3 seed in the NCS Division I playoffs. … Foothill, California, Livermore and Dougherty Valley all turned in solid seasons, good enough to make the section playoffs a season ago.
DUBLIN – San Ramon Valley coach Mark Jones instructs his team during halftime. Dublin and San Ramon Valley high schools played in the high school soccer game at Dublin high school in Dublin, Calif. on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2023 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
BEST OF THE REST?
Homestead captured the CCS Division II title and reached the NorCal Division II semifinals. Junior goalkeeper Myley Markley was an all-Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division selection and is back between the posts for the Mustangs. …, Las Lomas was the runner-up in the NCS and NorCal Division II playoffs. The Diablo Athletic League powerhouse should get another prolific season from senior Paige Thompson, who had 23 goals and 11 assists last season. … Bishop O’Dowd had a stellar season in 2023-24, reaching the NCS Division II semifinals. The Dragons defense will once again be anchored by senior Abby Forsgren. … Los Gatos defeated Piedmont Hills in the CCS Division III final, and both teams are expected to be strong again this season. … Meanwhile, Burlingame, Los Altos and Sacred Heart Prep are all striving for another shot in the section’s Division I playoffs.
the Los Gatos Wildcats celebrate their 4-1 victory over the Cardinal Newman Cardinals in a NorCal Division III girls’ high school soccer match, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Los Gatos, Calif. (D. Ross Cameron for the Bay Area News Group)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tallulah Alatorre, St. Mary’s-Berkeley, senior
Claire Anderson, Harker, senior, forward
Shannon Bennitt, Sacred Heart Prep, senior, goalkeeper
Kennadi Borg, Leigh, senior, midfielder
Amaya Cabrales, Newark Memorial, senior
Rylan Cashman, Fremont-Sunnyvale, senior
Kalea Dwelle, Mountain View, senior
Nayeli Garcia, San Leandro, senior, defender
Baylee Gregerson, Heritage, senior
Anya Lin, Los Altos, senior
Megan McCormack, Sequoia, senior
Annika Park, Leland, senior, midfielder
Brooklyn Pierce, Freedom, senior
Allison Saravia, Jesse Bethel, senior
Sierra Troy, Aragon, senior
Destani Twiggs, Pioneer, forward, senior
Mariam Yusuf, Woodside, senior
Bay Area News Group preseason Top 10
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
No. 1 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (21-2-1 last season)
How it finished: Beat Del Oro 0-0 (5-3) in the CIF NorCal championship game.
Season opener: Dec. 3 vs. Sequoia, 3:30 p.m.
No. 2 ST. FRANCIS (20-2-2 last season)
How it finished: Captured the CCS Division I championship with 2-1 win over Mitty. Lost to Mitty 3-2 in the CIF NorCal Division I semifinals.
Season opener: Dec. 6 vs. Los Altos, 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 SAN RAMON VALLEY (19-4-2 last season)
How it finished: Beat Carondelet 2-1 in the NCS Division I championship game. Lost to Del Oro 2-1 in the CIF NorCal Division I semifinals.
Season opener: Dec. 18 vs. Castro Valley, 6:30 p.m.
No. 4 LEIGH (18-2-1 last season)
How it finished: Lost to San Ramon Valley in the first round of the CIF NorCal Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Dec. 3 vs. Los Altos, 6 p.m.
No. 5 MOUNTAIN VIEW (14-4-4 last season)
How it finished: Lost to Homestead 1-0 in the CCS Division II title game.
Season opener: Dec. 3 vs. Westmont, 6 p.m.
No. 6 CARONDELET (17-6-4 last season)
How it finished: Lost to St. Francis 2-0 in the first round of the CIF NorCal Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Dec. 19 vs. St. Francis, 6 p.m.
No. 7 AMADOR VALLEY (12-3-1 last season)
How it finished: Lost to Del Oro 0-0 (4-3) in the first round of the CIF NorCal Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Dec. 11 at Livermore, 6 p.m.
No. 8 HOMESTEAD (15-6-2 last season)
How it finished: Won the CCS Division II title after beating Mountain View 1-0. Lost to St. Francis-Sacramento 2-0 in the CIF NorCal Division II semifinals.
Season opener: Dec. 3 at Christopher, 6 p.m.
No. 9 LAS LOMAS (19-3-4 last season)
How it finished: Lost to Granite Bay 3-2 in the NorCal Division II semifinals.
Season opener: Dec. 3 at Vintage, 7 p.m.
No. 10 LOS GATOS (14-7-4 last season)
How it finished: Won the CCS Division III title with a 2-1 win over Piedmont Hills. Lost to Rio Americano 1-0 in the CIF NorCal Division III semifinals.
Season opener: Dec. 3 vs. Leland, 7 p.m.
Editor’s note: Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The news organization’s high school staff chooses the teams.
