Leigh opened up Blossom Valley Athletic League-Mount Hamilton play with a pair of big wins to take over sole possession of first place after the first week of action.
Senior Dominic Sorich had two goals and an assist in a 3-2 win over defending league champion Mt. Pleasant and then added three goals and two assists in a 6-2 win over Branham, which finished second last season.
“Dominic is very important offensively. We have been working on knowing when to pass and when to dribble. His statistics shows it. He thrives to be better and has a growth mindset that helps him want to learn to be at his best,” said Leigh coach Mario Farfan.
Leigh trailed 2-0 against Mt. Pleasant before coming back with three unanswered goals. Against Branham, the Longhorns outscored the Bruins 3-1 in each half to post a surprisingly one-sided victory.
“Winning is not all that we want to achieve here at Leigh. The most important thing is, making sure that all our players are having fun playing with each other and for each other. Also, when you give 100% effort, you are a winner no matter what. That's what our goal is here at Leigh for all our players, to GIVE 100% effort and have fun at the same time,” said coach Farfan
"We didn't have an answer for Sorich," said Branham coach Danny Kadah. "He physically dominated us with his speed and strength and our defense was completely stretched as a result. While the final score was a bit misleading, we were never really able to get into the match."
For Mt. Pleasant, it has been a slow start to the season a year after capturing its third straight league title and first-ever CCS championship. The Cardinals shared the CCS Division II title with Leland, which incidentally is also off to a 0-1-1 start. The two teams played to a 0-0 draw Friday at Leland.
Meanwhile, Willow Glen, considered to be among the preseason favorites to challenge for the league title, is off to a slow start, having scored just one goal in its first two league matches to finish the first week with only one point. The Rams have had trouble scoring this season, netting only three goals in their past six matches.
In the BVAL-Santa Teresa Division, Prospect is off to a flying start, having knocked off Overfelt and Silver Creek by identical 2-1 scores to take the early lead in the division.
Prospect, ranked No. 7 in the latest Prep2Prep CCS Top 25, also owns a non-league win over perennial CCS power St. Francis and has scored 23 goals during its 7-1 start.
"Our fast start is due in large part to how hard this team works in training," said Prospect head coach Frank Medina. "From day one, they have pushed each other to be better and better each practice. It's also a testament to how close this team has become and the positivity that they bring to the game."
The Panthers are alone in first place with six points after the first week of play, but figure to be challenged by the likes of Oak Grove, Lincoln and Overfelt going forward.
"The BVAL-ST race is always a tough battle," Medina said. "From top to bottom, this division has been packed with good teams for the past four years that we've been in it and I don't expect it being any different this year."
In the BVAL-West Valley Division, Yerba Buena and James Lick are off to 2-0 starts. Both teams had strong preseasons, as Yerba Buena owns a win over Leigh and James Lick knocked off Mt. Pleasant.
