 | | | From left: Joseph Wang, Drew Wondolowski and Daniel Konstantino Photos Gint Federas | | | | | | As the regular season of high school boys' soccer finishes up this week, Acalanes (2-4-3 in league), Miramonte (4-3-3), and league leader Campolindo (8-1-1) are reflecting on their seasons and vying for playoff spots. The NCS seeding meeting will take place on Feb. 15.
The Campolindo Cougars, who made it to the NCS semifinals against Dublin last year, have enjoyed a successful season so far. Led by seniors Jeremy Raine and Jacob Buchanan, the Cougars have outscored their opponents 52-18.
Head coach Shane Carney said that his team's chemistry has been the most significant factor to its success. "We've done well this season due to both strong senior leadership and younger talent on the team," said Carney.
With only two games left on the season, Campolindo is in a good position to win the DFAL. The team boasts a slight edge over Dublin in the standings. If they win out, they will take the title.
Despite a relatively young team, the Miramonte Matadors have held their own in league play. Juniors Joseph Wang and Clark Jordan have been key for the Matadors throughout the season.
Head coach Billal Samy stated that while his team may be young, they do not lack toughness or determination. "Our team is lucky to have such a dedicated roster, which we hope can make a difference in the postseason," said Samy. Despite a 4-3-4 record, the Mats are in third place in the DFAL and are on track to earn a berth in the postseason playoffs.
The Acalanes Dons have managed to retain their tenacity despite struggling this season. Like Miramonte, the Dons have a team filled with younger talent. Freshman Drew Wondolowski is one of the underclassmen stars of the team.
Head coach Paul Curtis said that while this season may not have met his expectations, he is excited for the future. "Our confidence has been tested this year, but we will return stronger and more competitive in the future," said Curtis.
On the night of Feb. 6, a cold and windy Friday, the Matadors and Dons met at Acalanes for their last regular season matchups. Early in the game, both teams seemed unable to push the ball deep into their opponent's territory. Miramonte's junior goalie Garrett Johnson made a couple of saves as the first half elapsed, but neither team had any threatening shots on goal.
The second half proved to be much more exciting. Only six minutes into the half, Acalanes sophomore Ian Franklin scored on a rebound that ricocheted around the box after a corner kick. With the rain pouring down, the intensity increased and two yellow cards were given out within a span of the next five minutes. Finally, Miramonte made a series of sharp passes that helped Wang draw a penalty. With fifteen minutes left in the game, Wang drilled his penalty shot into the lower left side of the net as Dons' senior goalie Eric Sirott dove to the right. Despite Acalanes pressure in the last minutes of the game, Johnson made multiple saves to force the game to end in a draw.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA