While not technically the halfway point of the Central Coast Section high school soccer season, now is a good time to reflect on how teams did during the non-league portion of their schedules and how the league races line up heading into the new year.
Of course, some leagues are already well underway, but the vast majority have not begun play yet. For example, the PAL-Bay is the only “A” league that has started, with perennial title contender Aragon off to a 2-0 start following an uninspiring non-league schedule that saw the Dons go just 1-3 and net only one goal – in a 1-0 win over Archbishop Riordan.
Let’s take a brief look at each league in CCS, with an eye toward how the league races might play out and a potential preview of the playoffs.
Blossom Valley Athletic League
Although Leigh has not played the most challenging non-league schedule, it appears to be the team to beat in the BVAL-Mount Hamilton “A” Division following a 4-0 preseason. The Longhorns have outscored their opponents 21-1, yielding only in a 3-1 win over SCVAL-De Anza contender Los Gatos. Leigh is coming off a season in which it was in the hunt for the BVAL-MH title before it had to forfeit several games for the inadvertent use of an ineligible player. That resulted in the Longhorns not only missing out on a potential CCS Open Division playoff berth, but in missing the postseason altogether. With many of its top players available this season, Leigh should be a major force in the BVAL and perhaps beyond.
Prospect is off to a solid start in its return to the “A” league, boasting a 4-0 win over WCAL power Archbishop Mitty as part of a 3-1-1 preseason. The Panthers finished the preseason with a 2-0 loss to Saint Francis. Mt. Pleasant won its own Lovato Cup tournament, defeating Cristo Rey 4-2 in the final; however, the Cardinals (3-1-1) have yet to face an “A” league opponent.
Following a 3-1 loss to Los Gatos, defending champion Westmont has tied three games in a row, leaving the most impressive result for last in a 2-2 draw against SCVAL power Mountain View. The Warriors have had eight different goal scorers, with sophomore Dylan Sing leading the way with two goals. Pioneer (0-3-2) and Lincoln (0-5-0) have stunningly failed to a win a game yet, while the rest of the “A” league has been up and down.
In the lower divisions, Branham (2-2-4) and Piedmont Hills (4-2-1) appear to be the teams to beat in the BVAL-ST North with Live Oak (4-0-1) and Christopher (3-2-1) leading the way in the South. Branham, in the “B” league for the first time since the 2012-13 season, fell 3-2 to Crystal Springs Uplands in the final of the Silicon Valley Christmas Cup. The Bruins close out their non-league schedule with tough matchups against Saint Francis Jan. 3 and Harbor Jan. 8 before opening league play Jan. 13 vs Overfelt.
Meanwhile, Piedmont Hills is the only team with a winning record in the BVAL-ST North. The Pirates also fell to Crystal Springs Uplands (2-0), but have shutout wins over Valley Christian, Harker, Milpitas and Gunn to their credit. Senior Franko Gonzalez and sophomore Axel Rubio lead the team with two goals apiece.
None of the other teams has a positive goal differential , with Overfelt (1-5) especially struggling, having been outscored 19-2, including a stunning 9-0 loss to Christopher. James Lick is 3-3-2 overall, but has lost 7-0 to Prospect.
Christopher (3-2-1) looks like a strong contender in the BVAL-ST South along with Live Oak (4-0-1). The Acorns haven’t played the toughest competition but do have a 2-0 win over “A” league Pioneer. Meanwhile, Christopher striker Avery Montejano, the BVAL-MH Junior of the Year in 2024-25, has already compiled nine goals and four assists. The Cougars were unceremoniously dropped to the “B” league after finishing fifth in a forfeit-ravaged “A” league a year ago and are looking to work back to the top flight.
The BVAL-West Valley “C” Division appears to be wide open as none of the teams has won more than one game so far. Gunderson (1-1-1) is considered one of the favorites to claim the title and move back into the “B” league.
Peninsula Athletic League
One of the few leagues that have begun play, the PAL-Bay seems to be even more wide open than usual. The only teams that have not opened league play yet are perennial title contenders Carlmont (1-2-1 overall) and Menlo-Atherton (2-3-0). The Scots have struggled to score with just three goals total, but they do have a 2-0 win over Alisal. M-A opened the season with one-goal wins over Archbishop Riordan and Lincoln, but the Bears have dropped three straight against tough competition, losing to St. Ignatius, Serra and Newark Memorial.
Aragon opened the league season with wins over Sequoia and South San Francisco, but the Dons have been outscored 8-1 in their four non-league games. One of the teams to beat might be Burlingame (4-1-0), which is coming off a 2-0 win over Serra Dec. 17, though the Panthers did drop its league opener against Woodside. Hillsdale did well in the Silicon Valley Christmas Cup, tying eventual finalists Crystal Springs and Branham to go along with shutout victories over Willow Glen and Leland. Senior Bernardo Chaparro has led the way for the Knights with three goals and one assist.
The PAL-Ocean is already well underway, with El Camino (5-0-1, 3-0-1 PAL-Ocean) off to a strong start. Sophomore Daniel Figueroa (8 goals, 3 assists) is off to a flying start for the Colts, who have allowed just one goal all season. San Mateo (3-1-1) and Half Moon Bay (3-1-1) also appear to be in the running for the league title.
Pacific Coast Athletic League
Alvarez has picked up right where it left off from its remarkable 2024-25 season. The Eagles finished 24-0-2 a year ago, dominated the PCAL-Gabilan Division, then defeated Bellarmine for the CCS Open championship. As if that weren’t enough, Alvarez went on to win the NorCal Division 1 title with three 2-1 wins in a row, the final one against NCS power De La Salle.
Those looking for a dropoff in 2025-26 might be disappointed to hear that the Eagles have been equally as dominant so far this season, winning all eight of their games in preparation for their PCAL-Gabilan title defense. Senior Luis Macias, who finished the 2024-25 season with 28 goals and 10 assists, has already notched 10 goals and six assists this season.
While Alvarez looks like the clear favorite to repeat, Monterey (6-1-1) should not be discounted following a strong start of its own. Senior Liam Rawson (8 goals, 3 assists) has led the way for Monterey, which has posted three straight shutouts. Alisal (4-4-0) is not off to its typical start, but the Trojans always seem to find a way to contend. Following a 4-0 start, Alisal has dropped four in a row against Carlmont, Archie Williams, Valley-Sacramento and Bellarmine.
Since defeating Branham for the 2023 CCS Open title, Watsonville (2-0-1) has fallen on hard times, but the Wildcatz are looking to make their way back to the top division. Watsonville finished at the bottom of the PCAL-Gabilan in 2023-24 and went just 4-6-2 in the PCAL-Mission last season. But the Wildcatz are off to a promising start, featuring a 9-0 win over Silver Creek in which senior Diego Guillen racked up three goals and three assists. The main competition for the ‘Catz figures to be Gonzales (5-1-2), the only other team with a winning record so far. Perhaps the Spartans’ most impressive result was the one loss, a 5-3 defeat against Alvarez. Senior Jorge Uribe has already netted seven goals for Gonzales.
Soledad (4-1-3) appears to be the class of the PCAL-Cypress, having defeated Mt. Pleasant of the BVAL-MH during its strong start. St. Francis SCP is the only team in the PCAL-Santa Lucia with more than one win, but its two wins have come against minnows Mount Madonna and Kirby.
Private School Athletic League
Latino College Prep has moved from the PSAL-South to the PSAL-North and immediately has to be considered the favorite for the league title. The Golden Eagles (2-1-2) typically test themselves against bigger schools and this season is no exception as they have already beaten Oak Grove and MacDonald and lost just 4-2 to Del Mar of the BVAL-MH "A" Division. Nueva School, which finished 8-1-1 in the PSAL-North last season, won its league opener 7-0 over Summit Shasta, but is just 2-6-0 overall.
In the PSAL-South, there is hope for a league title for the likes of Luis Valdez (5-1-0) and Cristo Rey (3-3-2) now that LCPA has moved to the North. Cristo Rey is coming off an 8-0 win over PSAL-North contender Nueva and has played "A" league teams Del Mar (3-3) and Mt. Pleasant (2-4) tough.
Santa Cruz County Athletic League
Harbor seemed to be on the way to a SCCAL title a year ago when the Pirates went 8-1-1 in the preseason, reeling off eight wins in a row following a season-opening loss to Branham and tie against Sacred Heart Cathedral. But the Pirates were unable to solve Aptos, losing twice to finish second behind the Mariners.
The 2025-26 season has started in similar fashion, as Harbor (7-0-1) has dominated its opponents so far, outscoring them 27-4. The Pirates have defeated two strong “A” league teams (Monterey, Sacred Heart Cathedral) behind the play of sophomore Andres Reyes (12 goals, 3 assists).
Meanwhile, Aptos (4-1-1) avenged its only loss of the season, defeating Hollister 2-1 Dec. 20 on goals by River Cook and Ian Zavala. There doesn’t seem to be much resistance from the rest of the league, though Santa Cruz (3-2-1) has had its moments, including a 1-1 draw against Monterey.
Santa Clara Valley Athletic League
Perhaps no league has been as impressive during the preseason as the SCVAL-De Anza, as Santa Clara (6-0-0), Homestead (5-0-0), Los Altos (4-0-1) and Mountain View (4-0-1) have combined to go 19-0-2, mostly against tough competition.
Defense has been the calling card of Santa Clara, which has conceded just three goals. The Bruins have wins over “A” league teams Del Mar and North Salinas (twice), but have not faced the level of competition they will see in their league opener Jan. 3, when they host Mountain View.
The Spartans, meanwhile, have been an amazing story the last few seasons. Always among the top teams in the SCVAL, Mountain View took it up a notch starting in 2022-23. Despite finishing second in the SCVAL-DA and needing penalties to get out of the first round of the CCS Open playoffs, the Spartans won the Open championship with victories over Sacred Heart Prep and Alisal and then knocked off Rocklin powerhouse Whitney on penalties in the first round of the NorCal Division 1 playoffs.
The Spartans followed that with another deep run in 2023-24, going 10-0-2 to win the SCVAL-DA and reaching the Open semifinals, where they lost 2-1 to Mitty. Last season, Mountain View made another run to the Open semifinals, losing on penalties to eventual champion Alvarez before going on to win the NorCal Division 2 championship with wins over Vista Del Lago, Clayton Valley Charter and Cardinal Newman.
Mountain View appears to be headed for another strong season, winning its first four games before settling for a 2-2 tie against Westmont. As usual, the Spartans have been stingy defensively, allowing just four goals heading into their final non-league match Dec. 30 at Serra.
Homestead won all four of its matches in the Sunnyvale Cup, defeating Fremont 3-0 for the championship; however, Wilcox is the only “A” league team the Mustangs have faced. Los Altos has outscored its opponents 22-3; its most impressive win was a 5-0 victory over Aragon. Seniors Jack Walton (5 goals, 4 assists) and Eddy Lemus (4 G, 4 A) have led the way for the Eagles.
The SCVAL-El Camino appears to be wide open as well. Cupertino (3-2-1) edged Lynbrook (4-3-1) 1-0 in a tournament game that could serve as a preview for the league title race. The Vikings have a tie against Prospect and a win over Valley Christian on their record. Milpitas was blown out in its first three games by an aggregate score of 10-0 but has bounced back for three straight wins, including a 1-0 victory over BVAL-MH rep Pioneer.
West Bay Athletic League
Crystal Springs has been the story of the WBAL so far, winning the Silicon Valley Christmas Cup with a 3-2 victory over Branham. After seeing a 2-0 lead disappear in the first few minutes of the second half, the Gryphons sealed the title on a late goal by senior Rikhav Shah, who finished with two goals. Senior Lucas Shotts has scored four goals for Crystal, which is off to a 4-0-1 start.
Perennial contenders Sacred Heart Prep (1-1-2) and Menlo (2-2-1) are off to uninspiring starts. The Gators can point to a difficult schedule, having suffered its only loss against WCAL power Saint Francis following a 2-0 win at Palo Alto. Menlo won its first two games of the season against Lincoln and Sequoia, but has gone winless in the past three, including a 2-1 loss to Willow Glen Dec. 20.
West Catholic Athletic League
Mitty has been one of the most successful programs in CCS over the past decade or so, but it has been a concerning start to the 2025-26 season for the Monarchs. Mitty, which has finished no lower than third place in the WCAL the past three seasons and has made deep runs in the CCS Open and NorCal Division 1 playoffs – winning both in 2023-24 – has scored just three goals and allowed 10 during a 1-3-1 start. After suffering shutouts in their first four games – including humiliating 4-0 losses to Prospect and 3-0 to Mountain View – the Monarchs bounced back strong with a 3-1 win over Central California power San Luis Obispo in the De La Salle Showcase on Dec. 20. Mitty has one more tuneup Jan. 3 at Westmont before opening WCAL play Jan. 7 vs Serra.
Saint Francis is off to a 5-0 start following a 2-0 win over Prospect Dec. 20. It has been a Jekyll and Hyde past few seasons for the Lancers, who followed up a remarkable 21-1-4 season in 2023-24 with a difficult 6-13-0 mark, missing the playoffs in 2024-25. The Lancers have outscored their opponents 20-3 so far with senior Michael Scavotto leading the way with eight goals and two assists. Saint Francis concludes non-league play Jan. 3 against Branham before opening WCAL action Jan. 7 against Bellarmine.
Speaking of the Bells, they appear to be a strong contender yet again after winning their first three games heading into a holiday tournament in Southern California against top competition. Serra (3-1-0) had a three-game winning streak snapped in a 2-0 loss to Burlingame and St. Ignatius (2-1-0) is off to a solid start, losing only to NCS power Monte Vista. Sacred Heart Cathedral (4-1-0) appears poised to make some noise in the WCAL as well.
