Teams, Players to watch at the SoCal High School Classic

One of two, and the longest-standing, major high school soccer showcases will take place at the end of December as Oceanside High School will host the 26th annual SoCal High School Soccer Classic presented by Nike. The Showcase will run Dec. 28-30 and will feature several of the top teams in Southern California, which has among the best talent in the entire state. TORREY PINES The Falcons are perhaps the favorites to win the San Diego Section Division I title and are a legit contender for the SoCal State title as well. The team, quite frankly, is loaded, with easily half a dozen of players that could start on any team. Here are a few of them. [player_tooltip player_id="8244" first="Mateo" last="Pacelli"], Senior, Attacking Midfielder Pacelli is a very creative and attacking No. 10 who not only works hard but scores amazing goals like he did against Cathedral Catholic on Dec. 13th. Pacelli is a playmaker who will continue playing when he attends Bowdoin. [player_tooltip player_id="8743" first="Tye" last="Barton"], Senior, Center Back Barton is the son of former England and Premier League player Warren Barton, and like his dad is a defender. Tye is a quiet leader who can distribute with great vision and accuracy who can turn defending into attacking very quickly. [player_tooltip player_id="32881" first="Kai" last="Walsh"], Senior, Winger Walsh is a strong player who can beat defenders with his incredible pace and exceptional balance. He’s very hard to knock off the ball and is a critical player to the attack who provides goal-scoring opportunities for himself and his mates. [player_tooltip player_id="8306" first="Michael" last="Sherlock"], Senior, Midfielder Sherlock is a key player in the No. 6 position for Torrey and a top player to watch in Southern California. Sherlock is committed to the University of Washington and made his season debut on Dec. 15 against San Pasqual. [player_tooltip player_id="7258" first="Charlie" last="Kosakoff"], Senior, Forward A Ruud Van Nistelroy type (points for anyone who gets the reference) Kosakoff is a born goal-scorer. Despite debuting on Dec. 15 against San Pasqual, look for him to be a top-goal scorer in the San Diego area. Eli Zelkind, Senior, Right Back Zelkind is a difference-maker for TP. He plays right back/wing back regardless of the formation and can really get up the pitch. He is what coach Andy Hargreaves called the team’s biggest impact player. His style is somewhat unconventional, but it’s simple and effective and it allows him to get around players with ease. He recently committed to Missouri State, which finished ranked in the top 10 in NCAA. OCEANSIDE A young team led by coach and tournament organizer Frank Zimmerman. There are some senior leaders, with the players mentioned below, but it is overall and young and green team. Do expect them to be very competitive, however. <img class="size-medium wp-image-36727 alignright" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/12/Javier-Camargo-300x294.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="294" />[player_tooltip player_id="36867" first="Javier" last="Camargo"], Senior, Midfielder One word comes to mind when describing Camargo and that is motor. He just never stops. His motor keeps on going as he has a work rate that is second to none. He’s not just a hard worker as he is a very skilled, true two-footed player who is very technical. Camargo recently committed to San Diego State. [caption id="attachment_36728" align="alignleft" width="264"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-36728" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/12/Christian-McElroy-264x300.jpeg" alt="" width="264" height="300" /> Photo: Katheryn Messina[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="7270" first="Christian" last="McElroy"], Senior, Central Defender "Champ" as he is known by family and friends is a beast of a central defender. He looks like, and is, a soccer player in a football player’s body. He’s not super tall, coming in at 5-10, but he’s very strong and he’s a good leader. SAN PASQUAL The Golden Eagles feature four players you should watch out for which makes their team one that can beat anyone on any given day. They have a forward that is a very special player. [player_tooltip player_id="36871" first="Wes" last="Hastings"], Senior, Forward<img class="size-medium wp-image-36729 alignright" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/12/Wes-Hastings-240x300.jpeg" alt="" width="240" height="300" /> Hastings is a talented scorer, who scored six goals in his first seven games this season. He is an exceptional player who can score in bunches. He plays for the San Diego Loyal’s USL Academy and is committed to UC Riverside. Alexis Aparicio, Senior, Midfielder Aparicio has good size and is technically sound. He is a creative player and because he is so good with the ball at his feet, he puts defenses under a lot of stress. He has a great work rate, is a fierce competitor who fights for every ball and never wants to come off the pitch. David Kotoyan, Senior, Defender Kotoyan is a very dynamic player who contributes a ton to the offense and defense. He is a shut down defender who communicates well, reads the game well, and is a good, clean tackler. He also makes great runs forward for a defender, and provides great service on crosses, and is a threat on set pieces. <img class="size-medium wp-image-36730 alignright" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/12/Tanner-Wrzeski-300x220.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="220" />Tanner Wrzeski, Senior, Keeper Wrzeski has great size and athleticism. He has great keeper instincts, cutting off angles, and has great reflexes as a shot-stopper. He is a hard worker, a great teammate, and is a four-year starter. LONG BEACH WILSON Since coach CJ Brewer took over five years ago, Wilson has moved up from Division IV and has been promoted now all the way up to DI. They are showing why, drawing against a powerful Torrey Pines team, beating a perennial contender in Millikan, and also recently topping their rival, Long Beach Poly. Brewer is looking to turn Wilson into a perennial contender and they are well on their way Gavin Pool-Harris, Junior, Keeper Pool-Harris is one of the top players in the state, and perhaps the best keeper in the state of California. A former Pateadores Academy player, Pool-Harris brings size, poise and athleticism between the posts. He’s a big reason that the Bruins will keep many clean sheets this season. Look for him to receive offers from plenty of Division I colleges. Beck Peterson, Senior, Central Defender Peterson is a leader in the back which helps give the Bruins a solid backbone. He’s a big reason why half their matches a season ago were shutouts. A three-year varsity player who plays at FC Premier, he’s a big kid at 6-1 and also has a nearly perfect GPA. [caption id="attachment_36770" align="alignright" width="240"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-36770" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/12/Cole-Worden-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="300" /> Photo: Joseph Kling[/caption] Cole Worden, Senior, Attacking Midfielder Worden has an impressive resume of playing in top flight competition, playing in the UPSL, NPL and being in the qualifying pool at the pro soccer combine with Pacific Soccer Club. He also plays in the NISA developmental league which is a league of adults and college players, and he holds his own. He’s a big kid who finishes well, is great with the ball at his feet and his biggest strength is starting the attack. On top of being a three-year starter and a captain, he’s also a straight-A student. Anthony Garcia, Senior, Midfielder Garcia is a four-year starter, the most technical player on the team, if not the most technical in the whole league. He is very creative and dangerous. He sees things others don’t see, like a through ball or a window to shoot. His ability to play fast is next level. Javi Mota-Villegas, Senior Central Defender Mota-Villegas is a two-year varsity starter and a very smart kid. He’s another Wilson player with a very high GPA. He’s very big at 6-1, good at winning balls in the air. He’s a true-left footed but can use both feet and ability to distribute out of the back. When the ball is at his feet can be trusted to make the right pass. Mota-Villegas plays at the NPL level for Pacific Soccer Club. [caption id="attachment_36771" align="alignright" width="256"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-36771" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2021/12/Ian-Bond-256x300.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="300" /> Photo: Joseph Kling[/caption] Ian Bond, Sophomore, Defensive Midfield Bond, a sophomore, is already 6-3 and plays quarterback for the football team. He is a force leading the attack and a brick wall as a defender. He’s another Bruin who is a 4.0 student, he is very athletic and will be drawing attention from a lot of schools. He is a big reason the team has gone from a good team to a very good team. Brian Calderon, Junior, Attacker Calderon is a very gifted player with the ball at his feet who can score and who can distribute very well. He scored the game-winner against Millikan and delivered a perfect, incredible cross that Luke Garza finished for the equalizer against TP. RICHMOND The lone Northern California team, the Oilers are one of the top programs north of San Jose every year. With a fresh, attacking style that includes quick passing and ball movement, they are a team that rises to the level of their competition. Emilio Ramirez, Senior, Forward Ramirez is a very skilled, technical player who can play up top or out wide and is going to develop into a big asset this season for Richmond. Andy Amado, Senior, Midfielder Amado is a player who plays with style and flair, who has a rare combination of skills and ability which includes him being hard to stop 1v1. He’s also a very unselfish player, who puts the team first.