NCS Sophomore of the Year
LANDON LEAL RUIZ, VINTAGE
Ability and confidence were never lacking for Vintage sophomore midfielder Landon Leal Ruiz, but a healthy heart was an issue which
needed to be fixed after his freshman year, which had been spent on the Crushers’ junior varsity level.
With that in mind, Leal Ruiz underwent open-heart surgery back on April 12, 2019, a surgery which certainly slowed him down for some
time after that, but also enabled him to compete at an extremely high level after his return.
“I have always had a lot of confidence in myself,” Leal Ruiz said. “I wanted to be a leader and do big things since day one.”
Leal Ruiz was born with a pair of abnormal heart valves, one of which ended up being too small as he got older. The faulty valve was
not allowing for regular blood transfer from the heart, so the surgery was performed to enlarge and
open up the valve. At the same time, doctors removed some fatty tissue that had formed.
After a one-week post-surgical stay in UCSF, Leal Ruiz returned home, where he was confined mostly to bed rest with occasional increased w
alking activity for the next two months. Once he began moving again, however, there was nothing to hold
him back. A month after returning to training, Leal Ruiz played at the ENPL Nationals in Denver last July.
Then came the high school season, and a chance to make another big impact.
“We knew he would be on the varsity this year, but we didn’t know he would be this productive, this good,” said Vintage coach Javier
Covarrubias, whose team has gone 37-6-2 since joining the North Coast Section from the Sac-Joaquin Section.
“He not only became one of the top scorers in our program, but also a team leader, someone who is vocal
on and off the field.”
The fact that Leal Ruiz ended up as one of the team’s top scorers speaks to his wide range of ability, considering that he mans a
defensive center-midfield position for the Crushers. The sophomore had 12 goals and six assists for
the season, and played a key role in all of Vintage’s set pieces.
“Our set pieces are something we work on a lot, but without taking the creativity of the players we have out there,” said Covarrubias.
“Landon is very clinical with his touch and his ability to create. He became our go-to guy for corners
and free kicks as the year went on.”
In fact, Leal Ruiz had three game-winning goals off set pieces. And it was no surprise, given his competitive spirit, that the goal he
remembered most fondly was the game-winner in a late-season 1-0 victory over rival Napa.
“Scoring in the final three minutes of that game (to beat Napa), that was definitely the big moment to remember,” said Leal Ruiz.
One of the most interesting aspects of Leal Ruiz’s game is that it would often be described as deceiving to opponents or spectators who
are not already aware of his ability. He is often one of the smallest players on the pitch, but to
overlook his talent would be a big mistake.
“It’s easy to underestimate him based on his stature, but he is tenacious and such a high-level player,” said Covarrubias. “He’s also
just a character in general. He plays like he’s huge, and like he has a chip on his shoulder.”
For Leal Ruiz, however, it is a lot less about overcoming stature, heart issues or adversity in general. Instead, his attitude reflects
his position on the field, where he is a defensive mid who also contributes to the offensive attack.
“I like to think of myself as a hard-working player, so I love contributing on defense as well as scoring and getting the ball to my
forwards,” Leal Ruiz stated. “It’s just fun to play hard at both ends of the field.”
For his efforts this past season, we are pleased to recognize Landon Leal Ruiz as the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Sophomore of the Year.
Other players considered for this award include Newark Memorial’s Robert Sanchez, Windsor’s Alex Barragan and Freedom’s Jaysen Blount
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