If the skill and impact of junior midfielder Ramiro Rosas was not already evident to those following Northern California soccer, all one would need to do was see his play late in a NCS Division 1 quarterfinal playoff game against Pittsburg.

With the match tied at one late in the second half, Rosas took on a pair of Pirate defenders near the left sideline before drilling the game-winning goal from a near-impossible angle with his left foot, lifting De La Salle into the section semifinals.

The game-winner against Pittsburg capped a season in which Rosas tallied nine goals and nine assists, despite a handful of games in which sat the majority of the second half as the Spartans won by a comfortable margin. And while Rosas displayed an ability to create and score, he also controlled games with his technical ability and soccer IQ.

“Ramiro is one of the smartest players I have ever coached,” said De La Salle coach Derricke Brown. “He sees the game ahead of time. He will play balls to guys that they don’t even see happening yet.”

As a Development Academy player, Rosas is also seeing his recruiting stock start to soar as he heads towards his senior season, one which he is eager to see after the team fell just short of its overall goals this season, falling to Berkeley in the semifinals.

“He is a great student on campus and a great teammate, a very coachable young man,” Brown added. “He faced some pressure to return to his D.A. team while we were still in season, but he is committed to his team and finishing the high school season strong was a big priority for him.”

The game against Pittsburg was hardly the only time during the season that Rosas changed the Spartans’ fortunes with his ability to come up big in a clutch moment. In an early January match at Monte Vista, De La Salle trailed 1-0 after a slow start, but Rosas triggered one of the most productive in-game stretches of the season. First, he tied the match with his free kick. Then, he provided a quick assist to take the lead and spark a flurry of four goals in a 10-minute span for a runaway 5-1 victory.

Throughout the season, Rosas was the steady driving force to controlling the midfield for the Spartans, allowing them to outscore opponents 69-22. The left-footed junior was named the East Bay Athletic League’s Player of the Year as a result, recognition of his impact on the entire game. Next year, he expects to not only lead with his skill, but also with his presence on the pitch.

For his efforts this season, we are pleased to recognize Ramiro Rosas as the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Junior of the Year.

Other players considered for this award include Napa’s Salvador Leon, Ygnacio Valley’s Diego Ramos, Albany’s Fynn Hayton-Ruffner, Vintage’s Emmanuel Duran and Clayton Valley’s Isaac Morfin.

NOTE: We would like to thank our media partners, coaches, parents, players and fans for contributing photos for our all-section features. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of NCS soccer.