Nobody covers Central Coast Section boys soccer like Prep2Prep. And with three full seasons of coverage under our belt – starting with the 2012-13 season through last season - we thought it would be fun to look back and rank the top programs in CCS over that period.
We have fine-tuned our computer ranking algorithm and will continue to do so as more information becomes available. And we will not bore you with details, but at the heart of the rankings is, of course, results, taking into account strength of opposition and goal differential.
Note: the ratings do not weigh one type of game, i.e., playoffs, over another – aside from the fact that the higher the level of the opponent comes into play. The rating scale is based on 10 points per game, but teams can get more than 10 points for a particular game by, for example, defeating an excellent team.
Based on computer rankings over the past three years, we have come up with what we feel is a representative look at the top 25 boys soccer programs in CCS. Let’s take a closer look, starting with our honorable mention teams and working our way to No. 1 (overall record and rating points per game in parentheses).
Honorable Mention: Andrew Hill (31-14-14, 6.18), Pajaro Valley (28-20-11, 6.20), Palo Alto (35-18-10, 6.22), Monterey (31-15-9, 6.26), Santa Clara (30-19-13, 6.26), Serra (31-26-9, 6.32).
Comments: Andrew Hill, Pajaro Valley and Palo Alto have all worked their way into their respective league’s “A” divisions; the latter two are among the top 10 teams in the first 2015-16 CCS rankings. Serra had a rough 2014-15 season but won a CCS co-championship in 2013-14 and appears to be back on track as a WCAL and CCS contender in 2015-16.
25. Menlo (35-15-7, 6.38): The Knights might be a surprise entry to some, but they have been extremely consistent the past three seasons. Menlo won a CCS Division III co-title in 2012-13, tying Sacred Heart Prep 1-1 in the final.
24. Branham (31-17-15, 6.38): The Bruins have become a fixture in the BVAL Mount Hamilton “A” Division the past three seasons and had their best-ever finish in the top flight, finishing second behind Mt. Pleasant last year. Playoff success has eluded Branham, however, as it has advanced past the CCS first round just once in the last three tries.
23. Homestead (36-21-9, 6.40): A program on the rise under long-time head coach Luis Comesana, Homestead is currently ranked No. 5 in the Prep2Prep CCS Top 25 after winning the Homestead Cup last week.The Mustangs have reached the CCS Division I semifinals two years running, losing to powers Bellarmine and Watsonville, respectively.
22. Leigh (27-23-17, 6.45): A perennial member of the BVAL’s top flight, the Longhorns have reached the CCS playoffs three years in a row, advancing to the Division II semifinals in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Leigh’s fifth-place finish last year was its lowest in quite some time; the Longhorns will look to bounce back this season under first-year coach Mario Farfan.
21. Salinas (23-24-10, 6.46): Salinas might seem to be an odd choice, but the Cowboys have generally held their own in the MBL-Gabilan, arguably the toughest league in CCS. Salinas did reach the CCS Division I playoffs in 2012-13, losing in the quarterfinals to Carlmont, but has gone just 3-15-6 in league play the last two years. However, a 16-5-1 mark in non-league action over the past three seasons might be a better indication of Salinas' quality during that span.
20. St. Ignatius (28-22-13, 6.51): The Wildcats struggled in 2013-14 but finished in the upper half of the powerful WCAL the other two seasons. SI hammered Leigh, 5-0, in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs a year ago before being ousted in penalty kicks by eventual co-champ Leland in the quarterfinals.
19. Evergreen Valley (29-17-10, 6.56): All of the good work done by the Cougars over the last three years came under head coach Demba Diallo, but he has left to take the head job at Fremont this season. Evergreen Valley is off to a good start under new coach Matt Brauch, furnishing a 4-0-1 mark and a Lovato Cup title so far this season.
18. Willow Glen (31-19-13, 6.58): The Rams, under longtime coach John Llamas, have finished in the upper half of the BVAL Mount Hamilton all three seasons. Willow Glen has not, however, been able to re-capture the postseason magic of a few years back when current Chivas de Guadalajara player Julio Morales led the Rams to back-to-back CCS title appearances, including the school’s first championship in 2010-11.
17. Burlingame (31-18-15, 6.60): The Panthers have finished second in the tough PAL-Bay Division two years in a row, but it has been the postseason where they have generally made their mark, winning three playoff games in the past three years.
16. Half Moon Bay (37-19-5, 6.65): Half Moon Bay experienced a magical season in 2013-14, capturing the CCS Division III title by averaging four goals per game in its three postseason games.
15. Sequoia (31-22-10, 6.69): The Cherokees have been a steady member of the PAL-Bay – our third straight entrant from that league – and peaked with an outstanding 2012-13 season in which they finished second in league and defeated Watsonville in the Division I playoffs before losing to Bellarmine in the quarterfinals.
14. Sacred Heart Cathedral (32-22-11, 6.70): The Irish have always been a solid team under coach Jeff Wilson but have reached new heights the past couple of years leading into a perfect 4-0-0 start to the 2015-16 season. After just missing out on the playoffs in 2012-13 and 2013-14, SHC stormed to the Division III title, not conceding a single goal in wins over The King’s Academy, Soledad and Sacred Heart Prep.
13. Carlmont (33-22-9, 6.78): The Scots have finished in the upper half of the PAL-Bay Division all three years, winning the title in 2012-13. Carlmont has also performed well in the postseason, advancing beyond the first round in 2012-13 and 2013-14, when it reached the semis.
12. Menlo-Atherton (36-18-6, 6.90): Coach Jakob Pickard had a strong run at M-A before departing this season, leading the Bears to three upper-division finishes culminating with a league title in 2014-15. Unfortunately for the Bears, they ran into Bellarmine two years in a row in the CCS playoffs, losing in the quarters and semis, respectively.
11. Los Gatos (35-20-10, 7.02): The Wildcats struggled to a fifth-place finish in the SCVAL-De Anza in coach Rusty Millard’s final season with the boys program, but they won over 100 games during his reign and finished 11-0-1 in league play in 2013-14. The Cats’ best playoff showing was 2012-13 when they reached the semifinals, losing 1-0 to Lincoln.
10. St. Francis (30-17-17, 7.09): The Lancers have been on a slight downturn the past couple of seasons but have consistently been one of the area’s top programs under veteran coach Thomas Silvas. Mt. Pleasant has been St. Francis’ kryptonite in the postseason as the Lancers have fallen to the Cardinals 2-0 the last two years.
9. Sacred Heart Prep (45-11-12, 7.45): While SHP does not face the same level of competition on a regular basis as most of the teams in this list, the Gators have been dominant in the WBAL, putting together a remarkable 33-2-5 record during that span.SHP has proven it can compete with top teams in other leagues as well, defeating Gilroy en route to a CCS Division III co-title with Menlo in 2012-13 and losing a tight 1-0 contest against Sacred Heart Cathedral in the 2014-5 final.
8. Soledad (48-9-6, 7.64): Similar to SHP, the Aztecs have not run into much competition in their league, rolling to a 34-2-4 mark and three MTAL championships over the past three seasons. Soledad has also tasted some CCS success, winning first-round games the past two seasons – including a 3-0 win over its doppelganger SHP in 2013-14.
7. Mountain View (41-15-8, 7.65): Coach Jim McGuirk’s string of five consecutive league titles was snapped by Los Gatos in 2013-14, but the Spartans have remained among the top programs in CCS, following up their streak with second- and third-place finishes in the highly competitive SCVAL-De Anza. Mountain View advanced beyond the first round of the CCS playoffs both in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
6. Mt. Pleasant (45-7-14, 8.07): The Cardinals have ruled the BVAL-MH the past three seasons, compiling a 30-4-8 record and winning three league titles under longtime coach Nick Arellano. After suffering through some postseason struggles over the past few years, Mt. Pleasant broke through in 2014-15 for the school’s first CCS championship with a 2-2 tie against fellow co-champ Leland.
5. Archbishop Mitty (44-10-16, 8.39): Mitty dominated the WCAL with an extremely efficient defense that led to league titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14 under coach Cesar Sanchez before slipping to fourth place last season. Mitty won the CCS Division II title in 2012-13 and didn’t concede a goal during its postseason run. Over the course of the two WCAL championship seasons, the Monarchs allowed just 24 goals in 48 matches – mostly against top-flight competition.
4. Alvarez (42-10-11, 8.42): Like we said, the MBL-Gabilan has been extremely successful since its inception in 2012. As the clear No. 3 behind powers Watsonville and Alisal, Alvarez nonetheless settles into the No. 4 spot of our overall rankings. The Eagles spent the 2012-13 season getting out of the MBL-Pacific Division with a dominant 19-3 campaign, which they capped with a loss in penalty kicks against Alisal in the semifinals. Since ascending to the top flight, Alvarez has gone 14-3-7 and has finished ahead of either Alisal or Watsonville in both seasons.
3. Bellarmine College Prep (50-12-14, 8.51): The bellweather of excellence in the CCS soccer landscape, it’s a little surprising that last year’s WCAL title was the Bells’ first since 2010-11. Still, Bellarmine has been a beast in the postseason, reaching the CCS Division I title game in each of the past three seasons, losing to Alisal in 2012-13, splitting the title with Watsonville in 2013-14 and then finally capturing the title outright with a 1-0 win over Watsonville last year. The Bells are on their third coach in three seasons as Conor Salcido has taken over for Prep2Prep CCS Coach of the Year Justin Johnson, who is now in charge of the program at Folsom Lake College. Johnson took over for longtime coach Patrick Lowney, who is now the head man at Monta Vista.
2. Watsonville (45-10-12, 8.75): The ‘Catz ended Alisal’s run of two straight Gabilan titles with a 10-0-2 campaign in 2014-15 and a trip to the CCS Division I title game, which they dropped 1-0 to Bellarmine. Legendary coach Roland Hedgpeth has compiled the most successful run in CCS soccer history as the co-championship in 2013-14 was his eighth CCS title in charge of the Watsonville program.
1. Alisal (44-7-12, 8.99): Under coach Mark Cisneros, Alisal has scaled the heights of the CCS soccer world, capturing the first two titles in the new MBL-Gabilan Division and winning the CCS title in 2012-13 with a 3-1 win over Bellarmine. However, remaining motivated should not be a challenge for the Trojans, who have been bounced from the CCS playoffs without registering a victory, losing 1-0 in the quarterfinals two years in a row.
