Players to Watch at the Project Play Soccer Showcase
The Project Play Showcase taking place at Las Lomas High School this weekend was born out of something pure and good. Photo: Pat Conrad Mike Mitchell, a former De La Salle and Chico State player, was a member of the…
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Continue ReadingThe Project Play Showcase taking place at Las Lomas High School this weekend was born out of something pure and good.
Mike Mitchell, a former De La Salle and Chico State player, was a member of the Peace Corps when he traveled to Niger in Africa and brought with him as many soccer balls as he could. Seeing the joy it brought to youth, Mitchell was inspired and started a non-profit called Project Play Soccer. To this day he provides balls and equipment to places such as Niger, Kenya, Benin, and Mexico.
After reconnecting with current Las Lomas head coach Kurt Adkins, Mitchell was put in touch with one of Adkins’ former students, who had become homeless. Mitchell, altruistic as always, gave the young man a place to live, a job and helped him back on his feet.
Adkins and Las Lomas are now giving back, putting on this Saturday’s Showcase as a fundraiser to help Mitchell build a pitch in San Gregorio, next to a farm, where children can play soccer and learn about growing their own food for nourishment.
This chain of events has led to Las Lomas hosting a premier single-day event with some of the best teams in all of Northern California.
“My goal in inviting teams to participate was to create the best single-day, same-location boys soccer event that the Bay Area has ever seen,” Adkins said. “We hope to draw a good crowd and make the event both a soccer success and a success in helping Mike reach his goal.”
Let’s take a look at some players to watch from the day’s matchups.
Las Lomas v. Mission-San Francisco, 11 a.m.
The players to watch in this matchup are Zach Miller and Will Person of Las Lomas. Miller has been patrolling the midfield for four years for the Knights, earning All-League honors all four years. He is a 4.0 student and a tremendous leader on the pitch.
Person is also an outstanding young man and leader on the pitch. He has been a four-year varsity player and has played wherever he’s been asked to play. He was a utility player as a freshman, played holding mid as a sophomore, filled a need by playing center back as a junior, and has now returned to the midfield as a senior.
Berkeley v. Bella Vista, 1 p.m.
A lot of talent to watch for here. The Yellowjackets boast two seniors worth keeping an eye on with center back Luca Xiao and holding midfielder Ko Wiedlin. Xiao is a very elegant defender who is very hard to get around and is probably the best distributor on the team. Wiedlin is a box-to-box, fierce midfielder.
Bella Vista is the three-time defending Division II champs in the Sac-Joaquin Section, and boasts incredible talent. Three names to keep an eye on are Zander Nevin Zander Nevin F Bella Vista | 2022 CA , Harrison Low and Tony Gudkov.
Nevin is a senior forward who is smooth, glides through defenders, knows how to score (banging in two goals, and handing out three assists in the team’s first two games), and in addition is a smart, technical and tactical kid.
Low is a senior center back who is fearless, can take the ball from an attacker and then control the ball. He’s very savvy at reading what’s in front of him and knows where to be at all times.
Gudkov, a senior midfielder, is a very physical player who is not afraid to mix it up. He’s also very good with the ball, and can distribute and pick a pass. He’s an unselfish player that knows when to get rid of the ball and when to keep it.
Acalanes v. East Union, 3 p.m.
The Dons are coming off a win in their first match of the season, beating Mt. Eden 1-0, and will face a tough SJS foe. Luckily for Acalanes, it features three players to help them lead the way in Eli Roth, Matt Walner and Jacob Hill, with the latter two acting as captains.
Roth is a junior winger known for his speed, his ability to get up and down the pitch and his powerful shot. Walner, a central midfielder, is known for his fitness, his footwork and being the field marshall. Hill, an outside back, is known for his vocal leadership and is a strong 1 v. 1 defender.
Montgomery v. Bellarmine, 5 p.m.
This match features two of the best teams in Northern California. While Monty has started off with two draws, Bellarmine hasn’t played a game yet. However, the Bells are just embarking on the beginning of a very tough schedule. Bellarmine comes off a truncated spring season in which they might have been the top team in the state had it been a normal season.
They will feature a trio of players worth watching in Jack Werle, Mikey Macias and Keagan Rhodes Keagan Rhodes D CA .
Werle is a senior center forward for the Bells, checking in at 6-4 he is a lot to handle up top. However, as good as he is as a target man, he’s much more than that. He’s a hard worker, with a great attitude and an outstanding work ethic.
Macias is a 6-2 keeper, a 4-year varsity player with three Open Division titles to his credit. He is an amazingly athletic keeper with great shot-stopping ability and is a rock and a leader in the back. He is also a great distributor with the ability to get the ball down the field with his arm or feet.
Rhodes, a junior who plays all over, is a high IQ player. He is left-footed and a natural left back, but has played on the wing, as a No. 9 and as an attacking mid. He’s a leader on the team as a three-year varsity player, who never stops working hard and has earned the respect of his teammates.
De La Salle v. St. Ignatius, 7 p.m.
The Spartans are just starting to get their full team together, with players returning from football and club commitments. They will learn a lot about themselves taking on a top program like St. Ignatius.
With their experience and their ability to work hard defensively and handle pressure, they will be very able to give SI all they can handle on Saturday.
De La Salle will be led by seniors Anthony Torres and Elliot Kunz. Torres, an attacking midfielder, is great at both creating for himself and others, while Kunz is a very solid center back who gets the job done and distributes very well.