Diablo Athletic League Foothill Boys 2022 Preview

From top to bottom, you might not find a more competitive league in the North Coast Section than the Diablo Athletic League's Foothill Division. There are no gimme's, most of the teams will be in the NCS playoffs, and several of these teams will compete for the league crown.   Acalanes   Showing off the depth of the DAL, the Dons were a third-place team a year ago and reached the NCS semifinals in Division III. This year, they are very talented and return four very key seniors.   It starts with senior striker Eli Roth, who is a gifted and athletic striker. He is dangerous with both feet and has an absolutely blistering shot. He is quick, strong and has great endurance allowing him to put in a full shift.   Senior keeper Dylan Olson is the top returning keeper in the league and is very athletic, showing incredible quickness. He has explosive leaping ability and is a strong, commanding presence in the back.   Andrew Huchingson is a senior attacking player who can play any attacking position. He has a shot that can change a game.   Riley Bonner is a senior midfielder who is crafty, strong and quick in the central midfield and he makes the players around him better. He is a very good passer and has great vision.   Campolindo   After a bit of a slow start to the season last year, the Cougars finished strong, made the DIII playoffs and won an NCS playoff game. They will look to build off last season and have three key seniors that should help parlay that success into success this season.   Luke Olsen is a key central midfielder who is the most technical player in the squad. He is quick and crafty. They also return their central defense as the center back pairing of Jack Alcalay and Doug Ellery return. Alcalay is fast and reads the game well and Ellery is very strong, has good vision and can help drive a long ball to counter quickly. There is also a key sophomore in midfielder Sean Mungunshagai who is a high IQ player, and a good goal scorer with his feet or head.   Clayton Valley   The Eagles won the league a season ago and are poised to not only do so again, but be a serious contender for a Division I title. They return six key seniors, none more important than midfielder Marco Jara, who could be the most important player in the league.   Alex Braginsky, a striker, Skye Megyesi, a defender and Ryan Morimoto, also a defender, are all returning seniors who were second-team all-league players a year ago while Chase Caldwell and Nolan Martin are seniors who were honorable mention a year ago as well as junior Will Caranza. Caldwell is a midfielder, Martin also a midfielder and Caranza is a defender.   Las Lomas   The holdovers from the 2019/2020 championship season have all graduated and moved on, but the Knights have established themselves as a program and will be in the mix, as usual. There will be a lot of depth in the midfield, and it is still to be seen who will step up and establish themselves as a force in the midfield but the one certainty is senior captain Milan Chavez who will be a steadying influence.   They also return a top keeper in junior Mikulas Derer as well as their center back pairing in senior captain Adiel Avidor and junior Maverick Wilson. The outside backs will be new starters, and just as they will in the midfield, they will look for the right pairing to play as outside defenders.   There are a lot of talented kids from high level club teams, so this Las Lomas team should be electric and fun to watch.   Miramonte   After winning the DAL Valley last season, the Matadors moved to the Foothill. They won their side of the league rather easily, finishing nine points clear of second place. The Mats return quite a lot as well as junior [player_tooltip player_id='145673' first='Joseph' last='Chalwin'] was a first-team all-DAL last year, and the return three second-team all-league selections in Grant Scanlan, Riley Coover and Brant Ballantyne as well as two honorable mention selections in Aidan Rascher and Nick Govea.   Northgate   The Broncos are looking to improve on last season's last-place finish, and Nick Romatt should be a key player for them in doing so.   Ygnacio Valley   Traditionally, YV has been known for attacking and putting a bunch of goals into the back of the net. However, if the Warriors are going to get back to the top of the DAL, it will be the defense that leads them.   They have a great center back pairing in Julian Renteria and Diego Alvarado. Both are seniors. Renteria is a tall, athletic defender. He is smart and it shows in his positioning. He is also a great passer and can help in the build up. Alvarado is a leader for this YV team. He has a lot of heart, is fearless, strong and holds himself and his teammates accountable.   Junior holding midfielder Emilio Martinez will be an important part of a team that is hungry and eager this season. He is part of a group that has a mix of experience and raw talent as he is composed and shows great vision and ball control. He is a player who positions himself very well in the midfield.

From top to bottom, you might not find a more competitive league in the North Coast Section than the Diablo Athletic League's Foothill Division. There are no gimme's, most of the teams will be in the NCS playoffs, and several of these teams will compete for the league crown.